Understanding Sleep

It is a general tendency of all people to take their sleep for granted. Some of us get to sleep when we are not supposed to sleep, and some of us do not get it when we want to. Sleep-related problems are common in most adults. Perhaps, the only time we humans sleep peacefully is during infancy, which is why the age-old adage of ‘sleep like a baby’ came into use. It is said that adults of any age, including elders, need anywhere between 6 to 8 hours of sleep every day. While elder people openly acknowledge or comment on lack of sleep, many young people do not even understand that they are getting less sleep.

A slight sleepy feeling is normal after lunch, even according to experts. And a catnap at that time is rejuvenating for most people. However, feeling sleepy throughout the day, not being able to focus on work, feeling grumpy and irritated, etc., could be signs of sleep deprivation. The key point here is the quality of sleep. You may have spent eight hours in bed, but may not have had a good sleep. A good night’s sleep will keep us awake and alert for most of the day.

Understanding sleep deprivation

It is essential to understand what kind of sleep deprivation you are suffering from so that corrective measures could be taken. If you get less sleep for a night or two in continuation then it is sleep deprivation. This will probably lead to you being less active and more irritated for a day or two. However chronic sleep deprivation is when you have not been getting good sleep over weeks, months, or years. The second one is more dangerous as people start getting used to the phenomenon and do not realize that is affecting their health, both in the short term and long term. It keeps affecting performance progressively with time, which means all their activities will take a beating.

The acute sleep deprivation caused one by one or two-night outs can worsen your mood the next day, and you will find it hard to focus on anything. You will feel sleepy, especially if you are driving or sitting idle like attending a meeting. You may also experience fatigue as there is a physical effect of sleep deprivation. A chronically sleep-deprived person will be worse after a night out.

Chronic sleep deprivation has more long-term health issues like depression, an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and a weakening immune system. They also tend to have elevated inflammatory markers in their bloodstream. It can even lead to obesity as the lack of sleep affects appetite hormones as well.

Ageing and sleep changes

It is not a myth that ageing affects sleep. It is said that sleep decreases by about 30 minutes or so every decade, from mid-life. It also becomes more fragmented as the Rapid Eye Moment (REM) sleep amount declines. REM sleep accounts for about 25% of an adult’s sleep time and is the time when we dream vividly. It plays a significant role in our memory, learning, and mood. It starts within 90 minutes of our falling asleep and then happens in cycles every 90 minutes. The body undergoes many changes during REMs, including increased heart rate, increased brain activity, and more. Lack of REM sleep affects our health progressively.

Also, as we age, our circadian rhythm changes. This rhythm is our daily pattern which our body is used to for most processes, regulated by certain hormones and daylight. As we age, this rhythm advances, which means we may feel sleep early on than when young and wake up earlier too. It also weakens as we age, affecting our quality of sleep. So, sleeping a little less as we age is normal. However, what needs to be managed is the acute or more dangerous chronic deprivation as mentioned earlier.

Reasons for lack of sleep

1 Physical health issues like heart-lung conditions, gastric issues like heartburn, arthritis pain, urinary issues, mental health issues like anxiety and depression, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, or side effects of medication for any of these. Understanding the issue and managing it can help sleep issues. Of course for those with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’, the challenges are many, and may need specialists’ help.

2 Sleep disorders like sleep apnea( stop breathing while asleep), snoring, etc. are some forms of sleep disorders related to how people breathe when they sleep. Sleep apnea especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be dangerous. In this, the person can pause breathing due to obstruction in sleep passages. The risk of developing sleep disorders goes up with age. The risk factor is more for men and obese people. OSA increases the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, heart disease, etc. Timely diagnosis and treatment can help improve quality immensely.

3 Restless leg syndrome (RLS), in this condition, people keep moving their legs as they try to fall asleep. It can cause itching, restlessness, or a crawling sensation as people try to fall asleep. This is not a serious condition, is rather common and may be seen more as we age. Females have a higher risk of having RLS, along with those who have poor health and low iron levels in the body. RLS has been linked to anxiety and depression and some medications can worsen it. Professional help can be sought to counter RLS for better sleep.

4 Insomnia I the most common cause of sleeplessness affecting people in their mid and older age. In this condition, people are just not able to fall asleep. One study confirms that almost 25% of the population may be affected by this condition. This causes anxiety, depression, and many other long-term health issues. Treatment can help to overcome this condition.

Also following some generic tips to get good sleep can help people get better quality sleep. What is essential is to understand the seriousness of the nature of the sleep issues we face and seek help, if and when required.

My earlier blogs on similar topics

https://dailyhappenings.in/countering-insomnia

this was posted on 1oth May 2022 and

https://dailyhappenings.in/seniors-and-sleep

posted on 26^th September 2022

In these blogs, some tips are given to get good sleep.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

10^th August 2023