IN a fast paced world where everyone appears to be in a race to the top, high anxiety levels are created, which may cause the lack of adequate sleep and impact negatively on health and quality of life.
The Sleep Foundation describes sleep deprivation as getting less than the required seven to nine hours of undisturbed sleep for adults from age 18 to 65 and older. Generally, babies, the growing child, teenagers and seniors require more sleep than adults.

Acute sleep deprivation is inadequate sleep for short periods which is referred to as sleep insufficiency, whereas chronic sleep deprivation is over a longer period of time such as three months. Insufficient sleep or sleep deficiency is also caused by disruptions or fragmented sleep.

In May 2022, the Sleep Foundation published sleep statistics from the US which highlighted insufficient sleep (short period) and sleep deprivation (extended period) in the following categories of persons:
* 44 per cent of the productive work force
* 42.6 per cent of single parents
* 35 to 46.3 per cent of all adults
* 30 to 48 per cent of older adults
* 57.8 per cent middle school aged and 72.7 per cent high school aged learners
* 40 per cent more women are likely to suffer from insomnia than men
* 66 per cent of people talk in their sleep during their lifetime
* 69 to 76 per cent of persons over 40 years old have interrupted sleep due to at least one bathroom visit
* 57 per cent of men, 40 per cent of women and up to 27 per cent of children snore

Sleep is important. In a worst case scenario, lack of sleep may be life-threatening because of impairment in decision making, increasing the likelihood of accidents, if operating a machine. Slowed reaction time and micro sleeps are reasons for occupational hazards with drivers, surgeons and pilots.

The short term consequential effects of sleep insufficiency are lack of energy, irritability, mood swings, decelerated thinking, decreased performance levels at work and home and reduced attention span. More pronounced long term effects are anxiety disorders, depression and memory lapses. Sleep disorders have been directly linked to diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

During the process of sleep the body goes into maintenance mode to repair muscle, regulate hormones for appetite and growth and boost memory. There are five stages in the sleep cycle; firstly transitioning into sleep or dozing off, followed by three levels of Non REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. The latter occurs during 80 per cent of sleep time and is classified as light, medium and deep sleep. During deep sleep, the body’s immune system is strengthened to fight infections and illnesses.

In the course of Non REM sleep, dreams do not occur but a combination of various hormone levels are adjusted, thus making heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and breathing rates lower than normal. The fifth and final sleep stage is REM sleep where dreams occur and eye movements and breathing is fast and irregular.

Sleeping pills, both non-prescription and prescription, are a short term solution to insomnia. For example, if there is a sudden stressful situation such as a divorce or a death of a loved one, sleep aids assist in the ability to fall asleep faster.

According to a professor and sleep medicine expert at the University of Pittsburg, sleeping pills mainly increase the amount of medium depth Non REM sleep. However, these pills have a wide range of unwanted side effects when used on a long term basis. In worst case scenarios memory impairment and heart attack in heart failure patients are associated with continuous use.

Some childcare providers have administered allergy medication, like Benadryl, to children just to get some quiet time. This practice is highly inadvisable since the child’s sleep cycle and learning abilities are connected. Note that there is no approved medication, both prescription and non-prescription including melatonin, for treating insomnia in children.

Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorder Centre articulated an association between poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances at certain phases of a women life cycle, such as transitioning from perimenopause to menopause and after menopause, where hormone production is irregular.

A small study in 2015 funded by UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology proved the hypothesis that sleep loss for one night, in older adults aged 61-86 years, activated the biological pathways to promote biological aging or induce senescence and DNA damage.

This was highlighted in 2021 by a Gravitas broadcast and confirmed in an NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) study that showed sleep deprivation could be linked to DNA damage in the cell. Consequently, breast and prostate cancer have been associated with sleep deprivation.

Some of the reasons for sleep deprivation might be work or childcare obligations or the desire to view a televised program or attend a function, which demands time from your allocated sleep schedule.
Other reasons for sleep deficiency may be a medical condition such as sleep apnea (short breathing during sleep), a post-surgical procedure, pain or mental health problems such as anxiety. Note that sleep deprivation is not insomnia which is the inability to fall asleep despite making bedtime a priority.

Prioritising urgencies, balancing work-life and social activities and the ability to say no to added responsibilities and burdens are key for enabling sleep, an important activity for longevity.

Suggestions for a better sleep are to:
* establish a regular sleep schedule (bedtime and rise and shine time)
* have a routine (for example 3B’s before bed; take a bath, brush teeth and read a book)
* refrain from electronic devices one hour before bed time (the blue light emitted suppress the body’s production of melatonin which is responsible for sleep)
* create a sleep conducive environment (dark, cool and quiet space)
* exercise daily and indulge in a good nutrition daytime (avoid heavy meals or strenuous exercise two hours before bedtime)
* avoid napping during the day, unless for just a brief 30 minutes relaxation
* avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine generally four hours before bedtime
For further pharmacological guidance, contact the pharmacist of Medicine Express PHARMACY located at 223 Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets. If you have any queries, comments or further information on the above topic kindly forward them to medicine.express@gmail.com or send them to 223 Camp Street, N/burg. Tel #225-5142.