Are you aware of these sleeping myths?

Good quality sleep is important to our health and overall well-being. Sleep experts recommend getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to support our body’s optimum functioning[1]. Children and teenagers need substantially more sleep, especially if they are below the age of five.

Here are five great reasons to make sure your body gets the slumber time it needs:

✔ A Sharper Mind – When the body and mind are well rested and recharged, the brain can function properly with better mental focus and memory.

✔ Mood Boost – Your brain processes emotions while you sleep. This allows your mind to recognize emotions and react to them in the right way during waking hours. Chronic sleep deprivation also increases the incidence rate of mood disorders. A large study has shown that insomnia sufferers are five times more likely to develop depression and anxiety/panic disorders[2].

✔ Healthier Heart – Our blood pressure goes down while we sleep, giving our heart and blood vessels a bit of rest time after all the hard work throughout the day.

✔ Steadier Blood Sugar levels - The amount of glucose in our blood drops during a deep, slow-wave part of our sleep cycle. This allows our body to reach and remain in this deep sleep state, which has been linked to a reduced likelihood of getting type 2 diabetes.

✔ Keep Immune Cells “On Point” - Our immune system is our body’s natural defence against harmful bacteria, viruses and diseases. Sleep deprivation can affect our immune cells, resulting in them not attacking harmful pathogens as quickly – meaning more sick days and longer time needed for recovery.

Sleep Myths versus Sleep Facts

Here are some myths/facts about sleep that we all should be aware of!

#1 You can catch up on sleep that you missed during the weekends

A myth. When you don’t get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep daily, you start accumulating a sleep debt that can become difficult to ‘repay’ after that. This results in sleep deprivation that can affect how you function during the day, causing a slew of problems such as sleepiness, poor concentration, short-term memory, anxiety and irritability. Insufficient sleep can also cause chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and high blood pressure.

The best way to make up for the lost sleep is to ensure that you are meeting your individual sleep needs of 7-9 hours every night.

#2 Alcohol as a sleep aid

It’s a fact with a big “BUT”. Alcohol may leave you feeling drowsy and help you fall asleep faster, but it comes with poorer quality of sleep. Alcohol produces adenosine (a sleep-inducing chemical in the brain), allowing a faster onset of sleep, however, it is also known to cause the chemical to subside before you enter into the deeper, more important phase of REM sleep. REM sleep is the phase that is vital for memory storage, learning, processing of information and stress management. The lesser time spent in REM sleep, the greater the decrease in concentration and trouble with recalling information.

Furthermore, alcohol is a diuretic, which simply means you might need to wake up frequently at night to make a few rounds of bathroom trips. Nonetheless, this interrupts our body’s normal sleep pattern. Thus, while alcohol might help you fall asleep faster, it does not result in the quality sleep that your body needs.

#3 Watching TV helps you to sleep

Myth. Watching TV is probably one of the most common ways to relieve stress after a hectic and gruelling day at work.

However, the TV may not be your best friend if your ultimate goal is to enjoy a good night’s sleep. Instead, watching TV robs people away from their precious sleep time. It is too common to hear friends and colleagues complaining about how tired they feel the next day because they stayed up the night before to chase another episode of their favourite k-drama or football match.

Moreover, the light emitted from TV screens and other electronic devices can also trigger your brain to believe that it is daytime and to stop producing melatonin. The blue light emitted from electronic devices can also delay REM sleep, affecting the intrinsic quality of your sleep.

To aim for a good night’s rest, try avoiding any electronic devices at least 1 hour before your bedtime. Wind down by reading a book or listening to some relaxing music instead!

#4 Take naps during the day

It’s a fact. Napping for around 20 minutes in the day can help you feel refreshed, more alert and energetic. It is important to ensure that the naps are kept between 20 to 30 minutes[3]. It is not advisable to nap longer than that because napping too long or at the wrong time can backfire. Although many felt refreshed after taking naps, it might not be for everyone. Some minorities might experience negative effects from napping that include sleep inertia, a state of groggy and disoriented after waking up from a nap[4].

#5 The older you get, the lesser hours of sleep you need

Myth. While it is true that children need more sleep than adults; it does not mean that we don’t need as much sleep as we get older. It doesn’t matter if you’re a young adult, adult or senior adult, you are still required to sleep between 7 to 9 hours.

Unfortunately, many older adults often get less sleep than they need, due to the inability to fall asleep at night or living a bad lifestyle. Because of this, it is widely assumed that seniors do not need as much sleep. However, the difficulty in falling asleep is more likely due to changes in the body, which affects the body’s production of melatonin. This might be coupled with increased sensitivity to environmental factors, such as being more sensitive to noise or light as the person age.

Many people believe that poor sleep is part and parcel of ageing but in fact, it’s not. Your sleep patterns and ability to sleep might change but it is still important to get sufficient sleep.

#6 Your brain remains active as you sleep

It's a fact. Your body rests during sleep, however, your brain remains highly active. It powers your dreams, relaxes you, locks in what you’ve learnt, preserves memories and helps protect you against illnesses. All these require time to complete, therefore, it is important to have a consistent sleep schedule each night.

#7 Weight gain is contributed by the lack of sleep

It's a fact. The lack of sleep sets your body up to make bad decisions. It dulls the frontal lobe of the brain which is the epicentre of decision-making and impulse control. When you are tired, the reward centre of your brain revs up and that can alter the way your body responds to food, making you crave more junk food than you need.

Shorter sleep duration can lead to short-term weight gain. According to some studies, eating and sleeping at unconventional times is associated with a higher risk of obesity due to inconsistent metabolic patterns and circadian rhythms[5].

Additionally, the lack of sleep also triggers your stress hormones to conserve more energy to fuel your waking hours causing your body to hang on to more fat and eventually gain unnecessary weight.

[1] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep

[2] https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood

[3] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/napping

[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/napping/art-20048319

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9031614/