Check out this article from ST forum...in summary...it's good to be a pig...as long as u dun over do it...hehe ;p
I READ with concern the special report, 'Multi-tasking teens: Good or bad?' (ST, June 4), which drew attention to the hectic lives of busy teenagers, who cram multiple activities into their waking hours by sacrificing sleep.
Chronic lack of sleep is so common in today's fast-paced and competitive society that it is virtually considered normal.
Some people even take pride in 'thriving' on very few hours of sleep, even though human sleep deprivation studies have shown that lack of sleep significantly decreases alertness, causes mood disturbances, impairs performance and leads to abnormal brain function.
The strategy of short-changing ourselves on sleep in order to achieve more in a 24-hour day is a popular one, but also one with diminishing returns at best, and serious health effects at worst.
As one who has survived the rigours of our local education system, medical school, housemanship and a profession with sleep deprivation built into a system of night calls, I speak not only from personal experience, but also from my professional encounters as a physician trained in sleep medicine.
With so much learnt about sleep deprivation in recent decades, today's adolescents should not have to suffer in the same way.
Although exactly how much we need to sleep and even why we sleep are not well understood, human sleep deprivation studies have consistently shown that chronic lack of sleep has significant impact on the brain, causing problems in alertness, thinking clearly and performance.
Sleep loss especially affects performance in tasks requiring attention, vigilance and reaction time. So although we think we are productively spending more time on work or studies and sacrificing sleep, we do so at sub-optimal levels of functioning, rather than peak performance.
It is little known that two of the greatest tragedies in recent memory - the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Challenger space shuttle explosion - were mainly the result of human error arising from severe sleep deprivation.
Besides such major catastrophes, accidents due to falling asleep at the wheel are all too common.
Studies have shown that lack of sleep causes impairment comparable to that resulting from alcohol intoxication.
Driving while drowsy kills, and in the United States, young drivers aged 25 or under are involved in more than 50 per cent of crashes related to falling asleep at the wheel. In 2003, New Jersey became the first US state to make it illegal to drive while impaired by lack of sleep.
How much sleep we need varies with age, though most experts agree that there is a normal range of about six to 10 hours for adults. Infants, children and teenagers need much more sleep.
Adolescents in the 'multi-tasking teen' age group need at least 8 1/2 to nine hours of sleep for optimal physical and mental health.
This age group is particularly at risk of insufficient sleep as their body clocks are naturally inclined to later sleep onset times, yet have to adjust to early wake times for school.
Sleep is a time for rest and repair. Lack of sleep can result in difficulty waking in the morning, falling asleep in class, poor concentration, increased risk of accidental injuries, irritability and depression.
Research has shown sleep deprivation to be associated with fatigue, poorer academic performance, emotional problems and attention deficit disorder. Large epidemiological surveys have even shown that there is an increased mortality risk for those who sleep less than four hours a night.
Chronic sleep deprivation is a silent epidemic with significant negative impact that needs to be recognised. Good sleep is a vital part of physical and mental health, just like good nutrition and regular exercise.
Everyone should learn some basic good sleep habits: regular sleep-wake times, getting enough sleep, and avoiding excessive use of caffeine as a stimulant, or relying too much on sedatives. We all need to learn to adopt a 'sleep-smart' lifestyle that suits our busy schedules, one that facilitates rather than detracts from peak performance.
People with significant sleep-related problems such as insomnia, abnormal daytime sleepiness, or longstanding inability to sleep without sedatives should seek medical attention.
Although sleep medicine is a relatively new medical sub-speciality, sleep clinic and laboratory services are now available in many local public and private hospitals.
While industry, discipline and productivity are laudable, characterising an adolescent who gets by on an unhealthy three to four hours of sleep a night as a 'super teen' sends the wrong message, and reinforces the fallacy that sleep is dispensable and a waste of time for the efficient.
It is time to wake up to the fact that chronic lack of sleep is harmful to your health, and even fatal if you drive while sleep-deprived.
Dr Lim Li Ling
No comments:
Post a Comment