Adequate sleep is very important to maintain a person’s optimal health and well-being and its deprivation can affect a person’s health and ability to do daily activities. Sleep deprivation may be caused by consistent lack of sleep, reduced quality of sleep, or underlying sleep disorders. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), children and adolescents who do not get sufficient sleep have a higher risk of health problems so they are advised to get the proper amount of sleep at night to help stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance in school. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.
Insufficient sleep is linked to many chronic diseases and conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and depression. Sleep duration and quality have emerged as predictors of levels of Hemoglobin A1c, an important marker of blood sugar control. Recent research suggested optimized sleep duration and quality to improve blood sugar control in persons with type 2 diabetes. Persons who have consistent inadequate and disruptive sleep also have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, and irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias). Epidemiologic studies have also revealed that short sleep duration may be linked to obesity. This association is particularly noticeable in children among all age groups. Insufficient sleep in children may adversely affect the function of a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which regulates appetite and the expenditure of energy.
Risk factors contributing to sleep deprivation and disruption include environmental, psychosocial, sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea, medical conditions such as diabetes and pain, and lifestyle factors such as consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, drug abuse, and shift work. Sleep Foundation has published recommendations for the amount of sleep needed for each age group. Recommended range of sleep duration is higher among children compared to adults. This is to recognize the importance of sleep in the brain development of children.
Having a quality sleep is better than the quantity. Sleeping for long hours but not feeling refreshed, repeatedly waking up during the night, and experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders are signs of poor sleep quality. People who are experiencing symptoms such as chronic snoring, breathing difficulty during sleep and chronic insomnia are advised to consult their doctor to determine the underlying cause. So, aim for quality and not just on quantity to make your life healthy. Have a quality and restful sleep!
-PNS-ZDN Rowence F. Zorilla
References:
1. Sleep and Chronic Disease
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/chronic_disease.html
2. Sleep and Health
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sleep.htm
3. How Much Sleep Do I Need?
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html