Sunday 28 May 2017

Maintaining good sleep hygiene is important for health and well-being

Maintaining good sleep hygiene is important for health and well-being Sleeping is a part of our day to day living, but not everybody is aware of what comprises a good sleep hygiene and its importance in terms of health. Maintaining healthy sleep hygiene is essential for over-all health and well-being. Evidence has shown the association of poor sleep quality with common diseases such as obesity, depression, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Sleep deprivation also contributes to stress in relationships, decreased performance at school and work, accidental injuries, memory and cognitive impairment and a poor quality of life. A new study reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that sleeping less than 6 hours was associated with 2.1 times higher risk of death due to heart disease or stroke in people with metabolic syndrome, especially in those who had high blood pressure or poor glucose metabolism. While, those who those with metabolic syndrome who had more than 6 hours of sleep time were about 1.49 times more likely to die of stroke. The risk factors clustered together as metabolic syndrome included body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 and raised total cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and triglycerides. Sleep duration of less than 6 hours was also associated with 1.99 times higher risk of death due to any cause in subjects with metabolic syndrome than those who did not have metabolic syndrome. In 2015, an Expert Panel from the National Sleep Foundation developed age-specific recommendations for appropriate sleep duration (Source: National Sleep Foundation) • Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours • Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours • Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours • Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours • School age children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours • Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours • Younger adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours (new age category) • Adults (26-64 years): 7-9 hours • Older adults (65+ years): 7-8 hours (new age category) But, while it is important to get adequate hours of sleep daily, good sleep quality is also essential A scientific statement titled “Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health” from the American Heart Association (AHA) published in 2016 in the journal Circulation, has acknowledged the association of sleep duration (short duration more than long duration) and sleep disorders (insomnia) with adverse cardiometabolic risk, including obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. So, when we counsel our patients about lifestyle modification, the importance of sleep hygiene should also be included and emphasized upon. Dr KK Aggarwal National President IMA & HCFI

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