Staying awake? Here's a step-by-step guide to better sleep

As a kid, while going to school by public bus, we would pass a train station, and there used to be this lady who would get on the same bus (we shared the route I guess) from the station (she probably came in to the city from the burbs every morning), and she would usually get a place to sit because there used to be ‘ladies’ seats’ earkmarked on all public buses. The moment she’d settle in, she would nod off, and then soundly sleep through the noise and the chaos. For me, for the longest time, that visual of the somnolent lady on the bus used to be a sort of benchmark for what sleep stood for.

Easy to tune into. Easy to snuggle into.

Those were times when life was simpler. Tranquil. And sleep was a given. 8pm was ‘off to bed’ time for us, and we would fall asleep in a flash, there was no need to count sheep or do breathing exercises or practise sleep hygiene. Daytimes were infused with siestas and catnaps.

Sure, I heard of stories of so-and-so having trouble sleeping and seeking medical intervention, but somehow those motions, or notions, never applied to People Like Us.

Today, almost every second person I know has trouble with sleep. Despite pre-sleep rituals. There are teas and herbal drinks that help calm the mind. There’s music therapy. There’s yoga and meditation. Then, there are beds and mattresses designed for us to be more soporific. And there are sleep experts who are ready to help us with step-by-step guidance towards a better state of dormancy.

Yet it proves elusive.

What’s going on?

Julie Mallon

Sleep expert and founder of Nurture 2 Sleep, a UAE-based sleep consultancy

“Sleep is one of the three main pillars of wellbeing — alongside diet and fitness — and, as such, needs to be treated with care and attention. The science of sleep is comparatively new with real insights gained over the past two decades and it is only recently that we have truly started understanding the importance of getting sufficient sleep. We also know that getting five hours sleep, or less, is not meeting our biological sleep need, and will result in sleep deprivation, which comes with both immediate and long-term side effects.

Covid has changed much about our lives in the last few months — from our work patterns to our eating patterns… and our sleep patterns. Even prior to the pandemic, it had been well documented that our sleep quality and quantity had been compromised. But now, post pandemic, according to research, this has been exacerbated and almost a third of adults are not getting sufficient sleep.

The increase in stress levels caused by the pandemic has contributed to a feeling of being continuously engaged — with our brain being always ‘on’ — and this has led to changes in sleep behaviour, which, in turn, disrupts our circadian rhythm [our biological clock], contributing to poor sleep overall.

Another contributing factor is the change in many work practices where we have gone from working in an office or a structured environment to working from home… the body thrives on structure and routine for good sleep.

Sleep restriction over one night, or multiple nights consecutively, preserves slow-wave sleep (stage 3) while reducing stage 1, stage 2, and REM sleep. Since REM is needed for vital functions like memory and critical thinking, shortening this sleep stage will likely lead to a cognitive decline. When we don’t get enough sleep, we become tired, irritable, and it can have a big impact on our mood — and our mental health. Failing to achieve sufficient sleep in duration is also associated to a number of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and a weakened immune system.

Biological, social, and environmental time-keepers control sleep. These include the light we are exposed to, the time of the day when we eat our meals, exercise, interact with others, and many more. When we stay indoors for a long period of time, we lose many of these cues. Therefore, adopting healthier daytime habits can have beneficial effects on our sleep: this can be as simple as not having caffeine too late in the day, adopting a daily routine of going to sleep at the same time or not exposing ourselves to blue-light technology one hour before bedtime.

Another good practice is to set your alarm to dim your lights approximately one or two hours before you retire for the night, as the pineal gland in your brain starts producing melatonin about two hours before your biological bedtime. Keep your room cool and dark, as this will promote the production of melatonin — the very powerful hormone that tells a body when to sleep.

There’s no one sleep or wake-up time that suits everyone, but by figuring out your sleep need and circadian rhythm, you can find the perfect time for yourself — even though we know this isn’t always possible.

As adults, we are either 7- or 9-hour sleepers depending on our circadian clock and this is very personal to our sleep needs. But research suggests that 1 hour of sleep debt takes a total of 4 days to recover to your optimal level.

Trust your body’s sleep system. When you lose that trust and become overly concerned about sleep, you are making it harder for your sleep system to do its job.”

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Dr Mohammed Harriss

Pulmonology specialist, Medcare Hospital, Sharjah

“Sleep is as important as food, water, or oxygen but for some reason we don’t take the amount or quality of sleep we get as seriously. One of the biggest drivers of sleep disturbance is modernisation. It was the invention of the light bulb — which enabled us to stay up longer — that led to human sleep patterns getting fundamentally changed. The secretion of the melatonin hormone, which is secreted in the body towards the end of the day, is delayed because we’re always in light. That, in a nutshell, is how human sleep patterns have evolved.

Since time immemorial, human sleep is tied to their profession. Take, for example, agriculture.

At night, a farmer rests and then works all through the day. This pattern was changed due to the industrial revolution, and it changed our priorities. On top of this, today, with the introduction of gadgets like smartphones and computers, there are now many distractions available that lead to delayed sleeping hours.

And finally, the pandemic did have an impact on our sleep patterns. We have noticed some patients sleep for too long and others sleep less than usual. Many patients developed irregular sleep patterns. The lockdowns forced people to lead more sedentary lives which lead to a lot of them gaining weight. Being overweight can lead to conditions such as hyperventilation and sleep apnea which has contributed to sleep disturbance, post-pandemic.

Many leaders and professionals often brag about how little they sleep in a day because they claim they’re being more ‘productive’ — but I would not say that people who sleep fewer hours than recommended are ‘hard workers’… they have it backwards. Most times, neglecting sleep is counterproductive because a good night’s sleep is paramount to being able to function at 100 per cent the following day.

There is some debate among researchers about the minimum amount of sleep necessary to function at a cognitive level… However, for the majority of human adults, an average sleep time of seven hours a night is necessary. For children, that number will be higher depending on their age. Infants, for example, will sleep for 19 to 20 hours a day. Slightly older children will need to sleep 10 to 11 hours, and a school-going child will need to sleep at least 8 to 9 hours.