Happy World Sleep Day!
Health professionals have always placed importance on getting enough sleep in order to avoid health complications. But despite so, many are still sleeping on this warning.
Today is World Sleep Day. Yes, I’m serious, there is such a holiday. But, unfortunately, there is no official day off in lieu of this annual celebration. The real purpose of this holiday is to raise awareness and place emphasis on the importance of sleep— an essential Singaporeans very much lack.
I’m sure most Singaporeans have no qualms about sleeping in most days – it usually is our schedule that prevents us from doing so. Studies revealed that the average amount of sleep Singaporeans get is only 7 hours and 24 minutes.
Snooze That Extra Alarm
World Sleep Day, founded by World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) and World Sleep Federation (WSF) said on their website that sound sleep is one of the three pillars of good health along with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
The organisation added that individuals who get an entire night’s sleep without any interruptions experience lower rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses.
Director of Duke-NUS Medical School’s Centre for cognitive Neuroscience, Michael Chee urged Singaporeans to clock in longer hours of sleep, discover the benefits of doing so and to tell their friends about it. The sleep expert also said that if Singaporeans were “successful in changing the culture of sleep” then our country would be viewed as “a leader in east Asia”
In 2015, a study conducted by SingHealth Polyclinics reported that more than 40% of Singaporeans not clocking enough sleep on weekdays.
The study also found respondents who used the computer or laptop to surf the web or play games in their bedrooms were more likely to lack sleep on weekdays. The insufficient amount of sleep could be blamed on other aspects such as consumption habits, employment, home environment and regularity of sleep patterns.
Sufficient Rest
Here is a recommendation of how many hours of sleep a person should have:
It’s time you put away all distractions and prioritize sleep. It is understandably difficult, especially with the Singaporean lifestyle, it’s a struggle to get a decent night’s sleep with the stress standing in between – although sometimes let’s be honest, it’s those 3 am soccer matches that’s the culprit.
