I find myself working at what my friends call "ungodly hours". Unfortunate may it sound to many, but Malaysia is just a hot and humid country. Days are just too warm and lazy, it's only right to snooze. My brain cells seem to go all limp and wobbly, that they rarely bump into each other for me to experience anything remotely insightful in the day. I'd rather spend my days running errands, schedule meetings and push papers, where thinking is kept at a minimal. Plus, I have kids and I really enjoy the soccer mom occupation.
So, I'm left with night to work, which I enjoy tremendously for its quiet and undisturbed hours. There's no text messages, no phone calls, no skype requests, no whatsapp, no viber, no Tango and NO KIDS. Just silence and me.
However, it leaves me with very little hours of sleep at night on weekdays. I get an average of 4 hours of sleep because I live in 'tempat Jin bertendang', which means I live in a far, far away land from the city I work and function (Kuala Lumpur, la). Hence, I have to wake up really early in the morning to start for work. I had a friend who said that I would end up putting on weight because I lack sleep, and it would put a good hit on my health in the long run.
Like a good information seeking moron that I am, I thought I'd look up what I am doing to my dear old aging body.
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| Relationship between sleep deprivation and obesity |
Based on an article from Latino Fox News, sleep affects the hormone ghrelin, which is the compound that gives you the hunger pangs especially when tired - that in turn drives you to overeat. In fact, studies have shown that ghrelin increases with sleep loss, even as fat losses decreases.
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/01/04/best-new-years-resolution-sleep/#ixzz1ib948D1
It is mentioned in several research based write-ups on sleep that an extra 30-minutes to an additional hour can help a person drop 14 pounds in a year (based on Dr Zee and a researcher from the University of Michigan). Evidently, going to sleep instead of staying up with mindless snacking is healthy (duh!). The rationale is that as much as sleep is an idle activity, it keeps you off the munchies, hence, you are likely to cut calories by 6%!
After reading these short facts and comparing it to my lifestyle...ok la, it's very true. I tend to have my coffee and tea later in the night, and if there's chocolate, I'll down in like a plate of rice. The Malays would say, "macam makan kacang!" Then again, there's that thing called willpower and control, so I have my reservations. I know if I am mindful, I usually stay off the...errr, yummy but unhealthy goodies.
Still, Dr Zee gave some recommendations on how to get your good night sleep and I want to share it with you here:
- Take it seriously and plan ahead
- Create a relaxing routine before bed
- Create a comfortable sleeping environment, with loose pyjamas
- Keep it cool, maybe run a fan, lower the thermostat to below 70 degree (Farenheit)
- Keep it dark, draw the shades
- The TV, computer, iPad and cell phones need to take a break at nighttime too
- Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol can have an impact: limit use at nighttime.
By definition:
Sleep deprivation is less than 5 hours
Sleep extension is more than 8-9 hours
Read also: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/sleep_n_1175298.html?ref=healthy-living&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
*Information taken from WebMD, myFOXchicago.com, latino.foxnews.com, ahnutrition.wordpress.com
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