Balance October 2017 - 36

M E N TA L H E A LT H

M

argaret Thatcher
supposedly said
that 'sleep is for
wimps', while
Donald Trump,
who similarly sleeps just four hours a night,
advises 'don't sleep more than you have to'.
Perhaps they share the rare gene DEC2
which means they require less sleep than
most. About three in 100 people have this
recently discovered gene, but the rest of
us are predisposed to needing between
seven and nine hours' sleep every night.
The cumulative long-term effects of sleep
disorders are associated with a wide range
of negative health consequences, including
an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes,
obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke.
There is also a host of short-term effects,
which include cravings for fatty and sugary

ARE YOU
SLEEP
DEPRIVED?
NOT ONLY DO SLEEP PROBLEMS COST
THE NHS MILLIONS IN TREATMENT
EACH YEAR, THERE IS ALSO A HUGE
COST TO INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF LOST
PRODUCTIVITY. SO, HOW CAN YOU
TELL IF YOU ARE SLEEP DEPRIVED
RATHER THAN JUST A BIT TIRED? LOOK
OUT FOR THESE TELL TALE SIGNS...
Always needing an alarm to wake you up at
the right time
Finding it difficult to get out of bed in
the mornings
Falling asleep in the cinema, or after yoga
Experiencing tiredness while driving
Using coffee to get you going in the morning

REM SLEEP
IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR MEMORY
CO-ORDINATION,
CREATIVITY AND
RESTORING OUR
MIND, ENABLING
US TO LEARN
COMPLEX TASKS
foods, weight gain, decreased libido, dull
skin, puffy eyes, anxiety, low mood and
a reduced immune function.
Mentally, we feel drowsy and less alert
during the day, which is primarily due to
a lack of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
This is the part of our sleep cycle when we
dream the most. It is also the part responsible
for memory co-ordination, creativity and
restoring our mind, enabling us to learn
complex tasks. Children, in particular,
need REM sleep for brain development.
One way of working out if you are
sleep deprived is to take the Sleep Onset

October 2017 BA LA N CE

Being cranky and having a shorter fuse
than normal
Having reduced self-control, being more
impulsive in general and less inhibited in
social situations
Suffering concentration lapses at work and
using social media more
Experiencing poor memory retention
Becoming clumsier than usual, tripping over
more and having reduced reaction times
Losing balance emotionally, with increased
anxiety, sadness or anger
Being less alert and finding it hard to
concentrate and trouble-shoot problems
Making poor decisions as your higher-level
cognitive processing is affected
Relying on long weekend lie-ins of around
10 hours to catch up on sleep
Finding it hard to judge social situations
and isolating yourself more
Falling asleep in less than five minutes.
According to the Sleep Foundation, it should
take between 10 and 20 minutes
39



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance October 2017

Balance October 2017 - 1
Balance October 2017 - 2
Balance October 2017 - 3
Balance October 2017 - 4
Balance October 2017 - 5
Balance October 2017 - 6
Balance October 2017 - 7
Balance October 2017 - 8
Balance October 2017 - 9
Balance October 2017 - 10
Balance October 2017 - 11
Balance October 2017 - 12
Balance October 2017 - 13
Balance October 2017 - 14
Balance October 2017 - 15
Balance October 2017 - 16
Balance October 2017 - 17
Balance October 2017 - 18
Balance October 2017 - 19
Balance October 2017 - 20
Balance October 2017 - 21
Balance October 2017 - 22
Balance October 2017 - 23
Balance October 2017 - 24
Balance October 2017 - 25
Balance October 2017 - 26
Balance October 2017 - 27
Balance October 2017 - 28
Balance October 2017 - 29
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