Millions of people in Nigeria today are indebted to enough sleep. Many see this statement as more of a cliché that is fast becoming meaningless under unfriendly economic environment. Lack of enough sleep and relaxation to calm obvious nerves frailed due to lack of rest ethics can be devastating to the health and life  span. It is a deficit that causes immune deficiency and suppression, creating possible chances for various infections to manifest.

Infection and symptoms for diabetes, heart disease, and extreme obesity, as well as other health problems, have been linked to it. Yet, most victims are obvious of this health problem.

The reason for indebtedness to sleep is when a person does not get the amount of healthful sleep needed for the physical body. This can be caused by voluntary sleep deprivation resulting from a person’s life-style or by involuntary sleep deprivation because of illness.

Medical experts once viewed the chronic inability to seep as just one disorder, commonly called insomnia. However, a commission created by the US Congress recognised 17 distinct sleep disorders. At any rate, insomnia has so many causes that is often considered to be a symptom of other problems, such as fever related ailments. Even occasional deprivation of sleep can be disastrous.

One of the causes of sleep debt can be called 24/7. This means operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week without having good rest. USA Today describes this as “a cultural earthquake that is changing the way we live”, noting than “a new wave of round-the-clock retailers and services is profiting by mocking the clock”. In many lands people watch all night television programmes and access the internet when they should be sleeping, then there is a toll taken by emotional disorder, often involving anxieties heightened by stress and the pace of life. There are a variety of physical diseases that can contribute to sleep debts.

Most of the progress in understanding sleep mechanism has been made in the last 50 years. What has been learned explodes some long standing misconceptions; one is the assumption that since many bodily functions slow down during rest, sleep is little more than a state of inactivity.

By studying brain wave patterns, medical researchers, have reported that there are repeated cycles and stages of sleep. Far from being inactive, the human brain runs at high speed during certain periods of sleep. Healthful sleep involves going through these cycles four or more times every night and spending a sufficient amount of time in each cycle.

A normal night’s sleep is most easily divided into two types: What is commonly called REM (Rapid Eye Movement, or dream) Sleep and Non-REM (non dream) sleep. You can tell that a person is in REM sleep when the bulge of his eyeballs can be seen rapidly moving under his eyelids.

Non-REM sleep can further be divided into four stages. After lying down; you gently enter stage one – drowsiness or shallow sleep. During this stage your muscles relax and your brain waves are irregular and rapid. Its first occurrence each night typically lasts between 30 seconds and 7 minutes. When you move to stage two – true sleep – where you will usually spent 20 percent of the night brain waves become larger. You may have fragmented thoughts or images passing through your mind, but you are aware of your surroundings and cannot see even if your eyes are open.

Next are stages three and four – deeper to deepest sleep. Here, in what is also called delta sleep, your brain produce large, slow waves. It is now that your body is most difficult to rouse, as most of your blood is directed to the muscles. During this time (usually about 50 percent of the night), body recovery and repair take place, and it is during delta sleep that young bodies grow. It is important to note that anyone, youth or adult, who does not experience the deeper delta stage, will likely feel fatigued, apathetic, or even depressed the next day.

A number of factors evidently combine to create a circadian (daily) rhythm, or wake-sleep pattern, one of these is the temperature.

How much sleep do you need?

Scientists tell us that, an average human requires about eight hours of rest per night. But studies also show that individuals needs vary dramatically.

An honest self-analysis can determine if you are already in a healthful pattern or are experiencing a sleep debt.

Sleep comes easily without resorting to drugs or fighting restlessness or anxiety. Once you are up and going you feel awake and fairly alert all day.

How do we over come or tackle the issue of sleep debt.?

*those with occasional insomnia are advised not to resort to alcohols as well as stimulants such as coffee or tea near bedtime.

*avoid extreme mental or physical stimulation just before bedtime.

*quit smoking

*make sure that your bedroom is quiet, dark and, where possible relatively cool.

*again, be cautious of taking sleep – inducing medication.

Sometimes one’s symptoms may indicate a serious sleep disorder. Chronic insomnia, which lasts more than a month, is often related to more serious problems, including depression. Chronic insomnia may also be a symptom of a serious physical ailment.

Sleep Apnea (excessive day time sleepiness). It also means literally “no breath”. There are three types of Apnea. Central apnea occurs when the brain’s respiratory control centre does not give the command to breathe regularly. With obstructive sleep apnea, the upper air way at the back of the throat actually closes, blocking air movement. The third one is called mixed apnea; it is a combination of the two and is the most common diagnosis. The victim of any type of apnea can end up in virtually the same condition as someone who stayed up all night. Every night.

Another sleep disorder requiring medical attention is Narcolepsy – a neurological condition that causes excessive daytime sleepiness. Narcolepsy typically starts between the ages of 10 and 30.       Sufferers sometimes develop what is called automatic behaviour. The tragedy of this disease is that it often goes undiagnosed for years. While the victim is viewed as lazy, mentally slow, it is presently considered incurable, but symptoms can be treated with medication and adjustments in life style with varying degrees of success.

Treatment for sleep disorder should be under the supervision of a physician. Many doctors know how difficult it is to get their patients to take sleep debt seriously. Victims of sleep deprivation may not recognise that they suffer from a serious sleep disorder. Reversing this sleep debt is a complex challenge. But understanding how a healthful sleep cycle works and sleep debt can provide the motivation to change. Recognising the symptoms of  a serious sleep disorder can save lives.

Utonoejit is a student of (RSUST).

Mimanijana Utonoejit