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Diabetes, heart failure and lower immunity: How poor sleep can affect more than mental alertness
Apart from a lack of focus the next day, not getting enough quality sleep can lead to more serious long-term side effects, says Suntory Institute for Science of Life product researcher Dr Daisuke Takemoto (PhD)
Being consistent in your sleep schedule and creating a restful environment may help improve your sleep quality. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
You’re probably familiar with this scenario - tossing and turning in bed the entire night with an overactive mind and the inability to fall asleep no matter how hard you try. Before you know it, there are only 10 minutes left before your alarm goes off and you have to get ready for work. Suntory Institute for Science of Life product researcher Dr Daisuke Takemoto (PhD) shares some reasons behind our poor sleep quality and what can be done about it.
Q: What are some common reasons we experience poor sleep quality?
There are many causes of poor sleep quality. Most link Singaporeans’ lack of sleep to the stresses of daily life, such as long working hours, or lifestyle-related behaviour. However, poor sleep quality can also be linked to underlying medical conditions and sleep disorders such as cardiovascular problems, obesity, chronic insomnia or sleep apnea which can interfere with quantity and quality of sleep.
It is also common for older adults to experience changes in the quality and duration of their sleep. Many of these changes occur due to changes in the body’s internal clock. Changes in production of hormones, such as melatonin and cortisol, may also play a role in disrupted sleep in older adults.
Q: How does poor sleep quality affect cognitive function, immune system and overall health?
You have likely experienced for yourself how poor sleep quality can have adverse effects on cognitive performance and brain function. If you did not get enough rest the night before, your thought process the next day will probably be slower, with a shorter attention span. Scientists measuring sleepiness have found that poor sleep quality and quantity lead to lower alertness and concentration.
During sleep, your brain also forms connections that help you process and remember new information. A lack of sleep can negatively impact both short and long-term memory and decision-making. In addition, poor sleep quality reduces natural killer cell activity and reduces the production of antibodies, which increases the risk of viral infections.
Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Other potential problems include obesity, depression and reduced immune system function.
Q: What lifestyle changes can be implemented to improve sleep quality?
You may want to consider these habits for better sleep:
- Be consistent with your sleep schedule.
- Create a restful environment in your bedroom.
- Get some exercise. Harvard Medical School’s sleep division advises completing your workout at least two hours before bedtime.
- Watch what you eat at night and avoid heavy or large meals close to bedtime.
- Consume a balanced diet made up of fruits like kiwi and pineapple, vegetables like edamame, and fatty fish which contain Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D to boost sleep quality. Another key ingredient that helps improve sleep quality is sesamin. Found in sesame seeds, sesamin is found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help maintain the body’s balance of free radicals.
Q: What is Sesamin EX and how is it beneficial to sleep health?
Produced by Suntory Wellness in Japan, Sesamin EX is a supplement that contains an antioxidant formula of sesamin, vitamin E and super vitamin tocotrienol.
Eating sesame seeds alone will not suffice, since sesamin makes up less than one per cent of each seed. Sesame seeds are also not easily absorbed by the body. Hence, Suntory spent 30 years perfecting a proprietary technology to extract the goodness of sesamin from sesame seeds.
Sesamin EX helps support improved sleep quality and reduces fatigue after eight weeks of regular consumption. In a study by Suntory involving 299 participants aged 40 and above who felt exhausted on a daily basis, consumption of Sesamin EX for eight weeks helped them to fall asleep more easily, sleep more soundly, feel more rested when waking up, and feel less fatigued.
