Responding With Grace

SLEEP; How Much is Necessary?

Dr Olamipo Bamigboje

Sleep is a beautiful thing; it is a necessity we are to enjoy to attain our aspirations. God gives his beloved sleep (Ps. 127: 7b) hence it is a good thing, but on the flip side “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so, shall poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed a man” (Pro. 24: 33-34). Having established the fact that physically or materially speaking, sleep should be rationed, the spiritual aspect is not left out as the bible tells us “but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares’’ (Matt.13:5).

So really, how much sleep is necessary as we know we can’t stay awake continuously to get work done. An African (Yoruba) adage says ‘the lifespan of work is always longer than the lifespan of man”, therefore you can’t finish working in a lifetime, so what’s the point of not resting? The only one who can neither sleep nor slumber is God (Ps 121: 1). Sleep requirements can differ from person to person; hence one size may not fit all. However, on a general note, the National Sleep Foundation recommends the following hours of sleep based on age classification

18-26 years: 7-9 hours (6 or 10-11 hours maybe appropriate) 26-64 years: 7-9 hours (6 or 10 hours maybe appropriate) 65 years and above: 7-8 hours (5- 6 hours or 9 hours maybe appropriate)

So, this can help determine if you are falling behind on or accumulating sleep. Sleep issues occur in at least one in every three adults and about a third of the adult population seem to suffer from lack of sufficient sleep. Sleep issues are usually greater in women at 3: 2 ratio.

Causes of lack of sleep can include but not limited to the following:

z Poor sleep hygiene z Medications e.g. opioids, decongestants z Physiological conditions e.g., menopause z Caffeine (yea yea, I see you coffee lovers) z Alcohol z Environmental issues; shift work, jet lag, noise, extremes of temperature z Medical issues e.g. Pain, headaches, urinary concerns z Psychological issues e.g., depression, anxiety

Causes of excess sleep can include but not limited to the following

z Medical issues e.g., hypothyroidism z Psychological issues e.g. depression z Medications e.g. sedatives. z Physiological issues e.g. pregnancy

Have a notebook and pen beside your bed; if your mind is racing with so many thoughts of all you want to do, get the pen and book notepad and write down those thoughts

Recommendations for healthy sleep

For adults

z Ensure the bedroom is for sleep and intimacy. No TVs, no reading, no

electronics, no gadgets, no screens. z Avoid caffeine especially after the 1st half of the day. z Avoid large meals or spicy foods at least 3 hours before bed z Avoid alcohol/ nicotine z Avoid daytime naps z Avoid blue- light emitting screens (e.g. phones, iPad, computers) before bedtime z No exercise 3 hours before bed time.

However, there’s a twist to this recommendation as one exercise is recommended. Guess which exercise; make sure you guess before you continue reading. We shall see if

you guessed right at the end of the article. z Avoid stimulating activities like thrilling TV shows or horror movies z Consumption of tryptophan containing foods can help induce sleep e.g. warm milk z Have a regular time to go to bed.

Kindly note; if after 30 mins-1 hour you haven’t fallen asleep, don’t stay in bed. Get out of bed to do a short chore (within 15minutes) e.g. reading, empty dish dishwasher, fold clothes etc , get back to bed and try again. Repeat the cycle until you fall asleep. Have a notebook and pen beside your bed; if your mind is racing with so many thoughts of all you want to do, get the pen and book notepad and write down those thoughts, so your mind can rest knowing you have written them down.

Ensure an enabling environment e.g., good temperature, comfortable and clean beddings, blackout curtains.

These are some suggested steps to help attain sleep, if they don’t help, it may be a good idea to check with your doctor.

NB–Exercise recommended before bed time or even in bed is called “coitus”. Just a big name for sex, is someone happy, yayy, as a matter of fact, sex is good for sleep, so the next time, you need a code word (maybe you are in the midst of friends) to let your husband or wife know that it is time to “know” yourselves’ (‘as Adam knew Eve”) you can say “it’s time for exercise” or “I really do need some sleep aid now”. Hopefully your friends would not have read this article, so they wouldn’t decode your code *wink*.

References -UpToDate; Sleep issues -Pepid PCP Platinum; Sleep -Medscape Journal; Insomnia