SAVE YOUR SANITY WITH
SLEEP
Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your physical health and mental wellbeing – and may have implications for people living with HIV. BETH AMATO
F
amed writer Virginia Woolf wrote of sleep as “that deplorable curtailment of the joy of life”. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. Quality sleep is critical for sound mental health and a strong immune system, likely cornerstones of a joyful life.
SLEEPY, DOPEY, GRUMPY
Sleep deprivation is associated with a higher risk of developing depression. One bad night’s sleep may not do it, but if you’re out on the town or working late every night, believing sleep is for the dead and boring, your happiness declines exponentially. Even acute sleep deprivation in those with common mental illnesses, like Bipolar Mood Disorder or clinical depression, is known to precipitate a manic or depressive phase, says Dr Karine Scheuermaier of the Wits Sleep Laboratory. “If one does not get enough sleep, acute symptoms include
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mood alterations, irritability, decreased enthusiasm, and a decreased capacity to learn,” she says. “A good night’s sleep is critical for road and occupational safety. Without sleep, reactions are slowed and on South African roads, where motor vehicle accidents are high, it is almost a civic duty to get enough sleep.” Sleep acts to free-up ‘space’ in our mental hard drives by deleting unnecessary ‘connections’ that our overactive brains make while we are awake. “A person who regularly sleeps less than six hours a night may ‘feel’ alright, but if tested, would show cognitive impairment and decreased motor performance,” says Scheuermaier. It is not only diminished mental capacity that is synonymous with sleep deprivation. Poor sleep quality or low sleep duration can also lead to higher blood pressure, a higher risk of developing insulin resistance, diabetes, compromised cardiovascular functioning, auto-immune disorders and a higher sensitivity to pain.