Myths and facts about sleep
The National Sleep Foundation has established 10 common sleep myths and the realities that debunk them.
Sleep and sleep quality “benefit” from many interpretations, many of which are false beliefs ingrained in the collective consciousness.
1. Snoring is a common problem and not a medical one.
2. Long sleep is good for your health
3. Pupils and students who fall asleep in class do not concentrate enough or are lazy
4. Insomnia is characterised by difficulty falling asleep
5. Daytime sleepiness means insufficient sleep at night
6. Health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression are not related to the amount and quality of a person’s sleep
7. Older people need less sleep
8. During sleep, your brain rests
1. Snoring is a common problem and not a medical one.
Although snoring may be harmless to most people, it can be a symptom of a sleep disorder that can become dangerous – sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is characterised by pauses in breathing that prevent air from coming in or going out. Breathing pauses reduce oxygen levels in the blood, can strain the heart and cardiovascular system and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Frequent or regular snoring is directly associated with hypertension. Obesity is another factor that can contribute to sleep apnoea.
Sleep apnoea can be treated. Those who experience shortness of breath during sleep or frequent snoring should consult a specialist for symptom analysis and sleep monitoring with a medical device.
2. Long sleep is good for your health
According to experts, the need for sleep is determined by personal characteristics and varies between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. A restful sleep of 7-9 hours provides health benefits, optimal daytime functioning, concentration and even safety.
Irregular, insufficient or disturbed sleep accumulates a ‘sleep debt’, which can be very difficult to repay. Sleep deprivation leads to health or behavioural problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behaviour, decreased productivity and concentration problems in all areas of life.
3. Pupils and students who fall asleep in class do not concentrate enough or are lazy
According to sleep experts, teenagers need at least 8-10 hours of sleep each night, compared to an average of seven to nine hours each night for most adults. Also, their internal biological clocks cause them to fall asleep and therefore wake up later.
Thus, we cannot speak of lack of concentration or laziness, but only of a behaviour determined by the biological clock.
4. Insomnia is characterised by difficulty falling asleep
Difficulty falling asleep is one of four symptoms generally associated with insomnia. The others include waking up too early and not being able to fall asleep, frequent awakenings and unrefreshing sleep. Insomnia can be a symptom of a sleep disorder or other medical or psychological/psychiatric problem and can often be treated.
According to the 2002 survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation of America, 58% of adults in this country reported at least one symptom of insomnia in the past year. When symptoms of insomnia occur several times a week and affect a person’s daytime functions, symptoms should be discussed with a doctor and sleep should be monitored.
Sleep monitoring with the Act Trust Actigraphy medical device
The data collected during sleep is medical data, which mental health specialists work with effectively. The reports provided by this device help the doctor to tailor a treatment for insomnia, which means less medication, so fewer side effects.
Based on the data collected, Med Anima specialists use the Act Trust Actigraphy medical device to identify, monitor and treat sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep maintenance disability, circadian rhythm disorders or the treatment of chronic fatigue.
The ActTrust device is a reliable and intuitive tool for scientists, doctors and therapists.
ActTrust is a simple, practical and reliable tool for collecting and analysing information objectively, assisting diagnosis and follow-up treatments.
ActTrust is a specific device developed to perform precise measurements of activity, light, external temperature and wrist and is the ideal tool for researchers and clinicians in the fields of chronobiology, sleep medicine, psychiatry.
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5. Daytime sleepiness means insufficient sleep at night
Daytime sleepiness is a condition manifested by an excessive need for sleep at a time when the individual should be alert and fully awake.
The condition, which can occur even after a sufficient night’s sleep of 7-9 hours, may be a symptom of a medical condition or a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy or sleep apnoea, signs that need medical interpretation. Daytime sleepiness can be dangerous in contexts where attention is greatly impaired (driving, crossing, operating machinery, etc.) and can affect mental abilities, emotions and performance.
6. Health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and depression are not related to the amount and quality of a person’s sleep
On the contrary! Studies have found a relationship between sleep quantity and quality and a fairly wide range of health problems.
For example, insufficient sleep affects the secretion of growth hormones which is linked to obesity; as hormone secretion decreases, the chance of weight gain increases. Blood pressure usually drops during the sleep cycle, and interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline, leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Research has shown that insufficient sleep impairs the body’s ability to use insulin, which can lead to diabetes.
7. Older people need less sleep
Sleep experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep for the average adult. Whilesleep patterns change as we age, the amount of sleep needed usually remains constant.
Older people may wake up more frequently during the night and have less deep sleep during the night, but Their need for sleep is no less than in younger adults. Because they can sleep less at night, older people tend to sleep more during the day. As in middle-aged people, a sleep disorder in older people may be a symptom of a medical or mental condition that needs specialist consultation.
8. During sleep, your brain rests
The body rests during sleep and the brain remains active, ‘recharging’ and still controlling many body functions, including breathing.
When we sleep, we typically oscillate between two sleep states, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM, in 90-minute cycles. Non-REM sleep has four stages with distinct characteristics, from stage one – drowsiness, when we can wake up easily, to stages three and four – deep sleep, when waking up is more difficult. This is when the effects of sleep are positive and restorative. However, even in our deepest non-REM sleep, our brain can still process information. REM sleep is active sleep in which dreams occur, breathing and heart rate increase and become irregular, muscles relax and eyes move back and forth under the eyelids
9. A warm bath makes for a restful sleep
This is another false belief. Warm baths before sleep increase internal body temperature and thus delay sleep. In order to fall asleep, the body sensibly lowers its temperature through self-regulatory mechanisms.
10. A lost night is made up in two days
One or more nights of insufficient, interrupted or restless sleep negatively affects the body’s balance. Although it can recover in two to three days, the circadian rhythms are actually restored in two to three weeks.
Experts believe that a healthy human can go without food, but with proper hydration, for up to two months. But in the case of sleep, we can’t last more than a week. Sleep is fundamental to our health.
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