Sleep Habits: Health and Lifestyle Consequences

Sleep disorders can have a huge impact on an individual's daily functioning; from lack of concentration, irritability, poor health and chronically altered diet. The bed habits of individuals can place extreme stress on relationships disrupting a good night sleep for the individual and their bed partner. This article will also focus on how poor sleep hygiene can lead to altered dietary intakes, particularly in teenagers and the role technology is playing in altering their sleep patterns.

Bad Bed Habits VS. Sleep Disorders

The most common complaint to cause tension in the bedroom is snoring a recent study by a UK based hotel chain found that around 75% of people reported that their bed partners snoring was the main reason they had a disrupted sleep. If left untreated the disruption caused by the snoring can cause loss of up to 8 hours a week from a regular sleep pattern. Restlessness was another prominent complaint among couples. Where one partners fidgeting and movement would cause their partner to wake up and lose more valuable sleep time. Nearly 50% of respondents in the survey also noted the disruptions caused by sleep talking and moaning. These disorders are common in most people from time to time but reach a critical level, requiring medical investigation, when these symptoms become chronic and begin to disrupt normal functioning. Snoring is a major symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). The disorder can cause an people to stop breathing hundreds of times per night and cause significant stress to the heart and other bodily functions.

Night time restlessness should also be investigated by a medical professional if it results in significant disturbance to normal functioning, both for the individual and their bed partner. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder is a common cause of night time restlessness where an individual will make repetitive involuntary movements of their limbs which can cause significant disruption to sleep onset and sleep maintenance. Sleep talking can also result in a significant disruption to regular daytime functioning when it reaches chronic levels. Sleep talking or somniloquy can be caused by anxiety, stress or fevers and should be investigated if they occur over a prolonged period or have significant intensity.

Poor Sleep Hygiene, Disrupted Sleep and Diet

Poor sleep hygiene relates to the behaviour and routines an individual should pursue to ensure a good night sleep every night. These can be simple things like maintaining regular sleep and wake times through to lifestyle changes like regular exercise and regular exposure to sunlight. An excellent resource for good sleep hygiene can be found at this link. A recent article published in Medicine Today has drawn attention to the important role good sleep hygiene has on dietary choices. Other recent research has established a strong link between sleep deprived teenagers their use of technology such as mobile phones, the internet and computer games.. "Teenagers who sleep less than eight hours a week tended to eat more fatty foods and snacks" compared to teens who slept the average 8 hours per night. The research showed that adding an hour of sleep per night resulted in a  21% lower probabililty that the individual would consume snacks of high caloric content. 

Research in the medical journal Somnologie has shown that extended mobile phone use can result in reduced sleep quality. Other research suggests that the physical use of a mobile phone in the bedroom extends periods the individual is awake and actively pursuing activities other than using the bedroom solely for sleep. With the rise of the laptop computer and wireless internet teenagers partake in social networking through various internet sites which also disrupts a good sleep hygiene night time routine. The medical journal Sleep found that 38% of teenage participants in a study slept less than 8 hours per night. This is concerning given the evidence that teenagers require an average of 9 hours per night for proper daytime functioning and mental recovery associated with sleep.

Conclusion

The overarching theme of this article is the importance of good sleep hygiene for healthy sleep, a healthy relationship and proper nutritional intake. Following a set night time ritual will train the body to prepare itself for sleep. This will optimise the chances of an individual having a full and restorative night's sleep. If you or your partner are experiencing any of the above bed habits and are concerned it is significantly affecting normal functioning you should contact your GP for an appointment. You can be referred onto a specialist sleep physician by downloading one of our referral forms available at www.tsgq.com.au/referrals. For education and guideance your first source should be the link from above, however more in depth  edcation can also be obtained through GP's and specialist physicians.