Sleep – Health Cycle

Have you experienced terribly poor night sleep when you are sick?

And conversely, have you had a sense of refreshed wellbeing following a sound sleep with sweet dreams?

It has been discovered that sleep interact with health in a reversible manner, that is, both affect each other. People have asked, “How does sleep affect health; and how can health affect sleep?”

In addressing the queries, we should dissect the two inter-relating entities, and open up the interactions between them. Earlier, health is considered a broad concept containing different aspects.

According to World Health Organisation (1948), health is: a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

As years went by, in 1984, WHO revised the definition of health and stated that it is

“the extent to which an individual or group is able to realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment”

This implies that to reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Therefore, health is measured by the abilities for aspiration identification and realization, needs satisfaction, and handling of environment.

As a matter of facts, it has been shown that quality sleep is regenerative and impacts positively on these person’s abilities. The sleep principally ensures restoration of brain’s biological functions aiding the maintenance of mood, memory, thinking functions and positive human interactions. When this happens the person will have the mental and social fitness for aspiration realizations, need satisfaction and environmental handling.

There are physical and chemical processes in human by which biological materials are produced, maintained, or destroyed, and by which energy is made available for body and brain function. Sleep tilts the balance of these processes towards material production and maintenance with restoration of body and brain energy, rather than material destructions.

This positive material balance also boosts the body’s immunity which is the body’s defence against diseases. The body and brain are continuously controlled by wire-like nerves and chemicals which exist in the same body and brain.

Like a technician, sleep creatively gets this control set-up tidied up, re-organized and optimized. These material rebuilding, defence enhancement, and control system servicing provides the needed physical fitness for aspiration identification and realization, needs satisfaction, and handling of environment. Indeed, sleep is refreshing, gets the person recharged, reset and ready for the next person’s activities.

On the other hand, the practical factors for improving sleep quality are good health proper and habits that improve the health. There is an in-built brain regulatory switch that activates sleep mode and temporarily shuts down the brain and body activities in response to fatigue or exhaustion.

Good state of health guarantees the appropriate function of this brain switch. This magic from good health is performed by tools like adequate amount of blood, water, oxygen, sugar and other nutrients flowing all through the body and to the brain. Health improving lifestyles or habits also result in the maintenance of these tools thereby improving sleep quality

We have shared how both sleep and health relate in reversible manner. Whilst good sleep brings good health; good health equally rewards us with good sleep.

An apt illustration of the sleep-health cycle which come to an agreement with the known fact of nature that if A created B, then B can create A. And this is the Law of Reversibility.

We should strive to preserve both the sleep and health to avoid disruption of the cycle, by applying the following habits for improving the health which will assure us good health and quality sleep:

• SAFE exercises (physical activities)
• Healthy diet and weight management
• Healthy social habits – avoid smoking, stimulants and excess alcohol
• Adequate stress management
• Adequate rest and leisure (regular sleep schedule)
• Enough body function raw materials (water, oxygen, sugar, etc.)
• Safe drug use – NO drug abuse, USE prescribed sleeping drugs ONLY.
• Peaceful and relaxing sleep environment
• Conducive sleeping surfaces for supportive posture

Let us remember that where you sleep, when you sleep and how you sleep affect your mental health, physical wellbeing and living a healthy life. We all need quality sleep to be well for more productivity in our endeavours.

Do you need further information on this article?

Are you looking for the best way to maintain quality sleep for generally wellbeing and healthy living?

Are you currently facing any sleeping difficulty?

Remember, a doctor is an appropriate person to offer relevant advice for maintenance of quality sleep, solution and sleep difficulties.

Do you want to contact the Orthopaedic Sleep Consultant, Dr Charles Uzodimma, kindly send your request to sleepinfo@vitafoam.com.ng

Vitafoam is passionate about quality sleep, healthy living and general wellbeing of Nigerians. We are proudly Nigerian and constantly supports Nigerians with consistent quality products for comfort and wellbeing.

With Vitafoam, you don’t just sleep, we give you the comfort that gets you recharged.
To learn more about Vitafoam, visit www.vitafoamng.com