Question & Answer Version.

Quality sleep is vital to our physical and mental well-being towards a healthy and productive life. Following our information-sharing on matters concerning it, we engage in questions-and-answers series with you, our audience. We thank you immensely for your participation in this interactive aspect of our publication. Here is an extract from the series for widespread benefit.

Dear Doctor, 

Very often, I feel sleepy even after a long night-time sleep. Almost all the time, I slept off while going to work either on the steering or while I’m being driven. Please, what is the cause of this excessive sleep and what is the solution?

C. U.

Dear C. U.

From time to time, people feel sleepy, especially after prolonged or exhausting day’s activities. It is normal! However, it becomes disturbing when sleepiness occurs frequently as difficulty staying awake or alert or an increased desire to sleep during the day. It can make one feel almost blindfolded and crippled, thus making it difficult for the person to go about his/her normal daily activities. The feelings of sleepiness are usually stronger during activities of prolonged sitting such as driving or sitting at work. Generally, excessive sleepiness can be difficult to measure and quantify, as it is reported meaning different things and in different patterns by different people. But no matter how it is felt or interpreted, once recognized, it is important to properly identify the possible causes and remedies for the problem.

Excessive sleepiness can be commonly caused by different poor sleep hygiene such as not sleeping long enough and having poor quality sleep. It can also be a result of the use of sleep-inducing substances, diseases like sleep disorders or other underlying ill health conditions.

When you don’t get enough sleep during the night, you are likely to experience excessive sleepiness the next day. You also may feel constantly tired, restless, cranky, having poor concentration and memory loss. I wouldn’t know if you usually fall into the trap of sleep deprivation by some culprits that usually distract our sleep. The common culprits are excessive or inconsistent work hours, the pursuit of personal obligations, and prolonged or excessive use of devices and gadgets especially phones for social media. If you overcome these distractors and grab at least the recommended seven to nine hours of night sleep the sleepiness resulting from not getting enough sleep becomes past tense for you.

Similarly, excessive sleepiness can also result from getting fragmented or otherwise poor-quality sleep despite sleeping over recommended duration at night. If you don’t intentionally apply healthy sleep habits during the day, your sleep quality is very likely to be poor. You can adopt good sleep habits by consuming the right things like adequate drinking water till your urine maintains the clear colour of water and regular just enough quantity of balanced high-fiber low-sugar diet; and by avoiding stimulants like caffeine, smoking and excessive alcohol. Other habits that will improve sleep quality remarkably include regular, possibly daily, safe exercise, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule that is going to bed and waking up around the same times daily, and clearing from your head upsetting worries, especially over things you cannot change. You should not forget that your sleep environment matters for your sleep quality. Ensure a dark, quiet, nice smelling and cool sleeping place while sleeping on a quality mattress, pillow and bedding.

Finally, if you do not appear to have any obvious problems sleeping enough but have poor quality sleep, it might be a sign of an underlying health condition or sleep disorder. Some examples are common. Low blood limits the circulation of nutrients and oxygen to the brain which are essential for its optimal functions both while awake and asleep. Blockage of the airways especially the nose resulting from frequent allergies will impede the flow of oxygen into the blood thereby also depriving the brain of needed oxygen supply. Anyway, bear in mind that the medical conditions are to be identified and treated properly by a qualified doctor who you should consult if your sleep time over the night is adequate, you apply good sleep habits for about three or more days and the problems persists.

Yours in service,

Dr Charles

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

Do you need further information on the above subject? Are you looking for ways to maintain quality sleep for general well-being and healthy living? Remember, a doctor is an appropriate person to offer relevant advice for the maintenance of quality sleep and solution to sleep difficulties. Do you want to contact the Orthopaedic Sleep Consultant, Dr Charles Uzodimma, kindly send your request to sleepinfo@vitafoam.com.ng OR Whatsapp 08129982143.

Vitafoam Nigeria Plc is the first foam manufacturing company in Nigeria to partner with a sleep expert to educate Nigerians on quality sleep for healthy living. The proudly Nigerian company is truly passionate about sleep and general well-being, and continues to consistently provide Nigerians with quality products that offer great comfort.

To learn more about Vitafoam, please visit www.vitafoamng.com