Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, is quoted to have said, “Early to bed early to rise makes a man happy, healthy and wise”. Though most of us think that the day starts in the morning, the day starts in the night (precisely at midnight) when we are sleeping. Medics explain that the body gets tired and needs time to rest to be able to perform better the following day. Experts highlight lack of good sleep as a health problem with far-reaching consequences. The body requires good sleep to function well and medics highlight how and why: Why do we need restful nights? Healthy and adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, says Justine Mukamwezi, a clinical psychologist and school counsellor in Kigali. She says a restful sleep benefits the heart and mind and helps various body systems to relax, improving their efficiency. “Though sleeping is considered a lazy activity when done excessively, it helps in repair of dead tissues by rejuvenating the cells of the body. The entire body relaxes with good sleep, physically and mentally.” Mukamwezi says, “This helps in prevention and management of chronic diseases like hypertension and heart problems,” she says. She adds that for children, it is a special case. “In children, it is even more important as the growth hormone is released during sleep. That is why most children are instructed to sleep in the afternoon,” she says. Therefore, with advancing age, she adds, the duration of sleep is also reduced gradually. Justine also notes that good sleep makes one feel better and relaxed, and boosts a person’s mood. This is because adequate sleep enhances concentration and performance the following day. Tips for keeping a good sleep pattern Clinical psychologists and medical doctors stipulate that just lying on the bed or falling asleep may not be effective enough. To have a really restful sleep, Serge Ndagijimana, a former internal medical doctor at King Faisal Hospital, says some sport and physical exercise is needed. “Different forms of relaxation such as going to the sauna, doing yoga, getting a massage or reflexology, among others, promote relaxation, which fosters good sleep,” he says. Additionally, to get good sleep, Ndagijimana points out some habits and meals that people need to be cautious about. “Avoid coffee and alcohol before sleeping. Shutting down all electronic gadgets at least 30 minutes before sleeping ensures a good night’s sleep,” he says, adding that people should avoid heavy supper because they give a tiresome task to some body organs that need to rest. However, he notes that one’s bedroom should have a comfortable ambiance in terms of hygiene, and the beddings should also be comfortable. On the other hand, Justine, a clinical psychologist, points out that there are certain factors that are physiological. These, she says, have to do with other disorders relating to stress, anxiety as well as body trauma. Here, she says, psychological adjustment is all that is needed to rectify the situation. She also adds that the hours of sleeping should be consistent and maintained so as to avoid body disturbance. “One’s daily routine, meal time, sleep-wake habits, presence or absence of stress, should be consistent. But on average, a normal person needs seven to eight hours of sound sleep.” Effects of unrestful nights Dr Prince Rwagasore at Nyamata District Hospital, says, for instance, that one is likely to experience frequent headaches and dizziness due to lack of sleep. However, apart from effects like falling asleep at odd hours, headache and others, Rwagasore says that a night’s sleep is the determination of the next day’s progress. “Whenever someone does not rest sufficiently, s/he happens to have a bad mood during the day, with little concentration on work, making performance drop,” he says. Apart from this, the medical doctor says that a poor night’s sleep can result in insomnia, which is lack of sleep, or hypersomnia, which is excess sleeping where a person falls asleep at an inappropriate time and place — in other words, a condition where one has no control over their sleep. Rwagasore notes that unrestful nights or bad sleeping habits affect general wellbeing.
