Sleeplessness Endangers Health

By Hazlinda Hamzah KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- A good night's sleep has a restorative effect on both the physical and mental processes of the body yet many people suffer from sleeplessness. Sleeplessness is caused by numerous conditions including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy and a lesser acknowledged condition, that is in fact more prevalent, the Circadian Rhythm (CR) Disorder. The human body has its own biological clock - the Circadian Rhythm - that regulates a variety of biological processes on a 24-hour cycle. CR is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a system located in the hypothalamus region of the brain and generates the 24-hour rhythm for all tissues in the body based on the environmental cues, notably light . The body systems with the most prominent CR effect are the sleep-wake cycle, the temperature and blood pressure regulation system, and the endocrine system. "When this biological clock goes awry, it causes the Circadian Rhythm Disorder that leads to harmful effects to health," said Professor Dr Azhar Md Zain while speaking on modern-day treatment to better cope with the CR Disorder. So sleeplessness and accompanying symptoms like the lack of appetite, fluctuating body temperature, fatigue and mood swings, could be due to CR disorder. THE CONFUSED CR The consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia (UPM) pointed out that the disruption of the sleep-wake cycle due to the CR disorder has been identified as one of the major causes of depression. "Thus there is a need to raise the public awareness on the potential harmful effects of the CR disorder," he said adding that the harm due to CR disorder is often underestimated. There are many factors that contribute to the CR Disorder including our food and habits. As for example, a person who takes nasi lemak for breakfast regularly ends up sleepless after taking nasi lemak at night because the CR biological clock gets itself re-synchronised thinking it is already morning. The normal sleep duration for a healthy person is from five to eight hours daily depending on age. Lack of sleep leads to physical and mental fatigue, in-attention, mood swings and in the long run could lead to depression. Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil, from University Malaya's Department of Psychological Medicine pointed out further one’s CR could be disrupted by carrying out activities at the wrong hour of the day. "The youngsters today, especially those between 25 and 35 years of age, prefer to exercise after 7 in the evening. Of course it is more convenient for them to visit fitness centres after work, but this is not good for the body. It is a contributing factor to sleep disorder," he said. In a nutshell, a disturbed CR desynchronises the normal system. TREATING CR DISORDER Is there a treatment for CR Disorder? In fact this problem is unknown to most people and even those who know of the problem don't bother to seek treatment. "More young people are seen to be having CR disorders nowadays, but if they are in their mid 30s they can tolerate medication better and are more resilient," Dr Mohamad said. Understanding the effects resulting from a CR disorder is essential as this will increase the opportunity to extend treatment to a bigger number of patients. "The side effects are low thus patients should take their antidepressant prescriptions religiously. These antidepressants do not cause dependency. "In fact, more effective and safer drugs are continuously being looked into to treat patients suffering from this disorder better," Dr Azhar added. A word of reminder from these consultants to those seeking alternative remedies: No herbal or traditional treatment is spared from side effects. A new antidepressant, Agomelatine, released a year ago is often prescribed as it can be taken along with medications for other ailments and has minimal cardio toxic effect. The antidepressant retunes the CR when taken at night and helps one to attain a good night's sleep and wake up rejuvenated for optimum productivity the next day! -- BERNAMA Malaysia