PHCC warns against staying up late and lack of sleep in Ramadan

The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has highlighted the importance of getting enough sleep to promote physical and mental health, noting that adults need 6-8 hours a day to enjoy good health.
Dr Musa Basheer Mansour, consultant -- Family Medicine, PHCC’s Umm Ghuwailina Health Centre, said staying up late and lack of sleep have a negative impact on the immune system’s performance, leading to a higher risk of infection as well as developing respiratory diseases. He added that this also triggers the release of stress hormones, such as norepinephrine and cortisol, and reduces the secretion of hormones that boost fertility.
Staying up late also affects hormones that control the feeling of hunger and satiety. Thus, changes in sleep increases the storage of body fat as well as the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Dr Mansour recommended paying attention to the type of food chosen after Iftar, noting that drinking coffee and tea to stay up late until Suhoor negatively affects people and their sleep schedules in Ramadan. He, therefore, advised people to eat in moderation, avoid taking stimulants before bedtime, and shorten their naps to get a better night’s sleep. Shorter naps lasting between 10-30 minutes are beneficial and help people get some rest. Longer naps, on the other hand, lead to not getting enough sleep at night, which affects concentration the following day.
He further noted that exhaustion and lack of sleep increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, as sleep supports the healing of heart vessels and affects the processes that maintain blood pressure and sugar levels. In fact, this increases the risk of cancer, due to poor health and inhibition of the release of some important hormones for the prevention of cancer.
Getting less hours of sleep lead to depression, anxiety, and stress, in addition to skin problems, such as puffiness of the skin, swelling around the eyes, and dark circles under the eyes. This happens due to cortisol hormone released with lack of sleep that breaks down collagen in the skin responsible for skin elasticity. Staying up late also increases back, joints and muscles pain.
Dr Mansour said that the best way to manage people’s time in Ramadan is to avoid staying up late, plan well, create a schedule and use their time to the full, avoid overwhelming themselves with multiple tasks through acting on priorities, putting first things first, getting enough sleep for seven hours, eating healthy and light food, avoiding exhaustion and hard work, and using their time wisely.