Sleep smart for a better night's rest
It is ironic that as sleeping technology improves, we prioritise it less. However, some companies are offering hi-tech solutions to a common problem
Work hard, play harder - a theme many Hongkongers take to heart, which leads to skimping on much needed shut eye. Smart technology aims to provide you with a good night’s sleep.
It has been emphasised time and time again by health care practitioners that people need more sleep. The Hong Kong Institute of Education reported in 2012 that 2.2 million people in Hong Kong suffer from insomnia; stress being the principal cause.
Studies have noted a variety of other negative consequences,” says Dr Rebecca Lau, family doctor and general practitioner at Central Health Medical Practice on Duddell Street. This includes “mood changes which resemble anxiety or depression; an increased risk of accidents and death; effects on quality of life with reduced energy levels; unplanned naps affecting social encounters; an association with heart disease and strokes; impairment in immune defences; and even contributing to the risk of obesity.”
The fact that growth hormones are released at night, children, may experience all of these, combined with negative effects on height or growth, Lau elaborates, as “children observed to have hyperactivity, inattention and oppositional behaviour may be interpreted as being ‘naughty’.”
The Institute of Mental Health, Castle Peak Hospital HK says that sleep can be divided into two phases: 20-25 per cent rapid eye movement sleep (REM Sleep) and the remainder non-rapid eye movement sleep (Non-REM Sleep) for a general adult. Non-REM sleep can be broken down into four stages: stages 1 and 2 are termed “light sleep” whereas stages 3 and 4 are “deep sleep”. This is the sleep cycle which lasts from 90 to 120 minutes, more commonly known as the circadian rhythm.