The secrets of sleep

Kazi Abul Monsur#

At times, we can’t close our eyes, and it feels like insomnia has set in—such worries have robbed many of a good night’s sleep! Experts suggest that it’s better not to get confused over how many hours of sleep you’ve had or whether you’re suffering from insomnia. It’s best to let sleep be a natural, relaxed state. Recent studies by researchers in Britain, Oslo, and Toronto also support this view.

Insomnia is undoubtedly a serious disorder. However, over the past few decades, scientists have become increasingly concerned about “paradoxical insomnia,” or “apparent insomnia delusion.” For example, someone might feel constantly tired, thinking they aren’t getting enough sleep or waking up frequently at night. But when they consult a doctor, no real issue is found. In such cases, it’s said that the person has an “insomnia delusion.” This leads to increased anxiety, reduced sleep, and decreased mental peace. So, how we perceive our sleep significantly affects how tired or refreshed we feel the next day.

Nicole Tang, director of the Sleep and Pain Lab at the University of Warwick, recently published a research paper claiming that how refreshed we feel in the morning after sleep depends on several factors. One of the key factors is how long we’ve slept, how tired we feel, and what kind of tasks lie ahead for the day (and our thoughts or worries about them). In fact, we have ingrained beliefs about how many hours of sleep we need. If we don’t meet that time, we start to worry. According to doctors, treating insomnia is essential. However, if we are constantly preoccupied with insomnia-related anxiety, it can make us feel mentally and physically exhausted, which can ultimately affect our sleep.

Another group of researchers claims that our idea of “proper sleep” is somewhat flawed. To better understand this, David Samson, director of the Sleep and Human Evolution Lab at the University of Toronto, along with other researchers, studied the quality of sleep among some hunter-gatherer communities in Namibia and Bolivia. David found that these communities sleep a bit less than the prescribed hours on paper.

Even when compared to residents of economically developed countries, their sleep duration is much shorter. But when asked if they are satisfied with their sleep, the response is generally positive. And the fear of insomnia? It seems like such an idea barely exists for them. Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Oslo have raised questions about the concept of a “pandemic of sleeplessness.” In their opinion, every person’s lifestyle is different. How many hours someone sleeps or whether they have more or less sleep on a given day depends on various factors in their surroundings. Therefore, it is not right to think that only a certain number of hours of sleep qualifies as “sufficient.”

Experts, therefore, advise that instead of being trapped in the cycle of worrying about whether we’re getting “proper” sleep, it’s better to keep the mind calm during sleep.##

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