Pillow Talk
Sleep is a natural subject for holistic overhaul.
As most of us can attest, a bad night’s rest
isn’t exactly conducive to an overall feeling
of wellness. According to the Society for
Neuroscience, the impaired mental capacity
we experience after a restless night is due
to under-functioning metabolism and blood
flow in certain areas of the brain – something
that can be remedied only with, well,
sleep. But there are more serious health
implications than not being able to speak to
anyone until you’ve had your double shot
macchiato. We produce up to 70 per cent
of our human growth hormone while we’re
fast asleep, which aids in the rejuvenation
of muscle tissue, bone, organs and immune
cells. To go without sleep is to deter muscle
growth, damage your organs and open
your immune system to attack. The real
kicker, however, comes from Tokyo Medical
University, which found that the sleep-
deprived among us are twice as likely
to suffer from depression. With suicide
now the leading cause of death among
young Australian men, this effect is not to
be taken lightly.
Still, the latest data suggest that all
might not be quite as it seems. According to
the Sleep Health Foundation, the average
Australian gets a respectable seven hours
shuteye per night. So do we really have a
sleep problem? Or have we been suckered
by entrepreneurial trendspotters who have
invented a problem so as to cash in on the
solution? Certainly we have an appetite for
their wares. Ambient ‘white noise’ apps are
becoming increasingly popular; one, Sleep
Pillow Sounds, claims to have over 500,000
“happy customers” – each paying $4.49 to
download it. Devices controlling temperature,
light and even scent conditions are also
becoming fixtures in restless bedrooms across
the country. Meanwhile, global mattress
companies have begun to target ‘wellness’
rather than simple comfort and seen sales rise
as a result.
So the demand is there. But with the
average Aussie snoozer closing in on his
prescribed eight hours, our perceived lack of
sleep is perplexing. The general consensus is
that it is not how long we sleep, but rather the
quality of our sleep that matters. Accordingto an article published in the Medical Journal
of Australia, millions of Australians roll out
of bed feeling grumpy and irritable. Analysis
by Deloitte Access Economics found poor
sleep is a factor in more than 10 per cent of
depression cases, 5.3 per cent of stroke cases,
4.5 per cent of workplace injuries and 4.3 per
cent of motor vehicle accidents.
The three major conditions – sleep apnoea,
insomnia and restless legs syndrome – cost
the nation $5 billion annually, including $3
billion in lost productivity. Figures, you might
say, to lose sleep over.29 %
of Aussies report making errors at work
due to sleep problemsHEALTH‘‘ Our round-the-clock culture is catching up with us’’