{"id":115634,"date":"2025-06-26T07:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T10:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/jornal\/?p=115634"},"modified":"2025-06-27T13:24:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T16:24:53","slug":"sleep-quality-is-health-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/jornal\/sleep-quality-is-health-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep quality is health too"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sleep | Sleeping well is essential for the body to function properly, but various disorders and factors can make it difficult to get proper rest<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

*By:\u00a0Rafaela Bobsin<\/em>
*First published April 25, 2024
*Photo: Marcelo Pires\/JU<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Twenty-year-old Ivan Guevara J\u00fanior used to work during the day and attended university in the evenings. That was when he started having sleeping issues. After seeing several doctors and doing some inconclusive research, Ivan consulted a sleep specialist neurologist, who ordered a polysomnography, a test where an asleep patient has multiple sensors connected to his\/her body \u2013 from the head to the legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results showed that Ivan suffers from restless legs syndrome: his legs move involuntarily when he is drowsy or about to fall asleep, inhibiting proper rest. \u201cThose were terrible nights \u2013 as soon as I had fallen asleep, my body would wake me up,\u201d Ivan recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restless legs syndrome is one of the disorders that can affect sleep, explains Fernando Stelzer, coordinator of the Sleep Laboratory at Santa Casa Hospital. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders lists more than 80 conditions, including insomnia, respiratory problems (such as obstructive sleep apnea), parasomnias (like sleepwalking), movement disorders (such as restless legs syndrome), and circadian rhythm disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all disorders will negatively impact sleep or health, like in the case of sleep talking; however, diagnosis and treatment are necessary whenever there are symptoms that affect the quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now 40 years old, Ivan has tried different medications to reduce the symptoms of the syndrome, which has no cure. For the past three years, he has been under the care of Fernando, who has encouraged Ivan to understand what triggers the symptoms, in addition to recommending nighttime aerobic exercises\u2014Ivan uses an exercise bike to work out. \u201cI\u2019ve been able to sleep much better since my medication has been adjusted to a very low dose and I have adopted an aerobic activity routine just before bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBefore that, I felt much more like a victim of it.\u201d<\/p>\nIvan Guevara J\u00fanior<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

More than 70% of the Brazilian population<\/a> suffers from some type of sleep problem. The most common is insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling asleep, fragmented sleep, or waking up before desired at least three nights a week for at least three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to analyze whether the conditions for adequate rest are present. Fernando reports that many of his patients come to have polysomnography done, saying they cannot sleep early\u2014however, when in a calm and dark place, they fall asleep quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria Paz Hidalgo, coordinator of the Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory at the Porto Alegre Clinical Hospital (Hospital de Cl\u00ednicas de Porto Alegre \u2013 HCPA) and professor at UFRGS, states that \u201cwe devalue sleep a lot\u201d and clarifies that there are some myths related to the topic. One of them is claiming that by sleeping less, a person will be more productive. The truth is that productivity decreases because the body isn\u2019t well-rested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also those who say that consuming alcoholic beverages helps them \u201cpass out,\u201d but this does not mean adequate sleep. Maria explains that, while we sleep, the brain remains active to ensure certain body functions continue. With alcohol consumption, a form of sedation occurs, reducing brain activity and impairing the various stages of sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Another point is that people have different needs: some are early risers, who sleep and wake up early, while others are evening types, who can only sleep later and need to wake up later. She emphasizes that each person needs to understand their sleep characteristics to reach adequate rest. Furthermore, different life stages change the amount of sleep needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A chart by the National Sleep Foundation shows that the need for hours of sleep decreases over a lifetime: for a newborn, 14 to 17 hours of sleep are needed, whereas for an elderly person, the number drops to 7 to 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a variety of factors can influence sleep quality, sleep hygiene<\/a> is one alternative that helps promote proper rest. Maria highlights that these are recommendations, not absolute truths. Measures to improve sleep include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Going to bed only when feeling sleepy;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Scheduling fixed times for sleeping and waking up;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Reducing light and screen stimuli;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Sleeping in the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep hygiene is part of the postdoctoral research in Epidemiology developed by Fabiana Carvalho at UFRGS. In her study, Fabiana created informative materials about sleep hygiene and tips for better sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n