Getting enough sleep is important for maintaining our health and function well throughout the day. During the holy month, our normal sleep schedule can be disrupted by social gatherings and activities, which often last until late night. This can change our sleeping and eating habits and lead to insomnia. It can also disrupt our biological clocks and affect our overall health in many ways.
It is appropriate for the fasting person to sleep for a period of no less than four hours at night after Iftar. Return to sleep for a few hours after Suhoor before going to work.
The body needs the same number of hours of sleep on normal days, meaning an average of 8 hours a day. When you don't give your body the necessary hours of sleep, you accumulate "sleep debt," making you feel tired during the day. Short naps in the afternoon are essential. Sleep as early as possible at night.
The Ministry of Health explained through its social media account that the hours and quality of sleep at night are not comparable to the hours and quality of sleep during the day, due to the effect of the sleep hormone melatonin, which the body secretes more at night.
A sudden change in sleep schedules can lead to distraction, lack of concentration, forgetfulness, stress, and nervousness. Some physical symptoms may appear, such as headache, loss of appetite and lethargy.
Scientific studies have proven that night sleep is much more important than day sleep, and the reason is due to the biological clock of the human body, which activates many glands in the body only during the night.
Melatonin is responsible for vitality and strengthening immunity. During the day, the body does not secrete this hormone, which explains the fatigue and lethargy we feel when we sleep during the day.
During the month of Ramadhan, we must focus on the importance of improving sleep quality and getting enough rest during the night. Studies have shown that sleep also affects our levels of satiety and hunger, and partial sleep deprivation is linked to changes in the appetite-regulating hormones (leptin and ghrelin), which may make fasting more difficult. Some studies have also concluded that without getting consistent sleep, the immune response is negatively affected, making people more susceptible to infections in general, in addition to taking longer to recover from them.
There are three important factors behind sleep quality: setting a fixed schedule, getting a sufficient period of uninterrupted sleep, and adopting habits that help healthy sleep such as turning off digital screens.
People who rush to drink tea and coffee at Iftar may find it difficult to sleep during the night as it takes 4 to 6 hours for the body to come out from the impact of stimulants.
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