excessive sleepiness
The month of Ramadan is a guest every year in the Islamic community, and the usual lifestyle changes accordingly. Besides fasting from food and drink from dawn to sunset, the sleep pattern changes accordingly, so what is this change? What are its causes? Will the change in sleep pattern during the month of Ramadan affect our physical and psychological health?
The Director of the Center for Sleep Medicine and Research and Professor of Chest Diseases and Sleep Medicine at King Abdulaziz University, Professor Siraj Omar Wali, confirms to “The Citizen”, that good sleep is necessary to maintain good psychological and physical health, especially during the month of Ramadan when the cycle and nature of sleep changes greatly among those who fast, so the fasting person begins By eating and drinking after sunset and in the evening, and accordingly, during this period it is also active, which delays the process of sleep, and reduces its hours and quality.
He pointed out that there are some factors that may affect the physiology of sleep during fasting. Changing the pattern, timing and quality of sudden eating from day to night, for example, may result in an increase in energy production processes "metabolism" during the night What may lead to an increase in the body temperature during the night, and thus leads to increased activity and not feeling sleepy during the night or the need to sleep, but fasting in itself does not affect the quality of sleep and does not cause increased sleepiness and lack of focus during the day, and that the changes that occur in Sleeping during Ramadan may be due to a change in the routine of life during the month of fasting, and whatever the reason that leads to irregular sleep, the results are the same, which is a feeling of laziness and sleepiness during the day and a feeling of fatigue and exhaustion, even without much effort.
He continued, saying: “Disturbed sleeping and staying up hours, and the different times, quality and quantity of food, lead to acid reflux and indigestion. Because of sleeplessness and irregular sleep.
And he indicated that night prayers in Ramadan do not interfere with healthy sleep and its quality, especially if the time is distributed in this month correctly and therefore we need some organization to try to make use of the time as much as possible in worship and obedience and at the same time give the body sufficient time to rest, so it is advised to try to go To sleep early and wake up two hours or less before the time of holding up for night prayers and reading the Qur’an, as well as for the main meal to be at breakfast time and hasten it according to the Prophet’s guidance, and then delay the suhoor, not to overindulge in food rich in fats and sugars and take care to drink water in a balanced manner and at intervals throughout the time of breaking the fast Of the drinks that contain caffeine and drink them long before bedtime, and besides that, this month is an opportunity to seek the help of God to quit smoking, which contains in its composition nicotine, which affects health in general, apart from being (i.e. smoking) one of the most important causes of lack of sleep And bad sleep. ”
He concluded by saying: “There is no doubt that in these times we are facing the new Corona pandemic, and we adhere to home quarantine and social distancing, which makes us spend more time than we used to in our homes than before, as well as an increase in leisure time and feeling bored and anxious Which may prompt some to resort to sleep for long hours, and at any time to pay the price for that later by suffering from insomnia, sleep disturbances, irritable mood and negatively affecting health in general, in addition to missing out on spending an enjoyable and useful time with members of his family and before that miss the spoils of this holy month and its times Blessed, God made us and you among the accepted in this holy month and removed this agony from us and the whole world. He is the guardian of that and the one capable of it.
