THE post Covid-19 period brings new meaning and challenges, especially to one's sleep quality.
According to a report in the Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 9 in 10 Malaysians experience some level of insomnia and have one or more sleep problems.
Around 35 per cent also have a sleep disorder with more than 53 per cent of Malaysia's workforce getting less than the minimal seven hours sleep in a 24-hour period
Meanwhile, in a combined cross sectional online health and work survey in 2021 which involved among others Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Malaya (UM), 54 per cent of the 11,356 working adults polled reported having insufficient sleep.
In conjunction with World Sleep Day (WSD) which is marked globally on March 17, AmLife has spearheaded a WSD movement to help Malaysians achieve better sleep, hence improving health and enabling them to live life to the fullest.
This marks the 8th year that AmLife is organising the World Sleep Day sleep health showcase with long-time collaborator World Sleep Society and Taiwan Sleep Care Association (TSCA). The theme is "Sleep is Essential for Health".
This is a regional sleep education initiative covering Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Founder and president of AmLife Lew Mun Yee says sleep education is becoming increasingly important as sleep disorders trigger various chronic conditions which include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, depression and immunity-related illnesses.
"Over time, lack of good sleep can lead to degenerative diseases. Scientific studies point out that sleep is the best way to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of infection," says Lew.
Geriatrics and regenerative medicine specialist Dr Choo Hao Jian says quality sleep can be achieved by practising the circadian cycle, where we train our body to get used to a routine that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
"A way to practise this is to turn off the lights when we get home after work, and to put down every electronic device so our body automatically knows that it is time to wind down," explains Dr Choo.
Food and exercise are also crucial in promoting better sleep. Nutritionist KS Chan says one way to improve our diet is to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables and at the same time consume more lean meat.
"People should also avoid processed food at all costs," stresses Chan.
AmLife has also launched the "Sleep Better with AmLife" CSR campaign which aims to capture Malaysians' most common sleep issues.
Several lifestyle influencers will invite "sleep stories" from their readers and winning entries will be entitled to epigenetic tests and professional medical consultations.
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