Introduction

Nigerian culture often wears sleeplessness like a badge of honour. Hustle hard. Sleep little. Rise early. Rest when you are dead.

But science is clear regularly getting too little sleep is not strength. Over time, poor sleep is linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, weakened immunity, and poor mental health.

Sleep is not laziness. It is an essential part of good health.

What Happens When You Sleep

Sleep is when your body carries out important repair and recovery work. During deeper stages of sleep:

• The brain's waste-clearance system becomes more active and may help remove proteins such as beta-amyloid that are linked to Alzheimer's disease. Much of the strongest evidence comes from animal research, while human research is still developing.
• The immune system supports the production and activity of infection-fighting cells and proteins.
• The body repairs damaged tissues and supports muscle recovery.
• Blood pressure normally drops, giving the heart and blood vessels a period of reduced workload.
• Hormones involved in hunger, stress, growth, and metabolism are regulated.

Regularly cutting sleep short interferes with these important recovery processes.

How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?

Most people should aim for:

• Adults aged 18–64: 7 to 9 hours per night
• Older adults aged 65+: 7 to 8 hours per night
• Teenagers aged 14–17: 8 to 10 hours per night
• School-age children aged 6–13: 9 to 11 hours per night

Regularly sleeping less than 6 hours is associated with a higher risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, depression, and premature death.

There is no amount of coffee that can fully compensate for consistently missing sleep.

Common Sleep Disorders in Nigeria

Insomnia

Insomnia means having difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early and being unable to return to sleep.

It may be related to:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Poor sleep habits
• Medical conditions
• Certain medications
• Excessive phone or screen use around bedtime

Occasional poor sleep is common. Persistent insomnia that affects daily life deserves professional attention.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea occurs when the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, causing pauses in breathing.

Common signs include:

• Loud, persistent snoring
• Gasping or choking during sleep
• Breathing pauses noticed by a partner
• Morning headaches
• Severe daytime sleepiness

The risk is higher in people who are overweight or obese, although sleep apnoea can affect people of any body size.

Sleep apnoea is likely underrecognised across Nigeria and West Africa. Untreated cases can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and serious daytime fatigue.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome causes an uncomfortable urge to move the legs, usually when resting at night.

Moving the legs temporarily relieves the sensation, but the condition can make falling asleep difficult.

In some people, restless legs syndrome is associated with iron deficiency anaemia.

Shift Work Sleep Disorder

People who regularly work at night or have changing work schedules may struggle because their working hours conflict with the body's natural sleep-wake rhythm.

Healthcare workers, security workers, traders, drivers, and others with irregular schedules may experience difficulty sleeping when they finally have time to rest.

What Poor Sleep Does to Your Body

Raises Blood Pressure

Regular sleep deprivation can keep the body's stress systems more active and interfere with the normal drop in blood pressure that should occur during sleep.

Over time, this may contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Raises Blood Sugar

Poor sleep can reduce insulin sensitivity and interfere with the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes over time.

Weakens Immune Defence

People who regularly sleep too little may be more vulnerable to infections.

Sleeping less than 7 hours has been associated with roughly three times the risk of developing a common cold compared with sleeping 8 hours or more.

Encourages Weight Gain

Sleep deprivation can increase levels of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger, while reducing leptin, which helps signal fullness.

It can also increase cravings for high-calorie, sweet, salty, and fatty foods.

Affects Mental Health

Poor sleep is closely linked to:

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Low mood
• Depression
• Difficulty coping with everyday stress

Sleep problems and mental health problems can also reinforce each other.

Impairs Concentration and Judgement

Sleep deprivation slows reaction time, reduces concentration, and affects decision-making.

This can make driving, operating machinery, and performing safety-sensitive work dangerous.

How to Sleep Better Practical Steps

Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Try to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day, including weekends.

Consistency helps regulate your body's internal clock.

Put Your Phone Away Before Bed

Avoid prolonged phone, television, and other screen use for about 30 to 60 minutes before sleeping.

Bright light and stimulating content can make it harder for your brain to prepare for sleep.

Keep Your Bedroom Dark and Comfortable

A dark, quiet environment supports sleep.

Keep the room as comfortably cool as practical, especially during hotter periods in Gombe.

Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day

Tea, coffee, cola, and energy drinks contain caffeine.

Try to avoid caffeine from the afternoon onward if it affects your sleep. Its stimulating effects can remain for six hours or longer, although this varies from person to person.

Avoid Heavy Meals Close to Bedtime

Large or heavy meals shortly before sleeping can cause discomfort and interfere with sleep.

Where possible, finish heavy meals at least a couple of hours before bedtime.

Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity supports healthy sleep.

However, if vigorous exercise close to bedtime makes you feel more alert, move your workout earlier in the day.

Create a Calm Bedtime Routine

Reading Quran, engaging in quiet dhikr, reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practising another relaxing activity can help create a calm transition between the day's activities and sleep.

Choose something peaceful that helps your mind settle.

Do Not Force Yourself to Sleep

If you have been awake for around 20 minutes and are becoming frustrated, get out of bed and do something quiet in dim light.

Return to bed when you begin feeling sleepy.

Lying awake for long periods while worrying about sleep can make the problem worse.

When to Seek Help

See a doctor or speak to your pharmacist if:

• You have difficulty sleeping most nights for several weeks or longer
• You snore loudly and someone notices that you repeatedly stop breathing during sleep
• You regularly wake up choking or gasping
• You feel exhausted or extremely sleepy every day despite allowing enough time for sleep
• Your sleep problems are affecting your work, relationships, concentration, or mood
• You become sleepy while driving or performing dangerous work

Loud snoring together with witnessed breathing pauses may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea and requires proper medical evaluation.

Do not rely on sleeping tablets or sedating medicines without professional guidance. Some can cause dependence, interact with other medicines, or worsen certain breathing-related sleep disorders.

Conclusion

Sleep is not a luxury. It is a biological necessity.

Protecting your sleep helps protect your heart, brain, blood sugar, immune system, concentration, and mental health.

Start tonight. Put the phone down earlier. Keep a more consistent sleep time. Reduce late caffeine. Give your body the recovery time it needs.

If poor sleep continues despite these changes, do not simply tolerate it or repeatedly self-medicate.

Visit Amkamed Pharmaceuticals, Gombe State, for trusted advice on sleep health. Our team can review medicines or health conditions that may be affecting your sleep and guide you on when further medical evaluation is needed.

Struggling to sleep? Visit Amkamed Pharmaceuticals, Gombe State, for professional advice and responsible care.

amkamed.com

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