A recent study revealed that the average sleep duration for adult Saudis (both men and women) is around six and a half hours, which is below the recommended amount of sleep. Dr. Saad Al-Sharif, a consultant in pulmonary and sleep medicine and one of the study contributors, explained to "Okaz" that this duration is less than the average sleep hours in many countries around the world. He emphasized the importance of sleep for human health to prevent other health issues.
Dr. Al-Sharif noted that some individuals experience sudden sleepiness and lethargy without prior warning, despite having had sufficient sleep previously without exhaustion or fatigue. He attributed this to a health condition called "hypersomnia," which is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. It can affect healthy individuals when they are deprived of sleep for more than twenty-four hours, and those who are truly affected often suffer from sleep disturbances at night or insomnia.
He identified various reasons for increased sleepiness, including staying up late, lack of sleep, insufficient sleep at night, disruptions in the circadian rhythm, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and the use of certain allergy and hypertension medications. He emphasized that sleep relies on two essential components: the quantity of sleep hours and the quality of sleep, and any imbalance in either of these significantly impacts overall sleep health.
