Sleep problems in Ramadan

Arab Weather - Muslims fast during the blessed month of Ramadan from sunrise until sunset, without food and drink. This change in daily routine can lead to sleep disturbances in Ramadan and cause insomnia during Ramadan. In this article, we will discuss the causes of poor sleep in Ramadan, and tips for getting rid of sleep disturbance during Ramadan.

The relationship between fasting and sleep problems in Ramadan

• Several studies have investigated the relationship between fasting and sleep problems during Ramadan, and these studies have found many results on the effect of fasting on the pattern of sleep and waking, including:
• Those who fast can be affected by the delay in falling asleep and waking up during Ramadan.
• The number of hours of sleep may decrease in Ramadan, or it may remain the same, or it may increase, especially for school students.
• Fasting can increase fatigue during the day, but it does not affect a person's alertness or mental or physical abilities. On the contrary, it may increase it, especially in the morning hours and before noon.
• Some people may feel lethargic and lethargic during the day because of not sleeping well at night because of work, or meeting with relatives, or lack of sleep in Ramadan because of waiting for the time of suhoor.

The relationship of sleep in Ramadan with the nature of eating after breakfast

Some people make wrong food choices that lead to an increase in the amount of calories consumed at night, which leads to high levels of insulin and cortisol. The rise in these two hormones results in difficulty sleeping, increased appetite for high-calorie food, and gastric acid reflux into the esophagus, which affects sleep quality.

Therefore, it is advised to choose healthy foods with moderate calories, and to stay away from fast foods and sweets as much as possible. It may help to eat a snack or drink milk before bed.

Fasting and the biological clock in the body

The body becomes accustomed to a certain sleep and nutrition regime during the year, and during Ramadan there is a big change in these habits, as fasting reduces the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for regulating the body's circadian rhythm. The lack of exposure to light during the day and the lighting of electricity at night also affects the level of this hormone, and the change in the biological clock is one of the causes of insomnia during Ramadan.

Therefore, people who face sleep problems in Ramadan are advised to be exposed to the sun during the day for at least 10 minutes to adjust the biological clock properly, and to turn off the lights in the evening so that the melatonin hormone rises at night and the person sleeps normally.

Fasting and sleep cycle

Scientists have noted that fasting from food reduces access to the sleep stages in which dreams occur. These are called rapid eye movements, and they repeat 5 to 6 times during sleep. Strong memories are concentrated in these stages in the brain, and small events are forgotten in them. Deprivation of rapid eye movements during sleep causes the body to try to compensate for it the next time a person falls asleep. However, being completely deprived of it can lead to anxiety and stress.

In Ramadan, the period and frequency of this stage decreases, but it is not permanently interrupted. Scientists indicate that reducing the duration and frequency of this stage is very beneficial for people with depression, as some depression drugs work in particular to reduce these stages during sleep. In all cases, the fasting person is always advised to sleep for at least 4-5 continuous hours at night, and take a nap during the day between noon and afternoon, as the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to do.

Other tips to make it easier to sleep at night

For everyone who says I cannot sleep in Ramadan, here is a set of instructions and tips that can help solve the problem of insomnia in sleeping in Ramadan and absorbing it at night:

• It is recommended to take a hot bath to warm the body and facilitate falling asleep, and ablution with hot water can do the trick.
• It is recommended to sleep on the side rather than the back.
• It is advised to maintain a consistent sleep regime during all days and stick to it, even on holidays.
• It is advised to go to sleep only when feeling sleepy.
• It is advised to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks at least 4 hours before bedtime.
• It is recommended to use the bed only for sleeping and relaxation purposes, not for reading, smartphone surfing, or other activities.
• It is advised to leave the bed and try to do anything until the person feels sleepy in the event that he is not able to sleep within 20 minutes of trying.
• It is advised to work as usual during the day to make it easier to fall asleep the next night in case you cannot sleep during the night.

Medical