Understanding restful sleep: Causes, effects, and tips for better sleep

Before embarking on his wellness journey, Davis Amanya struggled with severe sleep problems. He found it difficult to fall asleep and even when he managed to get a bit of sleep, it was too light that Amanya awoke in the middle of the night, lying awake until morning.

“Occasionally, while falling asleep or just waking up, I experienced a strange, paralysing sensation. My body felt as if it were chained, completely unable to move or speak, no matter how hard I tried. In those terrifying moments, I would call out to God, questioning whether what I was experiencing was
something supernatural,” he says.

During Amanya’s wellness exploration, he learned that his experiences were part of a scientifically recognised phenomenon called sleep paralysis.

According to Cleveland Clinic,sleep paralysis is a temporary condition where one cannot move right before falling asleep or waking up.
“As you sleep, your brain helps the muscles in your arms and legs relax. With sleep paralysis, you’re stuck between sleep phases,” the site shares.
According to Dr Ambrose Katungi Muhwezi, a public health specialist, sleep is a complex and essential process that plays a crucial role in our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

“It is not just about resting. During sleep, your body undergoes a series of cycles and stages that support everything, including memory consolidation and cellular repair,” he says.
Why sleep matters Dr Muhwezi says in contrast, poor sleep can contribute to high levels of stress, weakened immunity, and increased risk of chronic diseases.

“Unfortunately, today, many people have bad sleep because of poor lifestyles such as irregular sleep schedules, and prolonged exposure to screen time and artificial light (blue light in particular).
That is coupled with high stress, high noise levels and poor aeration. These disrupt our natural sleep patterns and make it harder to achieve restful, restorative and fulfilling sleep. One wakes up as if they have been beaten to a pulp,” he says.

Understanding sleep cycles

Dr Franklin Wasswa, a general practitioner at Entebbe General Hospital says during sleep, our bodies go through cycles that last around 90-120 minutes, moving through different stages that allow us to rest, dream, and restore. There are two broad stages of sleep; REM and non REM and he explains these:
N1 & N2 (light sleep) – These are the initial sleep stages, where one transitions from wakefulness to sleep. It is easy to be awakened during this time as one is almost awake, only trying to transition.

N3 (deep sleep) – Known as delta or deep sleep, this is the stage where one’s brain waves slow down, and they experience bursts of Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

“HGH is responsible for repairing tissues, boosts immunity, and clears out harmful cells,” Dr Wasswa says.
REM (rapid eye movement) – This is the stage only the eyes and diaphragm move while the muscles are all literally paralysed.
“Here, one experiences paradoxical sleep and dreams,” he says.
Sleep paralysis is common during REM sleep but can also occur during transitions into or out of REM sleep; when the mind is awake but the body is still in a state of REM-induced immobility.

“In this stage, the heart rate and breathing increase, preparing you for the next day’s challenges. Far from being supernatural, this is the body’s natural way of preventing us from acting out our dreams,” he explains.
Dr Wasswa says as the night goes on, a person will have several cycles of awakenings and reductions in deep sleep but more of light sleep (N1 and N2).

Common causes of poor sleep

Good sleep depends on various lifestyle factors. Here are some everyday habits that can disrupt sleep and increase the risk of sleep disturbances like sleep paralysis:
Poor sleep hygiene: Dr Kenneth Kalani Okware, a psychiatrist with Ministry of Health says for good and restful sleep, one must avoid watching certain content.
“Avoid watching terrifying TV content before sleep because this gets embedded in your memory and jolts you out of sleep,” he says.

Diet and blood sugar levels: Eating refined or processed foods, especially those high in sugar and carbs, can lead to blood sugar instability. This instability affects the adrenal glands, releasing cortisol (the stress hormone) to maintain energy levels at night hence restlessness. It is, therefore, advisable
to avoid processed foods such as cakes, doughnuts, caffeinated drinks and heavy starchy meals.

Poor bed use: Dr Okware says people should stop using the bed for anything else other than sleeping.
“Many use their bed for activities such as reading, watching TV or planning for the next day. However, this causes the brain to return to the thinking wheel and that disrupts the sleep cycles,” he says.

Late-night eating: The body’s natural circadian rhythm prepares it for sleep in the evening. Moreover, sleep is better enjoyed when the stomach and bladder are empty. Eating late can disrupt this rhythm, leading to poor digestion and sleep disturbances. Therefore, do not eat at least four hours to sleep time and do not drink lots of fluids an hour before bed.

Inconsistent sleep routine: Having an irregular sleep routine affects the body’s internal clock hindering the body from getting a deeper and more restorative sleep.
Stress: Ongoing stress from work, financial issues, or personal life can take a toll on your sleep. Reducing stress through wellness practices like exercise, and time outdoors can significantly improve sleep.

Exposure to artificial light: Excessive screen time before bed interferes with the production of melatonin; the hormone that regulates sleep.
“Limit screen time and get natural light exposure during the day as it helps reset the body’s natural rhythm. The only place you should have blue light is a club so that people don't sleep, not at your house or room,” Dr Wasswa says.

Temperature also affects sleep and he says good sleep room temperature has been proven to be 20° Celsius.

Sedentary lifestyle: This lifestyle causes weight gain and non-communicable diseases. Looking at weight gain, this creates breathing problems that affect regular and restful sleep, which causes tiredness when one awakes.
“This is sleep apnea, a disorder that makes an overweight person fail to get good sleep. They wake up often at night, making them be sleepy through the day,” Dr Wasswa says.

Nonetheless, , inculcating exercise, such as a 30-minutes brisk walk done consistently can improve your sleep as the weight issues get dealt with over time.

Sleep disorder: Apart from sleep apnea, Dr Wasswa says children also suffer night terrors causing a child to get disoriented, cry and wonder about in their sleep.“While they will go back to sleep, never remembering what happened, it disturbs their sleep,” he says.
To further enjoy a good and restful sleep, Dr Okware says it also helps that people endeavour to know their regular sleeping time and go to bed as soon as they fall asleep because one gets deep sleep (N3) as soon as they fall asleep.

“One may not attain deep sleep if they postpones a sleepy moment,” he says.
Avoiding alcohol is also important because while it may reduce the sleep latency (the period between going to bed and falling asleep), it tremendously distorts the quality of sleep.
“Alcohol distorts sleep that one may not attain deep sleep (N3). Therefore, the person will wake up feeling so exhausted despite sleeping for long hours,” he says.

MATTER
Completing the sleep cycle multiple times a night allows the body to reach N3 and REM stages, where physical and mental restoration occurs.

Benefits of quality sleep include: Improved immunity: Deep sleep enhances immune function by helping clear out pathogens and repairing damaged cells.

Anti-ageing effects: Human Growth Hormones released during deep sleep promote tissue repair and have anti-ageing benefits.

Enhanced mood and mental health: Consistent sleep reduces anxiety, depression, and stress and boosts overall mental clarity.
Other benefits include waking up energised, improved alertness and clear judgement, improved fertility, improved concentration and productivity.