Banning loudspeaker use at night health benefits to the people

By Dr. Himantha Atukorale Radawana Govt. Hospital

With the new regulations on banning use of loudspeakers at night, questions arise on why we should make use of this opportunity to get a good night’s sleep.

Lack of sleep and impaired health

Long term short sleep, either self-imposed or forced, is increasingly recognised as a contributor to impaired health and increased death in the community. In USA this appears to be on the increase.

Long-term community-based studies have shown that abnormally long and short sleep durations are independent markers of later death, heart disease and diabetes.

Sleeping for four hours per night has been shown to impair insulin sensitivity and increase appetite, potentially leading to weight gain and diabetes in the long term. Small amounts of sleep restriction (as little as two hours lost per night over a simulated working week) result in worsened concentration on even simple reaction time tasks.

Recent experimental evidence indicates that restricting sleep in the long term to four hours per night halves the immune response to vaccination, impairs blood glucose control and markedly disrupts appetite regulations.

An inability to achieve ‘catch-up’ sleep during the weekend appears related to an increased risk of burnout, which has negative social and work-related outcomes.

Furthermore, even small amounts of sleep restriction over a working week decreases the ability to function cognitively and these decrements accumulate in a dose-dependent manner over successive days (Reference - Sleep health New South Wales: chronic sleep restriction and daytime sleepiness, Internal Medicine Journal)

Sleep in the elderly

In study done on elderly people, it was found that proper awakening maintenance during the evening was effective in improving sleep quality. Until recently, it has a been considered that taking a nap has negative effect on the quality of night time sleep.

However, a short nap of 30 minutes between 1 pm and 3 pm has little quantitative effect on nocturnal sleep. Moreover, a short nap is effective in improving the recovery of attention, concentration and brain function.

The ‘forbidden zone’ is the time period in the vicinity at which body temperature is highest, and it corresponds to peak muscle and exercise capacity.

It is considered that this time zone occurs around 5 p.m. and that exercise around this time is effective for improving the sleep quality of the elderly. (Reference-Short naps and exercise improve sleep quality and mental health in the elderly, Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 56 (3), 233-234.)

Occupation related sleep deprivation

Healthcare workers, military personnel and shift workers are at increased risk of sleep related health disorders according to latest studies. Persons who sleep only four to six hours a night for 14 consecutive nights showed significant deficits in cognitive performance equivalent to going without sleep for up to three days in a row.

Yet these subjects reported feeling only slightly sleepy and were unaware of how impaired they were.

Cognitive performance deficits included reduced ability to pay attention and react to stimulus, such as when driving, or monitoring at airports.

Other deficits involved impairment of the ability to think quickly and not make mistakes, and a reduced ability to multitask- to hold thoughts in the brain in some order while doing something else. (Reference - The Cumulative Cost of Additional Wakefulness: Dose-Response Effects on Neurobehavioral Functions and Sleep Physiology from Chronic Sleep Restriction and Total Sleep Deprivation)

The bold decision by supreme court and the proposals forwarded by the Environmental Ministry are commendable. An eight hour duration of noise free environment will help us to have a good night’s sleep. All compassionate religious leaders will appreciate this new regulation, as Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed never used loudspeakers to preach.

Sri Lanka admitted to IPCRG membership in UK

International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) based in the United Kingdom, at the annual general meeting held on September 15, in Stockholm, Sweden, admitted the Primary Care Respiratory Group Sri Lanka (PCRG SL) to its membership. Dr. Sarath Paranavitane represented the Primary Care Respiratory Group Sri Lanka as its Secretary.

The Primary Care Respiratory Group Sri Lanka (PCRG SL) was formed in September 2006 by a group of family Physicians with special interest in Respiratory Medicine. The main objectives of the PCRG SL are to educate both primary health care providers and the public on respiratory medicine and also to help needy patients with respiratory problems.

The Council of the PCRG SL comprises

President: Dr. Seneth Samaranayake

Vice President: Dr. K.P.Piyasena

Hony. Secretary: Dr. Sarath Paranavitane

Hony. Treasurer: Dr. A.L.P. de S. Seneviratne.

Hony. Editor: Dr. Ariyasena Gamage

Council members

Dr. Tilak Silva

Dr. Prassana Siriwardena

Dr. Vajira Perera

Dr. Lucien Jayasuriya

Twenty years of service by the Kandy Doctors Wives’ Association

Soma Jayakody, Past President and Vice President KDWA

Kandy Doctors’ Wives’ Association embarked on a project in 1992 to help financially, the needy, less privileged medical students of the Peradeniya Medical College, during their medical education.

This was possible due to the generous donations made by our members, as well as well-wishers, and fund raising organized by the Association. Since its inception in 1992, sholarhips have been awarded to 20 needy students upto the year 2008.

For the continuity and the easier access to students by the faculty staff, monies amounting to Rs. 600,000 was handed over to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya.

Apart from this, the Association has other ongoing social service projects, such as the Deaf & Blind School, Dodanwela and the Mentally Retarded Boys’ School, Lewella, where annual donations are made annually. Donations have also been made to patients who are in real need.

We have also made donations to the Army Hospital Colombo, the Cancer Home Kandy, and also provided culinary equipment to the female inmates of the Remand Prison, Kandy.

We are concerned that only a few of the doctors’ wives in Kandy District are members of our Association.

Perhaps, they are not even aware of the existence of the Association and the work that is being done. We appeal to them to join us and help us to expand our social service activities.

Prof. Colvin Goonaratna awarded honorary membership of SLMA

Last week the Sri Lanka Medical Association at its annual foundation session awarded Honorary membership of the association to Prof. Colvin Goonaratna.

Prof. Goonaratna thus becomes the fourth member of the 120-year-old SLMA to have been honoured that way. The earlier members who were thus honoured were Dr. Andreas Nell, Dr. E.M. Wijerama and Prof. N.E.W. Lionel.

Tips to reduce fats

Cooking substitute

Where recipe calls for :-

01 cup shortening or butter

01 whole egg

01 square chocolate

01 cup whole milk

01 cup sour cream

01 OZ cream cheese

Substitute with:-

3/4 cup liquid oil

1/4 cup egg substitute or

2 egg whites

3/4 cup liquid oil

1 Tea spoon liquid oil

3 Tea spoons dry coca powder + 2 tsp

Sent by Rosemary George from her nutrition notes - Kandy