9 Tips For A Better Night's Sleep

Singaporeans are one of the world's poorest sleepers, with about about half the population sleeping for fewer than seven hours a day, according to a 2016 study. Here are some expert tips to get you snoozing right.

- Weetee Neu

#1 You may have sleep apnea and not know it.

"A study last year showed that 30.5 per cent of the Singapore population suffer from some form of sleep apnea, yet 91 per cent of them are undiagnosed. How bad sleep affects your body depends on the underlying cause of the sleep problem. For example, if you're suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, it means you have a condition of snoring and a restricted airway. Oxygen levels in your body fall and your body system gets damaged. That leads to a host of problems such as strokes. One common cause is obesity or a short neck. This doesn't mean a thin person won't contract sleep apnea. Because of our facial profiles such as small jaw bones and receding chins, Asians are generally more predisposed to have this condition. When your airway is restricted, you snore. If it collapses, we call it apnea. Grunting and snorting sound occurs when oxygen level falls too low."

#2 Look out for these signs to find out if you have sleep apnea.