It is called beauty sleep for a reason. A good night’s sleep is vital for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being and there is sufficient proof that disturbed sleep can have short-term and long-term effects on our health.
The short-term effects vary from poor memory and concentration to an inability to function properly at work and being in a bad mood. In the long term, poor sleep disrupts our 24-hour cycle and causes fatigue.
But it doesn’t end there. Dr Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director and sleep physician at The London Sleep Centre in Dubai, explains that lack of sleep can also have psychological and physical implications. Sleep deprivation can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability and temper problems. On a physical level, our immune system weakens, leaving us susceptible to colds, coughs and flu. Insufficient sleep can also lead to weight gain, as many people consume high-energy carbohydrates, such as chocolate, in an effort to stay awake.
“We exist in three states,” says Ebrahim. “The first stage is being awake, the second is the non-rapid eye movement stage [also known as slow-wave sleep], and the third is the rapid eye movement [REM] sleep.
“At any time in the 24-hour period, we are either awake or in slow-wave sleep or REM, but we need the right proportions of each to function at our optimum.”
The London Sleep Centre suggests that insomnia affects 30 per cent of the population in any one year. Hypersomnia, or excessive daytime sleepiness, affects 5 to 10 per cent of the population. It is estimated that parasomnia, or unwanted behaviour during sleep, affects about 15 per cent of children and 1 to 2 per cent of adults.
Even for those without chronic sleep problems, Ramadan tends to call for a sudden change to our sleep patterns, diet and routine. Often during the holy month, eating, drinking and social activities are left for the night, causing a reduction in the hours and quality of sleep. Those changes weigh on daytime functioning by reducing alertness and increasing mood disturbances and hence exposure to injury.
Statistics from Dubai Police show that the three hours before iftar are the most dangerous on the roads in the UAE, as lack of food and sleep causes people to drive erratically and without concentration. Hunger and sleep depravation can also cause irritability and anger in social situations.
The London Sleep Centre in Dubai offers the following tips to help people adjust during Ramadan.
Avoid sugary and rich foods
Loading your plate with calories at iftar will significantly disrupt the quality of your sleep. Don’t east a heavy meal because your body will be trying to digest it when it needs to be sleeping and resting. Try to stick to a healthy balance of protein, fruit and vegetables, avoiding processed sugar and carbohydrates (pasta, white bread, biscuits, cake) as much as possible, or have it in small amounts.
“The purpose of Ramadan is to be healthy, not to eat in excess and to follow the principles of what Ramadan is about. It is important not to oversleep and to get exercise,” says Ebrahim.
Get the same amount of sleep
Try to get the same amount of sleep over each 24-hour period. Most people sleep during the night for seven to eight hours in one block, but during Ramadan this is not always possible. Instead, try to make up for lost sleep. Make a plan that you can stick to during the holy month. This may involve going to bed earlier than normal. For example, try to go to bed by 11pm and have four hours of sleep following iftar, then wake up at 3.30am for suhoor and fajr, go back to sleep at about 5am and try to get two hours of shut-eye. If you are working reduced hours, this sleep can be a little longer. If not, then a nap after work, before iftar, can make up for the remaining hour or two of lost sleep.
Take power naps
If your energy levels are low during the workday, a power nap can be helpful. Find a quiet place away from the work station such as your car, and take a 20-minute nap. Set an alarm to ensure you don’t oversleep. Try not to sleep for longer than 20 minutes as your body will go into deep sleep and you will wake from this feeling tired and groggy.
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m