The Life page. I decided to call this page the Life page since it contains articles which i find interesting and more or less relate to our everyday life. Some may relate specifically to my country but nevertheless it is worthwhile reading through to get to know about the "life" aspect of my country.

The Price of Cheating on Sleep
There is probably no time of the year when America's sleep debt is greater than it is right now. Starting with Thanksgiving week, holiday preparations and parties, gifts shopping, family visits and extra hours of work have prompted millions to cheat on their sleep even more than usual.

Many are used to being tired and think, optimistically, that they will catch up on lost sleep after New Year Year. But few do. And new research suggests that the consequences of chronic sleep deprivation may be far worse than simply diminished mental sharpness, shortened tempers and a tendency to doze off. Rather scientists at the University of Chicago found that those who suffer from an accumulated sleep debt may develop serious health problems, including obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

In the study, Dr Katrine Spiegal, Dr Eve van Cauter and Ms Rachel Leproupel found that even in young, healthy people, as little as a week-long sleep debt of three or four hours a night has adverse effects on the body's ability to process carbohhydrates, manage stress, maintain a proper balance of hormones and fight off infections. Most previous studies looked only at short-term sleep sleep deprivation-keeping people awake for 24 or 48 hours - explored only the effects on mental performance, alertness and mood. In the new study, the researchers examined the physiological effects of sleeping only four hours a night for six straight nights.

The Signs
The author of Power Sleep, Mr James Maas, says an answer of "true" to two or more of the following statements may be signs of a sleep problem:

• I need an alarm clock to wake up on time.
• It is a struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
• On weekday mornings, I hit the snooze button several times to get more sleep.
• I feel tired, irritable and stressed-out during the week.
• I have trouble concentrating and remembering.
• I feel slow with critical thinking, problem-solving and being creative.
• I often fall asleep while watching television.
• I often fall asleep after heavy meals or after a low dose of alcohol.
• I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.
• I often fall asleep within 5 mins of getting into bed.
• I often feel drowsy while driving.
• I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.
• I often need a nap to get through the day.
• I have dark circles under my eyes.

"We found that an accumulated sleep debt is potentially as detrimental to health as poor nutrition or a sedentary lifestyle. It may be as bad as smoking." Dr Van Cauter said in an interview. "People are sleeping less and less and becoming more and more tired. They may be very careful about exercise, good nutrition and vitamins, but they're sleeping only five hours a night."

Previous studies have indicated that the average adult needs eight to nine hours of sleep a night, but the typical American gets only seven and many get considerably less. While it is true that individual needs vary, it is also true that many "short sleepers" push themselves considerably beyond what is natural.

"People have to become more reasonable about sleep if they want to stay healthy," Dr Van Cauter said.

She suggests that those who are cheating on their sleep go to bed one or two hours earlier rather than turn off the morning alarm and arrive late for work. And in case you think you get more done by sleeping less, a study of how two adults used the extra time when their sleep was reduced to 5.5 hours a night revealed that they got no more done: everything they did took longer.-------->Jane E. Brody, New York Times.

I didn't drop out, I opted out
I agree totally with Andrew Urquhart's Striking Out: I'd Like To Make It On My Own (Jan 28), especially about getting a decent job without the paper credentials here.

Having lived in France for quite a while, I have noticed that although there is no significant level of racial discrimination in Singapore, there is a very high level of occupational discrimination here. I have friends in Paris who are young graduates dating boyfriends who are butchers or postmen or even humble road cleaners. But in Singapore, many young girls would not even have such relationships.

The usual response when asked why is that "love is not everything". Crude response, but in materialistic Singapore, acceptable.

No blame can be pinned on any of the girls with such thinking, but blame should be placed on their upbringing and our very own society as a whole. It is my wish to some day return to Paris or New York, settle into a simple job, blue collar or whatever, and to lead a simple life with occasional worries about bills and money.

Many of my friends here feel that my prolonged stay overseas has poisoned my mind and that I have dropped out of the race for the good life. But in Singapore, it is only available to the highest bidders. I have just simply gone on to another race-the race for personal happines, and wealth.

In France, every weekend, many friends would drive one or sometimes two hours to have dinner with their friends or families and then drive back after that. Here, my attempts to get friends to have dinner at my home are greeted with "wah……so far", even if it just a 20 minute drive.

We have made great leaps and achievements in our dynamic economy and scientific technology but I think it is time all Singaporeans take some time to ponder and maybe develop what I personally call "human technology"-------->posted by Paul Yeow on 8th Feb 2000 in the Straits Times.