The World Cup venues in Brazil are 11 to 12 hours behind Beijing, and millions of Chinese football fans are staying up until the early hours of the morning to watch their favorite teams to play. But health experts are warning about the dangers of sacrificing rest. Several people are even reported to to have died by sleep deprivation.
Staying up late into the night to watch World Cup games? You may be at risk of sleep deprivation and hospitals are reporting an increase of patients suffering from rest disorders. Three have reportedly died after burning too much midnight oil, watching the games for many nights in a row.
Experts warn if you are diagnosed with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, or even poor eyesight, you should not take the risk. Children, teenagers and pregnant women as well as people who work jobs that require highly concentration should also avoid sacrifing their time in bed.
"Sport events like the World Cup are full of intense competitions. They’re a significant sensory and psychological stimulant. For people with high blood pressure, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, it’s an extra stimulus to your body, inevitably increasing the burden on the cerebrovascular system." Wu Xianzheng, ER director with Shanghai Tongji Hospital said.
Watching matches for too long can damage eyesight, and doctors recommend football fans to practice moderation, to relieve the burden on the eyes.
"Staring at the TV screen for a long time definitely causes more eye fatigue, which is the main cause of many ocular diseases. People who constantly use computers and students should especially avoid overstraining their eyes." Wu said.
And one last piece of advice: if you’re watching the game late at night, keep the volume down. Any sounds higher than 60 decibels can affect the quality of other people’s sleep.