Sleep Well, Be Well

by Edel Jarboe

Compared to 60 years ago Americans view voluntary sleep deprivation as the norm, say researchers at the Sleep Disorders Center in Atlanta, Georgia. How many times have we stayed up late, promising ourselves that we'll catch up on sleep later? Or, we all have times when for one reason or another, we just don't get enough sleep. We drag through our days, tired and a little grumpy, and we reach for caffeine and sugar to give our tired bodies some energy. But this actually does more harm than good.

Not only does the caffeine and sugar end up making you feel more tired than before, but if you continue to suffer from sleep deprivation, it will affect not only your daily functioning but your physical and mental health as well. A study in the SLEEP Journal (Volume 19, Issue #7) reports that measures of general health status may be greatly influenced by sleepiness and sleep quality. The data suggests that sleepiness has an important impact on general health and functional status, specifically influencing self-perceptions regarding energy and fatigue. The Benefits of Sleep Why do we need sleep? Scientists believe that sleep gives our bodies the chance to maintain and repair our bodies and minds. Each night we cycle through 5 stages of sleep ranging from light sleep to deep, deep sleep, and finally, to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Then the cycle starts over again with varying times spent in each stage until we are spending nearly all of our time in stages 1, 2 and REM sleep. A complete sleep cycle takes 90 to 110 minutes on average.

While we sleep our brains are using important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity. During deep sleep, brain activity that control emotions, decision-making processes, and social interaction shuts down, allowing us to maintain optimal emotional and social functioning when we are awake. Cell growth and cell repair takes place to combat the affects of stress and UV rays in this stage as well. Hence, deep sleep can truly be called beauty sleep. Sleep also helps our bodies fight infection. This is because our immune system releases a sleep-inducing chemical while fighting a cold or an infection. Sleep helps the body conserve energy and other resources that the immune system needs to mount an effective attack.

Our bodies have a built-in indicator for when we fail to get enough sleep. Lack of sleep affects our nervous systems by leaving us drowsy and unable to concentrate. Not getting enough sleep also leads to poor memory and physical performance. If sleep deprivation continues, hallucinations and mood swings may develop. In the same vein, sleeping problems are common in both mental and physical disorders including depression and schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, cancer, and head injuries. These sleeping problems may arise from changes in the brain regions and neurotransmitters that control sleep and from the drugs used to control the symptoms of these disorders.

The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation

The average adult appears to function best with 7 to 8 hours of sleep while infants need 16 hours of sleep and teenagers need about 9 hours. If you have been sleep deprived, your body will try to adjust by increasing the amount of sleep that you need. How do you know if you need more sleep? Experts say if you feel drowsy during the day or if you routinely fall asleep within 5 minutes of lying down, you probably have sleep deprivation. Sleep is often the first thing to be sacrificed in our busy lives to get more done. But we are putting our well-being in danger as well as our health.

Bradley University researchers say that overall sleep deprivation strongly impairs human functioning. Moreover, mood is more affected by sleep deprivation than either cognitive or motor performance and that partial sleep deprivation has a more profound effect on functioning than either long-term or short-term sleep deprivation. Therefore, while we may get used to a sleep-depriving schedule, our bodies do not.

We pay the price for sleep deprivation with impaired reaction time, judgement, and sometimes our lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated 100,000 motor vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths each year. Moreover, sleep deprivation magnifies the effect of alcohol on the body. Caffeine and other stimulants cannot counteract the effects of severe sleep deprivation. If you are having trouble keeping your eyes focused or if you can't remember the last few miles, you are probably too drowsy to drive safely. What is the solution? Take a nap. According to a study conducted by the Karolinska Institute and National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health, Stockholm, Sweden, a 20 minute nap has a definite, marked effect on alertness. In subjects that took a short nap after experiencing sleep deprivation or a shortened sleep cycle, performance of visual vigilance tests improved while self-reported feelings of sleepiness decreased.

Getting a Good Night's Sleep

1. Keep a set sleep schedule. Go to bed each night at the same time and get up at the same time. It's tempting to sleep in on the weekends, but what you end up doing is re-setting your sleep schedule, making it difficult to get up the rest of the week.

2. Exercise helps you fall asleep and can improve the quality of your sleep. Exercise daily and be sure to exercise 5 or 6 hours before going to bed.

3. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. We are all aware that caffeine is a stimulant, but nicotine and alcohol intake keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep and deprives you of deep sleep and REM sleep.

4. Relax before going to bed. Make a relaxing routine such as a warm bath or reading part of your bedtime ritual.

5. Wake up with the sun. Sunlight helps your body reset your biological clock each day. If you are having trouble falling asleep, due to jet lag or mild insomnia, experts recommend exposing yourself to an hour of morning sunlight or using very bright lights in the morning to help reset your biological clock.

6. If you can't sleep, get out of bed. Do something else until you feel tired, like reading or watching television. Lying in bed feeling frustrated because you can't fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

7. Be comfortable. Maintain a comfortable temperature in your bedroom. Being too hot or too cold can disrupt your sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.

See a doctor if you suspect you have one of the following sleep problems:

Insomnia - frequent or long-term inability to fall asleep.

Sleep Apnea - interrupted breathing during sleep characterized by loud snoring, obesity, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Restless Legs Syndrome - unpleasant crawling or prickling sensations in the legs and feet and an urge to move them for relief. Characterized by constant leg movement during the day and insomnia at night.

Narcolepsy - Falling asleep frequently during the day even if you have had a normal amount of nighttime sleep.