This is a great article from U.S News and World Report published October 16, 2008 summarizing ten reasons why good sleep is important for your health.
By Sarah Baldauf
Posted October 16, 2008
You may literally have to add it to your to-do list, but scheduling a good night's sleep could be one of the smartest health priorities you set. It's not just daytime drowsiness you risk when shortchanging yourself on your seven to eight hours. Possible health consequences of getting too little or poor sleep can involve the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. In addition to letting life get in the way of good sleep, between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorder—insomnia or sleep apnea, say—that affects daily functioning and impinges on health. Consider the research:
1) Less may mean more. For people who sleep under seven hours a night, the fewer zzzz's they get, the more obese they tend to be, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report. This may relate to the discovery that insufficient sleep appears to tip hunger hormones out of whack. Leptin, which suppresses appetite, is lowered; ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, gets a boost.
2) You're more apt to make bad food choices. A study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that people with obstructive sleep apnea or other severely disordered breathing while asleep ate a diet higher in cholesterol, protein, total fat, and total saturated fat. Women were especially affected.
3) Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance, its precursor, may become more likely. A 2005 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people getting five or fewer hours of sleep each night were 2.5 times more likely to be diabetic, while those with six hours or fewer were 1.7 times more likely.
4) The ticker is put at risk. A 2003 study found that heart attacks were 45 percent more likely in women who slept for five or fewer hours per night than in those who got more.
5) Blood pressure may increase. Obstructive sleep apnea, for example, has been associated with chronically elevated daytime blood pressure, and the more severe the disorder, the more significant the hypertension, suggests the 2006 IOM report. Obesity plays a role in both disorders, so losing weight can ease associated health risks.
6) Auto accidents rise. As stated in a 2007 report in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 20 percent of serious car crash injuries involve a sleepy driver—and that's independent of alcohol use.
7) Balance is off. Older folks who have trouble getting to sleep, who wake up at night, or are drowsy during the day could be 2 to 4.5 times more likely to sustain a fall, found a 2007 study in the Journal of Gerontology.
8) You may be more prone to depression. Adults who chronically operate on fumes report more mental distress, depression, and alcohol use. Adolescents suffer, too: One survey of high school students found similarly high rates of these issues. Middle schoolers, too, report more symptoms of depression and lower self-esteem.
9) Kids may suffer more behavior problems. Research from an April issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that children who are plagued by insomnia, short duration of sleeping, or disordered breathing with obesity, for example, are more likely to have behavioral issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
10) Death's doorstep may be nearer. Those who get five hours or less per night have approximately 15 percent greater risk of dying—regardless of the cause—according to three large population-based studies published in the journals Sleep and the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Related News
3 Ways to Get Better Sleep and Improve Your Health
Kids and Sleep: They Need More
The Athlete's Legal Performance Aid: Sleep
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Bedroom Makeovers for Better Sleep
Makeover mania continues to sweep our country. It seems everyone is looking for ways to enhance their living space. As the makeover trend grows, it seems the bedroom is often neglected in lieu of updating more "public" areas of the home. However, the bedroom environment has a major impact on the quality and quantity of sleep. Improving it should be a top priority!
The bedroom should be the most luxurious and personal space in your home - a soothing oasis that is conducive to relaxation and indulgent comfort. And creating a personal sleep sanctuary that will meet your needs for rest and rejuvenation is easier than you may think.
I have been working on making my bedroom more serene and inviting. I plan to post some pictures as soon as I get a little further along. The experts are right, for the sleep-obsessed and sleep-challenged, the sleep environment makes all the difference in the world -- whether you the restful, rejuvenating sleep you need and deserve, or wake up after a fitful night feeling tired and out of sorts.
While I was working on making my bedroom environment more relaxing I found some great resources for bedroom makeovers.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Women -- Are you Counting Sheep Too Often?
This article from Johns Hopkins University is a great summary of common sleep related problems and solutions.
Most women have bouts of insomnia-the failure to fall asleep or stay asleep or both-at some point in their lives. I recall the experience of one woman I knew: Several weeks before her wedding, she began a nightly ritual of lying awake for hours, followed by hours of tossing and turning until at last she would become exhausted and fall asleep. This pattern left her little time for restful sleep.
Fortunately, my friend was able to return to her normal sleeping pattern after the big day. This type of anxiety-induced sleeplessness is a classic and straightforward case of short-term insomnia, and so an ideal candidate for those well advertised sleeping pills.
Many women, however, have prolonged difficulties achieving good sleep. As mothers, students, caretakers, and professionals, many of us lead hectic lives, filled with both obvious and subtler stressors that are on our minds as we attempt to settle into sleep. The sheer numbers of over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids give you an idea of how widespread insomnia is today.
But the problem with these sleep aids is that even though they induce drowsiness, they do not promote real sleep - deep, lasting, and refreshing. And some of these agents, if taken over the course of months may lead to dependency or stop working altogether. Don't be surprised if your physician is not inclined to prescribe them.
Fortunately, there are many measures besides popping pills that you can use to improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep. Here are a few:
Acknowledge your stressors. Consider transferring that list of items swirling around in your head at night onto a sheet of paper. This will help you feel as if you've gotten started with your tasks and let you get some rest.
Exercise regularly. It may seem counterintuitive, but upping your level of activity during the evening, when you think you're wiped out, will help you to gain a second wind and probably to sleep better when you do retire. Avoid caffeine after mid-day. Be wary, too, of sodas and teas, which often contain caffeine as well.
Go to bed when you're tired. Don't spend time staring at the ceiling and worrying about how you simply must get some sleep. Get up, do something relaxing in another room, and return to bed when you're ready.
Learn relaxation techniques. Consciously attend to your breathing; imagine being in your favorite place (think: "Calgon, take me away!"); relax your muscles, scanning your body from head to toe - Pilates and yoga classes often teach these skills.
Maintain a routine. Changing your sleep schedule dramatically on Friday and Saturday nights can lead to a shift in your circadian rhythm that carries into the following week. Consider melatonin. This hormone is a natural sleep aid. It appears to work particularly well for those who have trouble staying asleep, even though they may easily fall asleep. A dose of 0.3 mg nightly is recommended.
Talk with your doctor about your sleep troubles if they persist. Pain, snoring, frequent nighttime urination, or symptoms of anxiety or depression should be further assessed and may respond to other treatments.
© 2007 Johns Hopkins University. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.joyfulsleep.com/
Most women have bouts of insomnia-the failure to fall asleep or stay asleep or both-at some point in their lives. I recall the experience of one woman I knew: Several weeks before her wedding, she began a nightly ritual of lying awake for hours, followed by hours of tossing and turning until at last she would become exhausted and fall asleep. This pattern left her little time for restful sleep.
Fortunately, my friend was able to return to her normal sleeping pattern after the big day. This type of anxiety-induced sleeplessness is a classic and straightforward case of short-term insomnia, and so an ideal candidate for those well advertised sleeping pills.
Many women, however, have prolonged difficulties achieving good sleep. As mothers, students, caretakers, and professionals, many of us lead hectic lives, filled with both obvious and subtler stressors that are on our minds as we attempt to settle into sleep. The sheer numbers of over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids give you an idea of how widespread insomnia is today.
But the problem with these sleep aids is that even though they induce drowsiness, they do not promote real sleep - deep, lasting, and refreshing. And some of these agents, if taken over the course of months may lead to dependency or stop working altogether. Don't be surprised if your physician is not inclined to prescribe them.
Fortunately, there are many measures besides popping pills that you can use to improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep. Here are a few:
Acknowledge your stressors. Consider transferring that list of items swirling around in your head at night onto a sheet of paper. This will help you feel as if you've gotten started with your tasks and let you get some rest.
Exercise regularly. It may seem counterintuitive, but upping your level of activity during the evening, when you think you're wiped out, will help you to gain a second wind and probably to sleep better when you do retire. Avoid caffeine after mid-day. Be wary, too, of sodas and teas, which often contain caffeine as well.
Go to bed when you're tired. Don't spend time staring at the ceiling and worrying about how you simply must get some sleep. Get up, do something relaxing in another room, and return to bed when you're ready.
Learn relaxation techniques. Consciously attend to your breathing; imagine being in your favorite place (think: "Calgon, take me away!"); relax your muscles, scanning your body from head to toe - Pilates and yoga classes often teach these skills.
Maintain a routine. Changing your sleep schedule dramatically on Friday and Saturday nights can lead to a shift in your circadian rhythm that carries into the following week. Consider melatonin. This hormone is a natural sleep aid. It appears to work particularly well for those who have trouble staying asleep, even though they may easily fall asleep. A dose of 0.3 mg nightly is recommended.
Talk with your doctor about your sleep troubles if they persist. Pain, snoring, frequent nighttime urination, or symptoms of anxiety or depression should be further assessed and may respond to other treatments.
© 2007 Johns Hopkins University. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.joyfulsleep.com/
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