Simply Sleep, or not?

I recently came across an article about how simple sleep used to be. When the sun went down it was time for us humans to wind down as well. It was too cold, dark or dangerous to be anywhere except bundled up in front of blazing fire or nestled in a warm cozy bed. 

Fast forward to 17th century Paris when, so fitting for the often called City of Light, the nighttime streets were first lit up by wax candles in glass lamps.  Night and day have become more and more indistinguishable ever since.  I found this article particularly interesting given that my own sleep struggles nearly disappeared when I first discovered sleep masks to keep the light from the streetlight in front of our house from coming in our bedroom window.

It is true that there are many things in modern life that prevent a shining bright line between night and day: homework, soccer practice, reruns of Two and a Half Men, endless tinkering on the computer or other electronic (read: light enhanced) gadgets, and the list goes on.

But getting back to the question of is sleep a simple thing or not, it’s also pretty clear that the list of often quoted sleep tips is actually pretty simple: sipping herbal tea rather than caffeinated beverages in the evening, getting physically tired by exercising more during the day, making sure your bedroom is cool enough for sleep, and sticking to a regular sleep routine. Short, 30 minute naps have also been shown by sleep research to increase alertness, memory and job performance.

But at the top of that sleep tip list for me is blocking out all light in my bedroom with a Bucky sleep mask. It doesn’t even matter if there is light on in the room, as long as I have my sleep mask I fall asleep like a charm every single night.

And that is something to be joyful about, whether it’s simple or not.

 

Get Some Sleep...Succeed in Business

An interesting piece by Cathie Anderson in yesterday's Sacramento Bee.  At Perspectives 2012 last week, Anderson writes that media mogul Ariana Huffington told business leaders that if they want to succeed in business they need to get more sleep.  Sounds paradoxical, until you think about  research that directly links lack of sleep to health problems like weight gain, early diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other problems.

She also quotes Amer Khan, M.D., a neurologist who specializes in sleep medicine, as saying that the average American gets 6 1/2 hours of sleep every night, which is significantly less than in the early 1900s when the average was 9 hours per night. Dr. Khan's blog where he writes about sleep in a personal and practical way can be found here.

The problem with not getting enough sleep, as I can well attest from personal experience, is that it makes it harder to concentrate, harder to make decisions, and generally makes you crabby.  It also makes you more prone to stress, which can lead to the myriad of health problems just noted.

One of the best ways I know of to ensure a good night's sleep is to block out all sound and light, which for me means wearing a sleep mask and ear plugs.  There are many choices when it comes to sleep masks but the two I like best are the eye shades mask and the 40 blinks foam mask, both made by Seattle based Bucky.  The eye shades mask includes a pair of ear plugs.

So until next time, sweet dreams!!

Yet Another Reason Not to Smoke

 
Health

Now there is yet another reason to quit smoking, or be grateful that you never started or have successfully quit. A new study suggests that smokers may get fewer hours of sleep and have a less restful slumber than non-smokers.

The findings cannot prove that smoking directly impairs sleep given that many smokers may have other habits that could affect their sleep, like staying up late watching TV.  But the stimulating effects of nicotine could play a big part in smokers' sleep difficulties.

Poor sleep has also been linked to other health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  I wrote another post on this topic, Lack of Sleep May Make you Fat, a while back.

You can read more about this interesting study here. 

 

When Light Keeps You Awake (aka "When it's Better to be Kept in the Dark!")

Light is often a bigger problem than people realize when they're trying to fall asleep. Even the dim green or red light from your alarm clock on your bedside table can keep you awake.

So, what should you do? "Limiting your light exposure in the evening tends to transition you into sleep," says Helene Emsellem, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University and Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, MD. And surrounding yourself in darkness all night helps you stay asleep.

Here are some more tips to keep you in the dark (a good thing when you're trying to sleep!!):

Cover your eyes with an eye mask big enough to cover your eyes completely. Contoured foam masks like Bucky's 40 blinks are ultra lightweight and very comfortable. If you need to block light completely, soft padded masks work best but cost a little more.

Use a low power light instead of a bright bedside lamp if you read in bed before sleeping. Low power lighting encourages your brain's shift to sleep. Clip on lights work particularly well (maybe that's why you feel so tired after flying at night with the little light button on).

Seal off your windows, especially important if your bedroom gets early morning light or if you have a streetlight right outside your window (like I do), with blackout shades or drapes. Heavy wooden plantation style shutters work well too, but cost a bit more.

Up next: Why what you wear to bed matters for how well you sleep

Lack of Sleep may Make you Fat!!

According to Anahed O'Connor in her recent blog article in the New York Times, lack of sleep is associated with weight gain. In a study published this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a small group of men who slept only 4 hours took in more than 500 extra calories (that's 22%) than those who got 8 hours of shut eye.

A 2009 University of Chicago study had similar findings for both men and women. Subjects in this study took in significantly more calories from snacks and carbs after 5 1/2 hours than after 8 1/2 hours of sleep. I don't know about you, but I definitely crave carbohydrate rich foods when I don't sleep well.

O'Connor goes on to say that some studies blame hormones, aruging that decreased sleep creates increased ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and a decrease in leptin, which signals fullness. However, more study is needed.

The Bottom Line: Don't skimp on sleep and avoid carbs and snacks at bedtime if you don't want to gain weight (and you'll also probably be happier too!!)

Dim the lights please

It seems like everyday there's something in the news about sleep. Here are some great tips from Monday's San Francisco Chronicle. I especially like the one about avoiding bright light up to 3 hours before going to bed -- that means no more late evening workouts at the gym for me if I want to fall asleep easily.
Stanford's Dr. Clete Kushida, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, who has worked in the field of sleep research since 1977, offers these tips to a better night's sleep:

Maintain a regular schedule, getting to bed and rising at the same time as consistently as possible each day, selecting the number of hours of sleep that make you feel best, whether it's seven hours or 10.

Use bright light within five minutes of waking, for 30 minutes, to synchronize your internal clock.

Avoid bright light two to three hours before bedtime, which delays sleep onset. If you read, get just enough light to read and avoid halogen.

Avoid remaining in bed if you can't sleep. After 20 minutes, if you can't sleep or fall back asleep, go into another room and do something else until you feel drowsy.

Avoid reading or watching TV in bed (especially thriller novels or action shows) unless it makes you drowsy.

Avoid napping, unless you nap every day at the same time for the same amount of time or you are tired and about to get behind the wheel of a car.Read the whole article here.
To learn more about insomnia, you can read Stanford Professor Dr. Rachel Manber's paper here.

10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep

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.

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