Here’s
to your health
The
need for sleep
Do
you toss and turn at night, or have problems falling asleep
or staying asleep? Do you have trouble staying awake and
alert during the day? If so, you may be one of the estimated
50-70 million Americans who have a sleep disorder. Experts
estimate that about one-third of adult Americans will experience
some sort of sleep disorder in their lifetime. And, while
many sleep disorders can be treated, most of them go undiagnosed.
Why we sleep remains something of a mystery. Dr. Michael
Twery, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders
Research at NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,
says, “Sleep originates with the timing of our biological
clock. The biological clock operates in almost all of our
tissues.” A particular region of the brain called the
suprachiasmatic nucleus, he says, operates as the master
biological clock. It orchestrates what Twery calls a “symphony” of
hormones and other changes that prepare our body for sleep.
It’s clear that our body needs this sleep, because
of what happens when we don’t get enough of it.
“Too little sleep or not enough restorative sleep can
seriously affect the way we think, behave, form memories
and perform
at work and school,” explains Dr. Merrill Mitler, program
director for sleep research at NIH’s National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “A continued
lack of sleep also puts us at risk for mood disorders such
as depression and can lead to poor concentration and poor
judgment, social problems, greater risk of car crashes and
increased risk of substance abuse.”
There is also what Twery calls the “unseen side” of
inadequate sleep. Because the timing of sleep is linked to
a symphony of chemical reactions throughout the body, Twery
explains, it’s also linked to our health in more subtle
ways. “When these chemical reactions become misaligned,” he
says, “they can contribute to problems with our metabolism
and our cardiovascular system, and can eventually lead to
increased risk of disease.”
Twery recounts one set of experiments in which otherwise
healthy young adults developed resistance to insulin after
a few nights of only 4 hours of sleep. Insulin is a hormone
needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy.
When the body can’t use insulin properly, diabetes
can develop. After the researchers allowed the young adults
to go back to 8-hour sleep periods, the problem reversed
within days.
Other studies have found that people who get less sleep tend
to have higher rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood
pressure and diabetes. A great deal of research is now focused
on understanding the underlying links between sleep and these
health factors.
How much sleep do we need? Adults usually need at least 7-8
hours of sleep a night to feel fully rested when they are
awake. School-aged children and teens need at least 9 hours.
Children in preschool need between 10 and 12 hours a day,
and newborns need 16-18 hours.
Many people unfortunately consider sleep a low priority and
try to stay awake as much as they can to do more work, watch
some TV or fit other things into their busy days. But others
can’t sleep because of an underlying problem. In fact,
there are more than 70 different types of sleep disorders.
NIH researchers continue to explore the causes and consequences
of sleep problems such as insomnia, chronic sleep deprivation
and obstructive sleep apnea. Even if all these disorders
aren’t fully understood, many of them can be treated.
If you frequently experience excessive daytime sleepiness
or have problems sleeping, talk to your health care provider
or a sleep specialist. If you’d like to learn more
about problem sleepiness and take an interactive sleep quiz,
click on Links.
Tips
for a Good Night’s Sleep:
· Keep a regular sleep and wake schedule.
·
Avoid caffeine and cigarettes in the late afternoon and don’t
drink alcohol to help you sleep.
· Avoid going to bed on either a full or an empty stomach.
· Use your bedroom primarily for sleeping. Sleep in a dark,
quiet, well-ventilated space with a comfortable temperature.
· Relax before going to bed. Take a warm bath, listen to soothing
music, meditate or try relaxation or breathing exercises.
· Face your clock away from the bed to avoid focusing on time
if you awake before morning.
·
If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes of going
to bed or wake early and can’t get back to sleep, get
out of bed and try a relaxing activity such as reading until
you become drowsy.
·
Regular exercise can help improve certain sleep disorders.
However, don’t exercise within 2 hours of bedtime.
· Avoid household chores, paperwork or other stimulating activities
for at least 2 hours before bedtime.
· Use over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids only for
short periods of time and under the direction of your doctor.
Some sleep aids can make you drowsy during the day and cause
other side effects.
[Source:
National Institute of Health]
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