Sleep deprivation is a significant problem in the U.S. About 1 out of 4 Americans have trouble sleeping regularly. According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, on average, Americans sleep significantly less than the 7 to 9 hours recommended for adults and 9-10 hours for adolescents. This is unfortunate because sleep is not wasted time, as some people think. It is a vital human function for optimal mental and physical health. Our brain needs sleep to perform essential tasks such as reorganizing information stored throughout the day and repairing and healing the “damage” from daily use. Some scientists believe we are not getting enough sleep if we need an alarm clock to wake up. When we wake up naturally, the brain has enough time to repair itself.
When should you worry if your sleep problems are serious? The warning signs are difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, not being able to get back to sleep, or waking up too early. The sleep-deprived describe themselves as being tired or exhausted, having no energy, being in a fog, feeling run down, etc. Occasionally, feeling this way is normal. Consistent warning signs should be heeded.
Chronic sleep deprivation affects mental functioning and mood the same way as drinking too much. Getting four or fewer hours of sleep several nights in a row has the same effect as being legally intoxicated. Sleep deprivation leads to thinking impairments such as slower reaction time, poor concentration, memory lapses, and confusion. Poor sleep is associated with such psychological problems as depressed mood, irritable disposition, and excessive anger. Poor performance at work, reduced ambition, lack of creativity, and loss of sexual interest are also caused by sleep deprivation. Poor sleepers are apt to make foolish and dangerous life choices. A person’s general health decreases with poor sleep because of a weakened immune system. Poor sleepers are at greater risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as diabetes. Weight problems are another causality of sleep deprivation by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger, especially for foods with high carbohydrate and sugar content. Sleep-deprived people release more toxic stress-related body chemicals, such as cortisol. The reverse is true when one gets adequate sleep. Less stress and disease are some of the benefits. The bottom line is that good sleep results in a longer, healthier, more productive, and happier life, while poor sleep leads to an unhealthy, unproductive, and unhappy life.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to break “bad habits” that interfere with a good night’s sleep and to establish healthy sleeping patterns.
Do create rituals that help you sleep. A consistent and predictable schedule helps the body’s biological clock to trigger sleep. Take a warm shower or bath before bed. Listen to soothing music. Read for a short time. (Reading helps prepare the brain for sleep by triggering the body’s internal clock.) Go to bed when tired and leave the bed at the same time each day, no matter your schedule.
Do moderate exercise to relieve stress and release stored-up adrenaline. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime. And you don’t have to be a fitness center addict. A 30-minute walk in the daylight will prepare your body for eventual sleep at nighttime.
Do keep the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Create soothing “white noise” using a fan, air filter, air conditioner, humidifier, etc.
Don’t skimp on a comfortable bed. This is the one piece of furniture where you spend a third of your life.
Don’t eat a big meal before bedtime. However, a light snack of a dairy product (milk, yogurt, even ice cream) aids sleep. Pairing it with a grain (cracker or muffin) is even better. These foods seem to stimulate the release of natural body chemicals and hormones that prepare the body for sleep. A bowl of low-sugar cereal is a perfect combination, by the way.
Don’t engage in stimulating activities such as computer games or T.V. right before bedtime. The light frequency of monitors and the flickering of T.V. screens can interfere with sleep. And those exciting computer games and T.V. shows tend to keep you awake.
If you can’t sleep after about 20 minutes, get out of bed. Tossing and turning in bed for long periods is unproductive and frustrating and creates tension and worry that keeps you from falling back to sleep. Instead, read, watch some light T.V., or engage in other non-stimulating activities until tired. If reading a book is too much for you, pick up a magazine, a favorite catalog, or anything.
Do take 10 to 20 minute “power” naps. A short afternoon nap is a habit that experts are beginning to recommend as a way to refresh oneself to meet the challenges of the rest of the day. But don’t rely on longer naps to make up for lost sleep. It is not a healthy substitute for the in-depth brain repair that comes from an eight-hour sleep. Waking up from long naps disrupts healthy sleep, often leaving the napper tired and disoriented. Longer naps also interfere with regular sleep.
Do examine unhelpful beliefs about sleep and make an effort to change them. For example, the belief that eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night is essential to function during the day is not true and is simply unrealistic. If you expect to have a terrible day after an occasional lousy night’s sleep, more than likely, it will happen. Without realizing it, you created a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” So be careful that you don’t fret about your sleep to the point that going to bed becomes an anxiety-producing event. Work towards being more tolerant and less stressed by the normal variations in sleep patterns from one night to another.
Don’t drink caffeinated foods (coffee, soda, chocolate, etc.) in the evening.
Don’t drink alcohol to help you sleep. A drink can relax you, but it is a short-term solution. In the long run, alcohol disturbs how well you sleep through the night.
Do practice meditation, yoga, and other forms of stress reduction. Some meditation practitioners use this tool to bring about a calmer and more tranquil mood before bedtime.
Do pay attention to your overall health. Sleep difficulties may be a sign of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Poor sleep may also mean you are suffering from some underlying medical problem. If your sleep difficulties persist, a visit to your family physician would be a wise decision.
Sources:
Sleep and Depression, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2005
The Science of Sleep, Timothy McCahill
The Sleep-Industrial Complex, Jon Mooallem, New York Times Magazine, Nov. 18, 2007, pp 56-61.