Sleep

Sleep is very important. Sleep restores and rejuvenates us. We do not all need the same amount of sleep but it seems that whatever amount we need as individuals is the amount we need consistently. For example if I need seven hours of sleep eight is too much but six is too little. One night of six every now and again is fine, but over time it would deplete me.

You might be interested to know also that sleep deprivation can lead to psychiatric problems. As you may remember, I once worked in a hospital setting and when taking history we always wanted to know about sleep, bladder and bowel.

We will talk about sleep today. I am going to share information from a June 8th Wall St Journal article before telling of my own observational sleep research study.

Melinda Beck shared information that she had received from the National Sleep Foundation's recent conference. Interestingly, a lack of sleep can lead to many of the same illnesses associated with being overweight and inactive. In fact, it can disrupt metabolism and cause hormonal imbalances. Sleep deprivation also affects memory and learning. It is important that a person experience both REM sleep and deep sleep. I will add the NSF website at the end of the post in case you would like to learn more.

Serious sleep disturbances should be evaluated through a sleep study and several centers exist for just this purpose. In her column, Ms. Beck spoke of a device that one could use at home to gather data to upload that could track the amount of different sleep levels a person was getting. The device is costly and is not a true diagnostic tool. She also spoke of having a laboratory sleep study that found problems and now she may take a medicine because of a condition called Periodic Limb Movements. Cynical me thinks they just made that up so they could have everyone take a pill for it. The pill is Requip. There is a condition call Obstructive Sleep Apnea which I do consider valid having seen people with it. A special breathing machine is available to treat that condition.

While writing this post I went to the NSF website and was browsing when I saw at the bottom of the page a little note about them working with Sanofi Aventis on a Sleeping Smart program. Well. Well. I don't like that so much.

I guess the foundation is still good, it says it is a non profit that promotes restorative sleep.

Most of us have heard some advice on sleep hygiene.

Watch the caffeine and alcohol intake
Avoid nicotine
Consider when you exercise (perhaps not too close to bed time)
Use the bedroom only for sleep (though many of us read and watch tv there, among other things)
Watch that you don't eat too much too soon before bed
Keep a regular bed and wake time

My personal experience has been that the absolute most important piece, if it is in your control, is to wake up at the same time every day. If you must sleep in because you feel you deserve it, make it no more than a half hour difference. It is truly better to go to bed early if you are tired then to sleep in. Sleeping in can disrupt everything and returning the balance can be a challenge.

I changed my mind about the link. I am going to give you a different one. This is to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research which does have a patient education section and is affiliated with our NIH.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/research/research3.htm

Sweet Dreams....