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Are You Getting Enough Sleep? |
Anyone who's pulled an
all-nighter studying for exams or been up with a sick toddler
knows that losing the occasional night of sleep can take its
toll. You may feel irritable and grumpy the next day, find it
difficult to focus on what you're doing or even remember what
the heck you were going to do!
An important part of a
healthy lifestyle
 Sound
familiar? If you're like most people, you can just yawn "yes."
But in fact, getting a good night's sleep is a critical
component of good health. Your body needs sleep to maintain and
repair itself the same way it needs exercise and healthy food.
How much sleep is enough? It's
very individual, say experts. While eight hours may have been
the norm at one time, it is now widely recognized that some
people may require more sleep, such as nine or ten hours, while
others need only four or five hours of sleep each day to be at
their best. Teenagers need about nine hours of sleep, but are
lucky if they get seven.
Whatever your optimum number of
hours of sleep, it's a fine balance. Sleeping too much or too
little can be signs of depression, for instance. And a study in
women shows that both too much or too little sleep can increase
risk of heart disease.
Sleep disruption takes a
toll
The impact of just one night of
poor sleep can be felt the very next day. According to the
Canadian Sleep Society, sleep disruption will take a toll on
response time, motor ability, visual acuity, memory and
attention. Depending on your agenda, the impact can range from
inconvenient, even comical (can't remember your postal code) to
life-threatening (can't stay awake while driving).
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After only a few
days of sleep deprivation, the body undergoes
changes similar to "fast-forward" aging: memory
loss, metabolism problems (with sugar and hormones),
and poor athletic performance. If sleep deprivation
continues over the long term, it increases the risk
of more serious health problems, such as:
a weakened immune
system, diabetes (the body cannot process sugar
properly), depression, high blood pressure and
obesity
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Sleepless nights can have
many causes
Many medical conditions can
disrupt sleep, including acid reflux, cardiovascular disease,
kidney problems, diabetes or painful conditions such as cancer
and arthritis.
Stress can also rob you of
sleep, leaving you tossing and turning because of life changes
such as divorce or losing a job. Over time, chronic lack of
sleep can lead to anxiety and depression, which in turn can lead
to loss of sleep, setting up a vicious cycle that can take a
toll on overall health, depressing immune function and the
body's ability to ward off disease.
Gender and life stage can play
a role in sleep problems. Women tend to suffer from sleep
deprivation more than men. Sleep also tends to suffer as as we
get older.
There are different kinds of
sleep disorders
-
Sleep apnea (a disorder in
which people stop breathing for 10 seconds or more,
sometimes hundreds of times every night)
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Insomnia (difficulty
falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, or
early awakenings)
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Restless legs syndrome
(uncomfortable leg sensations and the urge to move the legs
occurring whenever the body is at rest, interrupting sleep)
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Narcolepsy (a chronic brain
disorder causing sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep at
inappropriate times, such as while driving, eating, or
talking)
-
Periodic limb movements
(recurrent movements of the legs, feet, and/or toes during
sleep, causing sleep interruptions throughout the night)
Ten tips for a good night's
sleep
Despite the fact that there are
many situations that can stand between you and your requisite
number of zzzs for good health, there are a lot of things you
can do to increase the likelihood of a restful, restorative
night's sleep:
-
Establish a sleep/wake
pattern by getting up at the same time every morning -
regardless of when you went to bed.
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Get 30 minutes of some form
of exercise such as brisk walking, every day. (Be aware,
however, that too much activity late in the evening can
stimulate the body and make it difficult to fall asleep.)
-
Keep your bedroom dark,
quiet and cool - ideally 18 degrees centigrade.
-
Don't watch TV in bed,
which can leave your mind racing.
-
Reading before bed is
relaxing and can induce drowsiness.
-
Stay away from
caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea and some
colas before bed. You may fall asleep but find yourself wide
awake at 2 a.m.!
-
Avoid smoking, as chronic
tobacco use disturbs sleep.
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Avoid eating a heavy meal
before bedtime as digestive processes will make it difficult
to get a restful sleep.
-
A small snack of some
carbohydrate can help induce sleep. A not-too-sugary cookie,
for instance, and a glass of warm milk, known to contain the
sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, is a good pre-sleep
choice.
-
Take a relaxing warm bath
in the evening before going to bed
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| Source: Canadian Health Network |
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Keeping a "sleep diary" |
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Prior to
visiting your doctor to discuss your sleep
problem, it may be helpful to keep a diary for a
couple weeks to identify a pattern and possible
causes. Your "sleep diary" could include:
-
the number
of hours you are sleeping each night.
-
when you
went to bed and got up in the morning (or
when you got up to start your next day if
you are doing shift work).
-
days when
you had trouble falling asleep, woke up
frequently during the night, or woke up
earlier than you would have liked to.
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nights when
you were snoring or moving in your sleep.
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nights when
you woke up gasping for breath or snorting.
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whether you
felt tired or well-rested each day.
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the number
of cigarettes or drinks that you had per
day, and approximately when you had them.
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your stress
level during the day.
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any new
life events or schedule changes.
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Sleep helps
your body to repair itself. It also helps
your mind to absorb and "file" the day's
learning. When we deprive ourselves of
sleep, we notice the effects both mentally
and physically. In the short term, these
effects include:
-
fatigue
-
irritability
-
careless mistakes
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difficulty concentrating
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slower
reaction times
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increased stress
These
short-term effects can affect our
relationships, our performance at work or
school, and our ability to enjoy life. They
may even increase the risk of injury and
accidents at work or on the road. Over 35%
of car accidents are caused by lack of
sleep.
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