Although some over-achieving Americans try to pretend otherwise, restful sleep constitutes an essential element for maintaining physical AND emotional health. Most people short-change themselves when it comes to sleep; they believe that fewer hours spent in slumber means more hours for work. However, research clearly indicates that with less sleep, people operate with reduced efficiency and thus become less productive…at the same time, they usually become more irritable, moody, and frustrated. Lack of sleep can also prompt us to eat more, and the cycle of bad-health habits just keep spinning.
Sleep is structured into two basic phases, described as “REM” and “non-REM” sleep. Most people have heard of REM, an acronym for “Rapid Eye Movement”, but they may not understand its significance fully nor grasp the impact REM sleep has on their health. The “movement” mentioned in the acronym refers to the physical motions of the eye that occur beneath the sleeper’s eyelids as he/she dreams. During a typical sleep cycle, non-REM alternates with REM sleep as the individual moves through various levels of slumber.
For example, REM sleep reinforces memory systems by storing important information, “deleting” unnecessary information and transferring memories from intermediate to long-term status. There is also evidence indicating that REM sleep helps restore mental function, essentially “defragging” the hard drive of the brain. Non-REM sleep has multiple levels, and on levels three and four (the deepest stages), the brain and muscles begin to recover from the work performed during the day.
One way to start improving sleep patterns is to re-design our ideas about sleeping. For example, millions of Americans sit for hours in front of their televisions or computers every night, waiting to “fall asleep”, as if they expected the “good sleep fairy” to sneak up and knock them into dreamland with a club! Sleep doesn’t just “happen” randomly; it is a goal, and, as such, it begins with a decision, and it requires a plan.
Dr. Kippels offers some simple ideas that may help you sleep easier tonight…and for the “rest” of your life!
- Forget the night-light: Sleep is most restful in a dark room, so use the blinds or black out curtains on the windows. Install low watt bulbs in any lights not used for reading. (A good reading lamp should produce a focused, high intensity beam; avoid reading by overhead lights that illuminate the entire room.)
- Justify a splurge: A good, quality mattress is a crucial component for restful sleep. After all, statistics indicate you’ll spend at least 1/3 of your life stretched out on that mattress, so when you “test drive” a bed in the store, spend more than a few seconds checking the comfort level – toss and turn a bit and see how the mattress responds. Some mattress manufacturers offer customers the opportunity for “in-home testing” of their products for as long as 30 days; this trial run gives the buyer plenty of time to make sure the mattress and the sleeper are a perfect match! You might ask your doctor if he has any information on specific orthopedic mattresses.
- Cool It: When people fall asleep, their body temperatures droop slightly. By keeping the bedroom temperature somewhat cool, you can prompt your body to begin the process.
- Focus, Please: Beds are meant for sleep and intimacy. Do not work, talk on the phone, watch television, eat sandwiches, play video games, etc. in your bedroom. There are other rooms available for these options, and bringing them into the Designated Dream Arena will confuse your brain and body – not to mention crowding that comfy mattress with crumbs and clutter!
Other factors that can interfere with healthy sleep are sleep apnea, snoring, and restless leg syndrome. Patients experiencing any form of sleep disorder should consult their doctor and should make getting a good night’s rest a priority. Lack of sleep will inevitably lead to a lack of health – and don’t forget that sleep deprivation was a contributing factor in the wreck of the Exxon Valdez, as well as the nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. More commonly, sleep loss can lead to serious on-the-job injuries, traffic accidents, weight gain, body pain, head colds, and heart attacks.
RECENT RESEARCH ON SLEEP
- Shows sleep deprivation increases the hormone (Grelin) that stimulates hunger and decreases the hormone (Leptin) that signals a person to stop eating when hunger is satisfied. Thus, if you seep more, you will weigh less. Moreover, lack of sleep may be a factor in obesity and diabetes. In a study of 2,281 children, research results indicated that increasing sleep by one hour decreased the risk of obesity by 20%!
- Indicates a connection between disrupted sleep and symptoms of fibromyalgia.
- Carnegie Melon University shows that people with less than 7 hours of sleep nightly were more likely to develop colds than people who slept 8 hours.
- A regular midday nap will decrease the risk of heart attack by 37%. (A nap should last no more than an hour and start no later than 3 PM).