In a previous blog (Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men?), I presented some research findings that indicate that we do indeed need a bit more sleep. In this blog, I am sharing information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Healthline.com about the importance of sleep, the impact of poor quality sleep and tips for getting better sleep.
Sleep and your health
Getting the recommended number of hours of sleep is important, but it needs to be good quality sleep. If you are waking up repeatedly during the night and/or experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air), your health and well-being will be negatively affected.
Failure to get enough sleep impacts us in some obvious ways, like feeling drowsy and having less energy during the day. This can happen after just one bad night of sleep. However, when a person suffers from insufficient sleep frequently, more serious health issues can arise. Insufficient sleep has been linked to the development and management of a number of chronic diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Let’s look at the link between sleep and each of these conditions in more detail.
Diabetes: Research has found that insufficient sleep is linked to an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Specifically, sleep duration and quality have emerged as predictors of levels of Hemoglobin A1c, an important marker of blood sugar control. Recent research suggests that optimizing sleep duration and quality may help improve blood sugar control in persons with type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular disease: People with sleep apnea have been found to be at increased risk for a number of cardiovascular diseases. Notably, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease and irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias) have been found to be more common among those with sleep disorders than their peers without sleep abnormalities.
Obesity: Laboratory research has found that short sleep duration results in metabolic changes that may be linked to obesity. Epidemiologic studies have also revealed an association between short sleep duration and excess body weight. This association has been reported in all age groups—but has been particularly pronounced in children. It is believed that sleep in childhood and adolescence is particularly important for brain development and that insufficient sleep in youngsters may adversely affect the function of a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which regulates appetite and the expenditure of energy.
Depression: The relationship between sleep and depression is complex. While sleep disturbance has long been held to be an important symptom of depression, recent research has indicated that depressive symptoms may decrease once sleep apnea has been effectively treated and sufficient sleep restored. This relationship suggests it is important that the sleep sufficiency of persons with depression be assessed and that symptoms of depression be monitored among persons with a sleep disorder.
Common Sleep Disorders
Sleep-related difficulties affect many people. The following is a description of some of the major sleep disorders. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the following, it is important to receive an evaluation by a healthcare provider or, if necessary, a provider specializing in sleep medicine.
Insomnia: Insomnia is characterized by an inability to initiate or maintain sleep. It may also take the form of early morning awakening in which the individual awakens several hours early and is unable to resume sleeping. Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep may often manifest itself as excessive daytime sleepiness, which characteristically results in functional impairment throughout the day. Before arriving at a diagnosis of primary insomnia, the healthcare provider will rule out other potential causes, such as other sleep disorders, side effects of medications, substance abuse, depression, or other previously undetected illness. Chronic psychophysiological insomnia (or “learned” or “conditioned” insomnia) may result from a stressor combined with fear of being unable to sleep. Individuals with this condition may sleep better when not in their own beds. Health care providers may treat chronic insomnia with a combination of use of sedative-hypnotic or sedating antidepressant medications, along with behavioral techniques to promote regular sleep.
Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness (including episodes of irresistible sleepiness) combined with sudden muscle weakness are the hallmark signs of narcolepsy. The sudden muscle weakness seen in narcolepsy may be elicited by strong emotion or surprise. Episodes of narcolepsy have been described as “sleep attacks” and may occur in unusual circumstances, such as walking and other forms of physical activity. The healthcare provider may treat narcolepsy with stimulant medications combined with behavioral interventions, such as regularly scheduled naps, to minimize the potential disruptiveness of narcolepsy on the individual’s life.
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): RLS is characterized by an unpleasant “creeping” sensation, often feeling like it is originating in the lower legs, but often associated with aches and pains throughout the legs. This often causes difficulty initiating sleep and is relieved by movement of the leg, such as walking or kicking. Abnormalities in the neurotransmitter dopamine have often been associated with RLS. Healthcare providers often combine a medication to help correct the underlying dopamine abnormality along with a medicine to promote sleep continuity in the treatment of RLS.
Sleep Apnea: Snoring may be more than just an annoying habit – it may be a sign of sleep apnea. Persons with sleep apnea characteristically make periodic gasping or “snorting” noises, during which their sleep is momentarily interrupted. Those with sleep apnea may also experience excessive daytime sleepiness, as their sleep is commonly interrupted and may not feel restorative. Treatment of sleep apnea is dependent on its cause. If other medical problems are present, such as congestive heart failure or nasal obstruction, sleep apnea may resolve with treatment of these conditions. Gentle air pressure administered during sleep (typically in the form of a nasal continuous positive airway pressure device) may also be effective in the treatment of sleep apnea. As interruption of regular breathing or obstruction of the airway during sleep can pose serious health complications, symptoms of sleep apnea should be taken seriously. Treatment should be sought from a health care provider.
Tips for better sleep
Now that we have looked at the importance of getting a good night of quality sleep, let’s look at some suggestions that might help improve your sleep hygiene.
- Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, even on your days off.
- Optimize your bedroom environment. Studies show that reducing noise and light helps with sleep quality. Keep your room as dark and as quiet as possible. Bedroom temperature also impacts sleep quality, more so than noise according to one study. Around 70 degrees F is a comfortable temperature for most people.
- Increase bright light exposure during the day. Your body has a natural time-keeping clock known as your circadian rhythm which affects your brain, body and hormones, and this is what helps your stay awake during the day and sleep at night. Daily exposure to natural sunlight or even bright-light devices or bulbs has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration in people with insomnia.
- Reduce exposure to light at night. Just as you need bright light during the day, you need to avoid it at night to maintain your circadian rhythm. Blue light is considered to be the worst, and this comes from electronic devices such as televisions, smart phones and computers. You should turn these off 2 hours before bedtime. If you absolutely need screen time right before bedtime, you can wear glasses that block blue light or install an app that blocks blue light on computers or phones.
- Watch what you eat and drink before bedtime. Avoid caffeine after about 3:00 or 4:00 PM. Don’t consume alcohol before bedtime if you have problems sleeping. It may make you feel tired initially, but studies show that alcohol actually increases or causes the symptoms of sleep apnea and snoring. Don’t eat large meals before you turn in. Try to have your dinner a few hours before you go to bed.
- Invest in a good quality mattress and pillow.
- Avoid long daytime naps.
- Take a melatonin supplement. In one study, 2 mg of melatonin before bed improved sleep quality and energy the next day and helped people fall asleep faster.
- Try a relaxing bath. Studies indicate that a hot bath can help people fall asleep faster and sleep better. Even a simple foot bath can help.
- Rule out a sleep disorder. If you are having ongoing difficulty with your sleep, see a health care professional to rule out an underlying health condition.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov); Healthline (www.healthline.com)