Thursday, November 22, 2007

Do Not to Scrimp on Sleep



Ask Glen!






Q. Glen, Sometimes I do not have time to get 6 hours of sleep! Do you have any reasons why I should get more?


A.Here Are Six Reasons Not to Scrimp on Sleep!For good health, you need adequate sleep as much as you need regular exercise and a sensible diet. Here’s why.

The National Sleep Foundation and other health organizations have reminded us that we don’t get as much sleep as we used to — or as much as we should — and we’re paying the price in drowsiness and fatigue that affect our physical and mental health and threaten public safety. Despite such warnings, our habits aren’t changing much.

A 2005 National Sleep Foundation survey found that, compared with 1998, more people are sleeping less than six hours a night. Average sleep on work nights is 6.8 hours — still short of a good night’s rest. And sleep difficulties, the poll indicates, visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week. Women are especially affected: They report more trouble than men do, and they are more likely to feel sleepy during the day.

How serious is the problem? Evidence from the relatively new field of sleep medicine suggests that truncated sleep may contribute to various ills, including memory lapses, trouble learning and paying attention, heart disease, obesity, mood problems, and impaired immunity. Some research suggests a cancer connection.

A sleepless night or two or a short-lived bout of insomnia is generally nothing to worry about. The bigger concern is chronic partial sleep loss — that is, failing to get enough sleep night after night. That can happen because you have a medical condition that interferes with sleep, or perhaps you’ve given up sleep time to accommodate life’s demands. Whatever the case, routine sleep loss can take a toll. Researchers have found that after two weeks, people sleeping four to six hours a night are as cognitively impaired as those who have been awake for two or three days.

How much sleep do we need? Some of us seem to do well with six hours a night, while others need nine or more to feel their best. Judging by clinical impressions, experiments, and research in which subjects are allowed to find their “natural” amount of sleep, experts believe that seven to nine hours is about right. The goal is to wake up feeling refreshed and to stay awake and alert throughout the day without relying on stimulants or other pick-me-ups.

Though more research is needed to explore the links between chronic sleep loss and specific health consequences, it’s safe to say that sleep is too important to shortchange. So in case you haven’t already resolved to get better sleep, here are six reasons to consider doing so.

1. Learning and memory

Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory by way of a process called memory consolidation. This process came to light largely through experiments in which subjects were trained to complete a cognitive task and later tested. Those who “slept on it” before the test usually did better. In some studies, subjects discovered more insightful or creative ways to problem-solve after a night’s sleep.

2. Metabolism and weight

It’s well known that excess weight can cause sleep disorders such as apnea. But sleep lab studies also suggest the reverse possibility: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain. How? By altering metabolic functions, such as processing and storage of carbohydrates, and by stimulating the release of excess cortisol, a stress hormone. Excess cortisol has been linked to increased abdominal fat. Loss of sleep also reduces levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite, and increases levels of ghrelin (GRELL-in), an appetite-stimulating hormone — a combination that can encourage eating.

Ways to get better sleep

  • Get regular exercise, but not within three hours of bedtime.
  • Don’t use alcohol as a sleep aid.
  • Avoid caffeine from noon or midafternoon onward.
  • Be careful about taking medications that contain ingredients that could keep you awake at night or make you sleepy during the day.
  • Establish regular times for going to bed and getting up, and avoid napping.
  • Keep your bedroom temperature comfortable (cool is better than warm).
  • If you have a chronic sleep problem, talk to your clinician or other professional.

3. Safety

There’s no evidence that we ever really adapt to chronic sleep deficits. Sleep debt only contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep, including “microsleeps” — seconds-long daytime dips into sleep that occur when sleep-type brain-wave activity impinges on the waking kind. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.

4. Mood/quality of life

Sleep loss, whether long- or short-term, may result in symptoms — irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness — that suggest psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Too little sleep can leave you so tired that you don’t want to spend time with your children, enjoy the company of your friends, or have sex with a partner. Poor sleep also affects the ability to work. Sleep disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with depression, although the relationship is complex, and cause and effect are not always clear.

How sleepy are you?

Clinicians and researchers often use the questionnaire below, called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, to measure sleep deprivation. It asks, How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations? Score yourself with the following values:

0 = no chance

1 = slight chance

2 = moderate chance

3 = high chance

Situation Score
Sitting and reading
Watching television
Sitting inactive in a public place
Passenger in a car for an hour without a break
Lying down to rest in the afternoon
Sitting and talking to someone
Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol
Stopped in a car for a few minutes in traffic
Total
A score of 9 or more suggests that you have a sleep problem. Consult your clinician or a sleep specialist.

5. Cardiovascular health

We don’t know much yet about the effect of chronic partial sleep loss on cardiovascular health. But serious sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, cardiac arrhythmias, and increased inflammation. Sleep apnea is also associated with difficulty metabolizing glucose, which may lead to type 2 diabetes, another significant risk factor for heart disease. In the Nurses’ Health Study, women who slept less than five (or more than nine) hours per night were more likely to develop heart disease than those who slept seven to eight hours.

6. Immunity/cancer prevention

Though all the mechanisms aren’t clear, scientists have found that sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. For example, sleep loss around the time of vaccination for influenza has been shown to reduce the production of flu-fighting antibodies. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer. Harvard researchers have shown that women who work at night are at increased risk for breast and colon cancer. The connection may be through melatonin, a hormone that’s made by the brain’s pineal gland when darkness falls and helps put us to sleep; light at night cuts melatonin production. The Harvard scientists also found that women with low morning levels of melatonin had a higher risk of breast cancer. Other research has shown that melatonin slows ovarian production of estrogen, a hormone that spurs cancer cell growth.

Reference:

The National Sleep Foundation

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !


Wishing You A Healthy Life Style!

Any questions?

Ask Glen!

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About Me

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Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States
Is the Founder of Fitness Builders 4 Life,the WorkOut GEM,G350,G180, G90, Eat 4 Life, Clean, Lean & Mean & Ask Glen. The mission of the Fitness Builders is to provide the community with health education and to empower people to change unhealthy lifestyles thereby increasing life expectancy. By educating the community on healthier lifestyle practices it is the intent of Fitness Builders to reduce the ravages of obesity, heart disease, cancer and other lifestyle or self inflicted diseases. Glen is also a AMA Certified Nutrition Specialist and a ACE, ACSM, NASM Certified Personal Trainer has 30+ years in Sports, Exercise Science and Nutritional Food Management, Learning and Mentoring Men and Women on a more Mental & Physical Healthy Life Style consisting of a low fat, low salt, Low carbohydrate, high protein, organic nutrition which also includes moderate exercise and mental awareness. Stay Informed, Live long and be Mentally and Physically Healthy! Any questions? Ask Glen!

Any Questions? Ask Glen!

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