“Early to bed, early to rise makes a (wo)man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” I remember my mother saying this to me and hearing it periodically throughout my lifetime. But it's only recently that I came to see the profound truth in this adage-- how vitally important sleep is to the quality of our lives, to our physical and mental health. In this post I'd like to share with you some of my research from a variety of sources before discussing some reasonable strategies to sleep better, longer. In addition to other reputable sources, one book that really opened my eyes is Body Thrive, by Cate Stillman, which I highly recommend.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (cdc) reports that insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic.
“Overall, sleep duration appears to have decreased by 1.5- 2 hours per night, around 25%, during the second half of the 20th century. 50 – 70 million people in the U.S suffer from insomnia (can’t fall asleep well or stay asleep for long). This is primarily due to the stress response in the body producing excess adrenaline and cortisol and the inability to shut this off when it's time to sleep. As a culture, we're out of sync with energy integrity, which disrupts our immune function. The list of autoimmune diseases, now over 80, continues to be on the rise. Plus, 30% of American adults and 40% of American children suffer from allergies, which is a less severe manifestation of an aberrant immune response (Body Thrive).
Not only has sleep deprivation affected our immune systems, but according to the National Institute of Health, studies also show that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you're sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behavior, and coping with change-- all inherent parts of everyday life. Sleep deficiency also has been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior. Plus, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. So ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
Sleep deficiency also increases the risk of obesity. For example, one study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up. Sleep deficiency increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well (nih.gov). “During the second half of the 20th century, the incidence of obesity nearly doubled, and this trend is a mirror image of the decrease in self-reported sleep duration. The discovery of a profound alteration in the neuroendocrine control of appetite in conditions of sleep loss is consistent with the conclusions of several epidemiologic studies that revealed a negative association between self-reported sleep duration and body mass ”(Body Thrive).
The bottom line is, adults over 18 years of age need 7-8 hours of sleep a night. From 13-18 it's 8-10, and more the younger the sleeper (nih.org). Some people nap as a way to deal with sleepiness. Naps may provide a short-term boost in alertness and performance, however, napping doesn't provide all of the other benefits of night-time sleep. Thus, you can't really make up for lost sleep. Some people sleep more on their days off than on work days. They also may go to bed later and get up later on days off. Sleeping more on days off might be a sign that you aren't getting enough sleep. Although extra sleep on days off might help you feel better, it can upset your body's sleep–wake rhythm (nih.org).
According to Stillman “Your sleep cycle is synchronized by the day/night or light/dark rhythms outside your body. When you align to circadian rhythm, health ensues". But what are some reasonable expectations for ourselves given the fullness and complexity of our lives? We simply can't go to bed by 10pm every night, even if we want to follow the rhythms of nature. When I was younger, I thought people who went to bed early were boring. I liked the idea of being a night owl, at least when I didn't have an 8am ballet class to attend or a child to get up for.
So the first step is to shift our identity to want to get more sleep. “Night owls exercise less. Night owls are notably more dangerous drivers. Night owls drink and smoke more. Other studies show that night owls are at greater risk of depression and experience worse sleep and more tiredness during the day — an experience researchers likened to a chronic form of jet lag” (Body Thrive). Can't be good for job performance or harmonious relationships, nevermind health.
If you find the evidence for choosing to have better, more consistent sleep habits compelling as I do, check back in on Sunday for my Quick Read Time Out for some helpful tips on how to change the pattern of getting too little sleep or poor quality sleep. To Give It A Rest is integral to our overall health and quality of our lives. And as I have found in developing healthier habits, feeling better and performing at a higher level is the best incentive of all. As always, please Mind Your Body!
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