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HEALTHMATTERS By Linda Hepler, BSN, RN

1You’ll get fewer infections, said

Aparajitha Verma, MD, Director of

the Comprehensive Sleep Disorders

Program at Houston Methodist Hospital

and Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell

Medical College. “Sleep helps with tissue

repair and strengthens our immune

defenses,” she explained. “If you’re

sleep deprived, your immune system

doesn’t function at optimum level.”

2Your sports performance will

improve, said Cralle. Studies

from Stanford Sleep Disorders

Clinic and Research Laboratory at

Standford University, she explained,

have looked at the effect of sleep on

athletic performance in a variety of

sports, including swimming, football,

basketball and golf. What was found?

10 GOOD REASONS

TO AIM FOR BETTER

SLEEP Most of us are aware that a nutritious diet and regular physical activity are

the cornerstones of a healthy life. But a third part of a wellness lifestyle that is often

overlooked – or downright ignored – is sleep. A recent National Sleep Foundation

survey found that a full 30 percent of Americans are sleeping less than 6 hours

nightly, rather than the 7 to 9 hours most experts say we need – an average that

has declined steadily in direct correlation with our transformation to a 24-hour

society. “Our culture contributes to our epidemic of sleeplessness,” said Terry Cralle,

RN, MS, certifed clinical sleep educator in Washington, D.C. “Perhaps we have

misunderstood the physiological need for sleep as laziness. We have viewed it as

a luxury and not a necessity. We brag about getting by on little sleep – or at least

trying to,” she added.

While there are many theories regarding the function of sleep, there is no defnitive

answer as to what exact purpose it serves. Experts agree, though, that sleep is

necessary to life and that it benefts many body systems. Here are just a few reasons

you should aim for getting enough zzz's:

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PILLOW TALKSleep experts agree that there are certain tips that will enhance the likelihood of getting better quantity and quality of sleep at night. If you’ve tried all of these and are still having trouble sleeping for more than a few weeks, you may want to consult with a sleep specialist.

Establish a bedtime routine. “We all know the beneft of a bedtime routine for children,” said Terry Cralle, RN, MS, certifed clinical sleep educator in Washington, D.C. “Adults need them, too. It’s important to relax and unwind prior to bedtime. Pre-sleep rituals, or bedtime routines, are very helpful to transition from wake to sleep.” Good bedtime routines may be a warm bath, a light snack or an interesting book. Avoid reading materials for school or your job, as they may be too stimulating. And turn off the electronics – including, phone, TV and computer – at least two hours before bedtime, so your brain can shut down, too.

Keep your sleep cycle consistent throughout the week, including during the weekend, recommended Robert Rosenberg, DO, board-certifed sleep medicine specialist of Arizona. Going to bed at the same time each night – and waking up at the same time – regulates your body’s clock and may help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

Nix the naps if you’re prone to insomnia, advises the National Sleep Foundation. While a power nap may help you to get through the day, it may also interfere with your ability to sleep at night.

Use light to your advantage, said Dr. Rosenberg. Your body produces the hormone melatonin, a process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle by increasing production in the darkness to make you sleepy, and decreasing it in bright light to keep you awake. By keeping your bedroom dark in the evening before sleeping and exposing yourself to bright light in the morning, your melatonin production will be conducive to a good sleep-wake pattern.

Cut out caffeine and nicotine, advised Dr. Rosenberg, especially after 7 p.m. These substances act as stimulants and can keep you awake. Sleep experts also suggest avoiding alcohol late in the evening (at least 2 hours before bedtime), too. While alcohol is sedating and may help you fall asleep, it can interfere with deep sleep stages, resulting in poor quality sleep.

“Extra sleep over an extended period

of time improves alertness and athletic

performance,” she said.

3Your heart will be healthier.

Research shows that lack of

sleep can elevate blood pressure

and increase concentrations of

C-reactive protein, a marker of heart

disease risk. “There’s lots of data that

sleep deprivation can contribute to

cardiovascular disease, such as heart

attacks and strokes,” said Dr. Verma.

4You’ll be less likely to gain

weight, said Robert Rosenberg,

DO, board-certifed sleep medicine

specialist of Arizona. “The building

of sleep debt, less than 6 hours a

night, over a matter of days, produces

excessive amounts of the appetite

stimulating hormone Ghrelin and

decreased amounts of the appetite

suppressing hormone Leptin,” he said.

“Is it any wonder that while sleep

duration has dropped signifcantly

since 1980, the incidence of obesity

has doubled during this same period of

time?”

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WHAT ABOUT SLEEP AIDS?You’ve tried everything and you just can’t get to sleep. Should you use prescription sleep aids? Not necessarily, said Aparajitha Verma, MD, Director of the Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Program at Houston Methodist Hospital and Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. “An acute episode of insomnia begins to take on its own life,” she explained. “And a sleep aid may do the trick for a few weeks, but then it fails to help anymore.” While everyone has a bad night now and then, and in those cases a sleep aid might be used for a day or two, it’s better to treat the underlying cause of the sleep problem, said Dr. Verma. “The longer insomnia persists, the more likely I am to think that there is underlying stress, anxiety or depression that needs to be treated. Using a Band-Aid approach in this situation is never good.”

5You may get fewer headaches, according to the

American Headache Society. Those who have sleep

problems such as insomnia, including diffculty falling

asleep or staying asleep, or poor quality “non-restful” sleep,

report increased frequency and severity of headaches. And

sleep deprivation can even trigger migraines in those who

suffer from this condition.

6Your memory may be sharper, said Dr. Verma.

Sleep, especially the deepest levels of sleep, she

explained, appears to help with memory consolidation,

which is the process of making memories accessible by

creating a sort of a map or an index to the brain, so memory

retrieval is possible when needed.

7You’ll be nicer. You can probably remember a time

when a bad night’s sleep resulted in a short temper

or feelings of being overwhelmed. Research such as a

recent University of Pennsylvania study has shown that even

one night of poor sleep (about 4.5 hours total) left subjects

feeling stressed, angry, sad or mentally exhausted. Once

suffcient sleep was resumed, said the researchers, subjects

showed dramatic improvement in mood.

8You’re less likely to suffer an accident or injury.

According to the National Highway Traffc Safety

Administration, sleep loss and poor quality sleep can

slow reaction time as much as driving drunk, and fatigue

contributes to as many as 100,000 automobile accidents

each year, particularly in those ages 25 and younger.

Drowsiness is also a contributing factor in job-related

accidents and injuries.

9You’ll be more focused. Having trouble

concentrating at work or school after a poor night’s

sleep? Sleep deprivation often leaves us feeling

unfocused, said Cralle. “It seems that several important

housekeeping functions take place during sleep, such as

fushing out mental debris that has accumulated during the

course of the day,” she explained.

10 Your sex life will beneft. If you’ve lost that

loving feeling, it may be because the hormone

testosterone, an important part of libido in

both men and women, decreases with sleep deprivation.

According to researchers at the University of Chicago, those

who sleep for less than fve hours nightly for a period of

time of a week or longer, have lower testosterone levels

than those who get suffcient sleep. MS&FTurn to page 18 for more on sleep.