Sleep Interrupted: 83 Sleep Disorders

You could be doing more than just not getting a complete sleep when you don't sleep well. What this article, summarizing findings published in the journal Sleep, says about the effects of sleep interruptions is a good warning for everyone. Not having enough sleep (which varies depending on your specific sleep needs) can cause:

• lower levels of serotonin which are associated with anxiety and depression
• obesity
• less body repair while sleeping
• increased risk of cancer (due to disruption of melatonin production)

A good sleep is important for all ages, especially children.

The point was made that the five stages of sleep are all very important:
1 - Transitional Stage
2 - Light Sleep Stage
3 - Delta Sleep 1
4 - Delta Sleep 2
5 - REM Sleep

Apparently sleep medicine is becoming a fast growing speciality. We are going to need all these new specialists to deal with the noted 83 (!) sleep disorders that are out there. Very comforting to know about this interest in sleep medicine for those of us with sleep problems.

The article has other information that I did not repeat here but could be of value to you so I strongly encourage you to read it if you have the time.

The bottom line is: If you are having sleep problems - GET HELP!

Magic Sleep Solution or Wishful Thinking?

I have to admit to being very skeptical of this article, which indicates that a product called SmartSilk, invented by Montreal's Harry Walker, has, and I quote, resulted in "... restful sleep with no snoring, sleep apnea, stuffy noses, night-time coughing or overheating"

Now, I have no doubt that this leading-edge product, that has just been awarded the Asthma and Allergy Friendly certification, does all the things it says it does in terms of blocking dust mites and pet dander, ability to pull away moisture, is made of safe materials and so forth. In fact I believe everyone should have SmartSilk or a similar product for all those reasons. I am also especially proud to see that this fantastic product was invented by a Canadian.

However, the article's (but not the product's website) assertion about all the sleep problems it will solve causes me some concern. I sure would want more information before acquiring this product on the hope that it would solve a snoring or sleep apnea problem, both of which can have serious effects on one's health if not properly treated.

Belated Happy World Sleep Day 2008!!!

World Sleep Day was March 14, 2008 (though I saw a conflicting article suggesting it was today, March 21, 2008).

What caught my eye when reading about World Sleep Day was this article from a Beijing news site which sure puts things in perspective. There are more people with insomnia (300 million....yes, million....) and snoring issues (200 million) than the entire population of most countries (and combined more than most continents)!!! Even sleep apnea affects more than 50 million citizens of China!

With that kind of market awaiting those who come up with successful solutions for sleep problems such as apnea and insomnia, I would expect even more business investment for such a potential return. Unfortunately there is also this same market for snake oil sellers as well, so we all still need to abide by caveat emptor.

Sleep Deprivation a Myth!?!?

A study performed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau, as well as through time-use diaries collected by UM researchers, shows that Americans sleep as many hours now as 40 years ago - on average over 8 hours a night (check the story here). It is important to note that they are not saying that sleep disorders such as insomnia and waking up often are not being suffered out there by many.

This contrasts significantly with the National Sleep Foundations' findings of under 7 hours of sleep on average. Their stats, some would say suspect stats as the Foundation is partially funded by drug companies, tried to take into account the quality of sleep and whether the sleep was broken up and so forth.

Its interesting how your own personal situation colours your view of these reports. As someone with sleep problems, I am very skeptical of the claim that the majority of Americans (note: I am Canadian but I don't think when it comes to sleep we are any different than our neighbours to the south) are having over 8 hours of sleep on average. Anyone with a job and/or going to school would think that an 8 hour sleep was some sort of myth for most if not every night of the week :-) However, those lucky enough (and good for you!!) that are able to achieve that much sleep a night would think that the results make perfect sense.

Not much of a factor either way for those with sleep disorders, but interesting reading nonetheless :)

Sleep and Appetite

It seems that everything is related to our quality of sleep. This article explains how the lack of sleep triggers a hormone in the blood that stimulates appetite and a desire for high-calorie food.

Another article I read indicates additionally that the lack of sleep also suppresses a hormone that tells the brain to stop eating. I was not aware of this until now so paying attention to food choices especially when not sleeping well is clearly very important as you run the risk of adding further health challenges if you have an unhealthy diet.

"I realize now it was definitely the lack of sleep that was having a huge impact on my life."

As with all other health issues, it is heartening to see that it's not only apparent that "Sleep research has exploded in recent years as a result of busy lifestyles that have cut into sleep time." as noted in this article in the Globe and Mail, but that any differences between the sexes in this regard are also being explored. Women are harder hit than men when it comes to the impact of problems sleeping and the resulting health problems. It notes:

Researchers from the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., compared sleep patterns in a group of men and women and found that women who slept poorly had significantly higher levels of biomarkers that are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Women who slept poorly were also much more likely to experience hostility, distress, depression and anger, according to the study.

The article does not go on to explain what might be the cause of this finding.

The title quote for this posting was also taken from the same article and I could not have said it better myself. Hopefully as sleep issues are being reported on by the press and other sources, those who have problems with sleep will be made aware they are not alone, and their options to try and address the problem; especially women.

Okay, so what's working and what's not...

I would boil down the strategies to deal with sleep problems (in my case staying asleep) to these three:

1) Good sleep hygiene
2) Control your environment
3) Drug assistance

For myself, I have been trying very hard to develop and maintain good sleep hygiene habits such as not taking naps, not lying in bed unless sleeping, not watching TV in bed, having a regular bedtime (this one's tough), and so forth. Although I can't say for sure this is helping, I know it is not hurting my overall goal of a better sleep.

As for environmental control, the temperature is lowered at night, the bed and pillow are comfortable, the room is dark and the house is normally pretty quiet (unless the wind comes roaring in and makes such a racket I need to relocate to the leeward side of the house :-) ). Again, mixed results as I have always done this though my efforts must be helping.

As for drug assistance, I did seek assistance from my doctor and have been trying a prescription which I believe, combined with the other two strategies, is helping me stay asleep more than I have in the past.

I am hoping that continuing to adjust my application of the above three strategies will improve the quality of my sleep in the long run. That is something I dream about.... :-)

Springing ahead to lose sleep

Spring ahead this weekend means we all lose an hours' sleep. Great, just great..... :-)

Wow, this is scary...

Apparently physicians are not getting enough sleep, according to this recent article from Science Daily. I have always wondered how wise it was to have someone performing such critical tasks for the health and well-being of our loved ones to be pushed to the limits like I understand still happens. I am not a doctor or even in the medical field and I am sure there are many reasons this is done, but I wonder if those reasons outweigh the risks they pose?

I found it quite interesting to read how those practices during their intense training and actual practice may desensitize those same doctors to the importance of sleep. How ironic as I am one of so many who have sought assistance from a doctor for sleep problems (and have no complaints about the help I have received to date I should note).

It is curious that the article notes the "chronic low-level sleep deprivation" experienced by physicians greatly reduces their complaints of insomnia and notes that few indicated this problem affects their work performance and where more indicated an impact in their family life. Family life, for the health of these same doctors, should be just as important as for the rest of us.

I wonder if, in a world where we (rightly in my opinion) limit the number of hours a truck driver, pilot and other such hardworking people can work in a row for safety reasons, society should look at the same concerns for the medical profession? I am fully aware that my effectiveness and performance is impacted when I feel tired and I do not even have a job where the health and well-being of a fellow human being relies on my performance.

National Sleep Awareness Week

Woohoo!!!! It's National Sleep Awareness Week in the United States this week, March 3 to March 9. What a great idea to further raise awareness about the importance of sleep for everyone, the impact if you don't have proper sleep habits/hygiene, and the work being done to help with sleep disorders.

Nothing but good can come from this :-)

Sleep in the headlines

It is nice to see that the issue of sleep, or lack thereof, seems to be coming to the forefront. Just today I saw a piece on NBC News about the quality of sleep and adults. This seems to be the result of a recent CDC study that many media outlets are reporting on right now. The National Sleep Foundation website is also referred to quite often and looks to be a great resource as well. It is wonderful to see all this focus on a problem which afflicts millions of people.