Sleep... What 's That?

Ahhh sleep, that precious thing most of us crave in life, but few of us actually get. And while many of us do achieve dream state, we often still wake up feeling crumby, unproductive, and frustrated by our seemingly “not good” or insufficient sleep. This lack of sleep can be detrimental to one’s overall health and should not be overlooked.

What!? Over one third of the population in the Unites States is falling asleep during their day? How is anyone getting any work done!? More than that, how are some of us (*hem* doctors) carrying out our work safely? These numbers should concern you! If we hone in on one of the more prevalent sleep disorders, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which affects 25 million Americans according to the ASA, we can appreciate some of the immediate consequences of lack of sleep. OSA, in a nutshell, is where a person has brief episodes of apnea (lack of/or reduced breathing, lasting up to minutes) during one’s sleep, subsequently resulting in lack of oxygen being taken into the body and reaching every cell and vital organ in your body. People with OSA often report symptoms of severe fatigue, lapses in cognition/memory (“feeling forgetful”), and sometimes even feeling breathless - all secondary to the lungs and brain not receiving enough oxygen. But of greater concern, is the long-term impact of what OSA does to one’s health. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine by Nisha Aurora et al, researchers reported that while the severity of OSA varies, if left untreated, can lead to cardiovascular disease, glucose metabolism disorders (such as diabetes and insulin resistance), stroke, and even increased risk of death.

So how does one change this? While I would like to say that getting adequate sleep is the only thing one needs to change in their life to improve their overall health, cognitive capacity (ie. memory), energy, etc., it obviously isn’t. We need to collectively change our sleep routine, eating habits, and physical exercise regime to give our bodies the time and nutrition it needs to adequately restore itself in all areas of our health. I am a firm believer in focusing on changing one problem area of our lives (yours AND MINE) at a time, and any change is good change! I believe prioritizing sleep and the adequate amount into your schedule will not only serve your health well in the future, but will also provide you with immediate benefits. You will wake up more easily, not needing to hit the snooze button repeatedly in the morning. You will have more energy, which means you won’t need to rely on supplementary energy sources (you know what I’m referring to… coffee! We all drink it!). You will actually feel optimistic and energized when heading out the door, rather than being hyper-aware that you are still 4 days of work away from the weekend.

If you are reading this and nodding your head to anything I have just said, then take a few moments and think about how you can incorporate more QUALITY sleep into your schedule NOW, and write it down. Make it a goal. Is it simply you need to make time for more hours of sleep? If so, start prioritizing sleep like a task or goal. Make it as routine as planning your outfit for the next day or brushing your teeth, and skip the unnecessary habits (aka your favourite Netflix series) that are robbing you of that extra hour or two of sleep. Maybe it isn’t so straightforward, rather, it’s multifactorial (ie. chronic stress, other health conditions, poor bed/pillow quality, or caffeine intake), in which case, it is going to take more effort to resolve each problem, as your life circumstances begin to improve.

Have you ever heard of ‘Sleep Hygiene’? Essentially, it’s instilling good sleeping behaviours or habits that will promote a healthy sleep routine, and will play a crucial role in attaining quality sleep. Here are few practical ways that you can promote your own Sleep Hygiene:

(i) Keep bedroom activities for the bedroom (i.e. don’t put a TV in your bedroom OR have snacks in bed… the two often go hand-in-hand)

(ii) Switch off ALL electronics early (there is lots of research focused heavily on how LED lights stimulate certain areas of the brain, thus, taking longer to mentally switch off and fall asleep at night).

(iii) Don’t consume lots of water or herbal (sleep) teas right before bed (your kidney’s have to process, especially with diuretics on board), which

means you will be making at least one bathroom trip during the night - potentially during your productive/‘deep’ sleep).

(iv) Here’s a controversial one. DON’T NAP, as it cuts into what is called ‘sleep debt’ (a required amount of sleep deficit, which the body needs to

fall asleep with ease). So, when you are preparing to go bed at your normal sleep time, your body now isn’t tired enough to actually fall asleep. This tip is controversial as studies over the past few decades have been wishy- washy about the benefits of naps. The most current sleep research conducted by Chang H.J. et al, reported, “In general, naps are associated

with worse cognitive function in the Korean adult population. However, for

those with sleep debt of >60 min, naps for >60 min were associated with

better cognitive function.” Ambiguous, right? I don’t know about you, but I

don’t have a chunk of 60 minutes to nap during my day, regardless.

(v) Cut down on the fermented grapes. While certain alcohols (like wine) do have cardiac-related benefits from the polyphenols, and side-effects

that would seemingly promote better sleep (i.e. drowsiness/fatigue), which are true… they also interrupt the ‘deep phase’ of your sleep cycle, meaning you will fall asleep quicker, but overall have a shorter and poorer quality sleep.

Lastly, like anything in life, there is no quick fix for getting a proper, quality sleep. Stop relying on external devices, promoted drink concoctions, pills, etc. Your body will tell you when and for how long you need to rest! Most good things don’t come easy, but I believe you can make these changes one step at a time, and am confident you won’t regret it. Below, are the ASA’s sleep recommendation(s).

Sleep Needs by Age Group:

Adult: 7 – 9 hours

Teenager: 8 – 10 hours

Child 6 – 12 years: 9- 12 hours

Child 3 – 5 years:  10 – 13 hours (including naps)

Child 1 – 2 years: 11 – 14 hours (including naps)

Infants 4 -12 months: 12 – 16 hours (including naps)

Happy sleeping!

-Dr. Kristyn Bell

References:

https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-statistics/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4346655/#B4

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35196753/