Get Some SLEEP!

General Sleep Facts

Sleep is a physiological "need," not an option for humans. There is a 24-hour sleep "quota" which varies across the lifespan. Sleep deprivation is cumulative and cutting one's sleep short by 1-2 hours a night adds up across the course of several nights to produce a significant sleep "debt." The sleep "debt" creates a building sleep pressure across the waking day until the individual is "overwhelmed" and spontaneously falls asleep -- whether that individual is behind the wheel of a car, truck, boat, or airplane, in a classroom, in a boardroom, at the control panel of a nuclear power station, on a 30-foot scaffold, or at the top of a telephone poll.

The point is that we all have a 24-hour sleep "need" and failure to meet that need on a consistent basis will eventually result in inappropriate and uncontrollable microsleeps during the waking day, without exception. Chronic sleep restriction produces mood irritability and an overall energy drain -- motivation is low, reaction time is slow, and the ability to concentrate and process information is impaired. Dull headaches and diffuse muscle aches and pains are not uncommon.

12 Steps to Better Sleep

1. Sleep as much as needed to feel refreshed during the following day (usually 8 hours). Sleeping too much is as detrimental as sleeping too little.
2. Get up at the same time each day, seven days a week. (A regular wake-up time in the morning leads to regular times of sleep onset.)
3. A steady amount of activity during the day is conducive to sleep at night.
4. Insulate your bedroom against random outside noises, block out light, and avoid drastic changes in room temperature.
5. Excessively warm rooms will disturb sleep; keep the room temperature 65° to 70° F.
6. Hunger may disturb sleep. A light snack at bedtime may help sleep.
7. Avoid liquids during the two-hour period prior to bedtime, in order to minimize the need for nighttime trips to the bathroom.
8. Avoid caffeinated beverages in the evening. No coffee or tea after 6pm, switch to decaffeinated soft drinks.
9. Avoid alcohol in the evening. Although alcohol helps tense people fall asleep more easily, the second half of the night is very disrupted. Evening alcohol also increases snoring.
10. The chronic use of tobacco disturbs sleep.
11. If you find yourself waking up and looking at the clock, put the clock under the bed or cover it up. Do not look at the clock in the middle of the night.
12. An active mind at bedtime is not conducive to falling asleep. People who cannot "turn their minds off" at bedtime often benefit from the use of a "white noise" sound generator (for example, the hum of a fan, humidifier, or air ionizing unit) at bedside to "de-focus."

(from www.prescriptionforsleep.com )

****Read 40 facts about sleep by the National Sleep Research Project


Lack of Sleep and Weight Gain: Is There a Connection?

Sleep is essential. It is the time when our bodies replenish, repairing the mental and physical wear-and-tear we suffer during the day. However, our "always-on" culture has created a sleep-deprived generation. Cell phones, computers, PDAs and 24-hour cable television keep our brains stimulated. The result is fatigue, poor health and, surprisingly, weight gain.

Sleep Apnea and Weight Gain

Researchers now believe that sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, may contribute more to obesity than they once thought. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a sleeping person stops breathing because his or her airways are obstructed, or blocked.

Although sleep apnea can affect anyone, it is more common in overweight men. Other risk factors include being more than 40 years old, having a large neck and having a family history of the disorder. While some may think sleep apnea is just a snoring problem, if left untreated, it can lead to heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.

People who suffer from sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are less likely to enter the deeper, restorative phases of sleep and therefore run the risk of packing on extra pounds as well.

Sleep, Hormones and Weight Gain

Leptin and Grehlin are hormones that help the body control appetite and weight gain and loss. Leptin suppresses appetite, while Grehlin increases appetite and may prevent a person from losing weight.

When lack of sleep becomes a chronic problem, levels of Grehlin increases, causing greater appetite, and levels of Leptin decrease. Regardless of diet and exercise, it's possible that some obesity is caused, or made worse, by sleep deprivation.

Getting to Sleep to Prevent Weight Gain

If you are experiencing problems sleeping and think your sleeping disorders might be causing you to gain weight, you should consider visiting a doctor, who can discuss ways to help restore your normal sleeping pattern.

You may even want to consult a sleep lab for evaluation. There, you will spend the night hooked up to electrodes, which will monitor your brain activity during sleep. The process is painless and may be covered by your insurance.

If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor may prescribe one therapy, or a combination of therapies. Regular exercise will improve your quality of sleep, as will reducing or eliminating you intake of alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.

If enlarged tonsils are obstructing your airway and causing sleep apnea, the doctor might want to surgically remove the organs. He or she also may prescribe sleep medications to help you sleep through the night. While some newer sleep medications may be used for long-term sleep problems, it's important for you and your doctor to weigh their risks and benefits.

Getting your sleep problems diagnosed and treated may be the first step in accomplishing your weight loss goals. If you've tried everything to lose weight and nothing seems to be working, don't give up. Lack of sleep may be keeping you from achieving weight loss success.
(from www.sleep-deprivation.com )

How Does Exercise Affect Sleep?

People who regularly exercise report having fewer episodes of sleeplessness than people who don't exercise. This is due, in part, to the fact that exercise helps our bodies transition between the phases of sleep more regularly and more smoothly.

Also, since exercise places physical stress on the body, the brain increases the amount of time we spend in deep sleep, the phase of sleep during which our bodies repair themselves.

Making Exercise a Top Priority

With obesity a national epidemic, there's no doubt that Americans are becoming more sedentary. Our lifestyles don't encourage physical activity. We drive everywhere, eat out more and sit in front of the television instead of going on a walk. Then, when we can't sleep at night, we complain.

Adding exercise to your daily routine can dramatically improve your sleep quality. What's also great is that you don't have to start training for the Iron Man Triathlon to get better sleep. Simply raising your heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes a day six days a week is enough to improve your sleep quality as well as your sleep time.

Studies show that breaking up your workout time into 10-minute increments is just as effective as having one longer workout, and it may be easier for you to squeeze in exercise throughout the day. Just remember to always do some slow stretches before and after your workout to help avoid injury and post-workout stiffness.

When Should I Exercise?

It's clear that exercise can improve your sleep quality without the potential side effects of many sleep medications. But, in order for exercise to have a positive effect on your quality of sleep, you need to choose your exercise time wisely. Late-night exercise can actually make it difficult to fall asleep at night. You'll see the most benefits when you exercise during the day or in the morning.

It might take a few weeks of trial and error to determine the best time of day for you to get your workout. If you're a morning person, however, you may want to wake up a little earlier every day and go to the gym or jog around the neighborhood. That will get your day off to an energetic start.

If you find you can't exercise in the morning, maybe you could hit the gym on your lunch break or immediately after work.

How Should I Exercise?

In order to get the maximum sleep benefits from exercising, you should get some type of cardiovascular exercise at least six days a week, such as:

• jogging
• jumping rope
• kickboxing
• riding a bike
• walking.

Strength training is important for building muscle, increasing bone density and raising your metabolism. Incorporate some light weight lifting into your program to get the most benefit from the time you spend exercising.

Another effective strategy to improve your sleep quality is to do some kind of stretching throughout the day. You can get ideas for specific stretches from yoga tapes or classes, or you can talk to a physical therapist. Slow, gentle stretches at bedtime are also a good idea.
(from www.sleep-deprivation.com )