What is becoming eminently clear, to both researchers and practitioners, is that getting a good nights sleep is the most basic thing that you can do to preserve your overall physical and mental health. In a recent article entitled "Study: The less sleep you get, the more problems you encounter" By Cathy Frisinger, featured on SLT today.com the author summarizes some recent studies which indicate that children and adults with sleep disorders are more likely to be overweight, to have diabetes, to have behavioral problems, to have more heart problems and are thus more likely to to die sooner than the general population.
She points out that there are 83 known sleep disorders "including sleep apneas, insomnias, circadian-rhythm disturbances, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and plain old wake-the-neighborhood snoring." She points out that sleep science is becoming the fastest growing branch of medical science of the past decade.
I know, that in my work, with addictions and mental health, the biggest single complaint for most patients (as big as stress or depression) is a lack of sleep. It is not uncommon for me to hear my patients say "I haven't slept in three days" and each says it as if it were an unusual problem. The fact of the matter is,90% of the people who come in to our clinic have a history of insomnia. Most of my patients have been in the habit of being "hammered" to sleep through drugs and/or alcohol and when they come to our clinic, that is the effect they go for when asking for sleep medications.
It goes without saying that this is very dangerous pattern to get into. Alcohol has a rebound effect on sleep whereby you may fall asleep and then wake up a few hours later unable to return to sleep. At times people over dose from drugs, not in a suicidal gesture, but in an effort to get sleep. When you mix drugs and alcohol it can be a very deadly combination. Mine is a never-ending struggle to find the right combination of medications that will safely put a person to sleep. Needless to say, better sleep education should be emphasized among health practitioners and patients alike.
According to Frisinger
Sleep has five stages, according to the National Sleep Foundation, four non-REM stages and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, and sleepers cycle through the stages about every 90 to 100 minutes.
Stage 1 is the transitional stage, when you're between waking and sleep. Your brain waves and muscle activity slow. Sometimes people's bodies jerk just before they fall asleep.
Stage 2 is a light sleep stage. Eye movements cease. Body temperature drops, and heart and brain activity slows. National Sleep Foundation material says there are periods of muscle tone and muscle relaxation, and that occasional brain-wave spikes, called sleep spindles, occur during this stage of sleep.
Stages 3 and 4 are called delta sleep. These are the deep sleep stages, and this is when body restoration and repair occurs. Temperature drops even further during this phase, brain waves are slow and muscle tone decreases. Fibromyalgia may be associated with poor delta sleep, Ostransky says. People woken during delta sleep are often groggy and disoriented. Night terrors occur during this sleep stage.
Stage 5 is REM sleep, a period of fast brain waves; rapid, shallow breathing; and the rapid eye movements it's named for. Dreaming, believed to be a way of organizing the day's experiences, Ostransky says, occurs during REM sleep. Have you ever wanted to scream during a nightmare and been unable to? Muscles become temporarily paralyzed during REM.
She also notes the roles that hormones (most beneficial hormones are secreted at night while sleeping) and circadian rhythms play in normal sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation there are 10 things you can do to improve your sleep.
- Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.
- Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
- Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
- Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
- Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
- Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime.
- Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you awake.
- Avoid nicotine (e.g. cigarettes, tobacco products). Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.
- Avoid alcohol close to bedtime.
If you continue to have problems sleeping, inform your physician. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that you keep a diary of your sleep patterns and problems and discuss them with your doctor, he may need to refer you to a sleep specialist. Be sure not to take any sleep medication unless it is prescribed by your physician.
