Sleep Your Way to Better Health

  • Published
  • By Marilyn Leggett
  • Civilian Health Promotion Service
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Sleep is a basic necessity of life, as important to your health and well-being as air, food and water, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). 

When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed, alert and ready to face daily challenges. But when we don't, every part of our lives can suffer. 

A 2002, an NSF poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a number of sleep problems, including inadequate hours of sleep and restless nights of sleep. In the past century ,our average sleep time has been reduced and, while society and the daily pace of living have changed, our brain and biology have not and it is taking a toll. 

Getting enough sleep refers to the amount of sleep a person needs to not feel sleepy the next day. The average recommendation for sleep is 7-9 hours nightly, but some may do well on only 4 or 5 hours. Research from Harvard Medical School suggests that sleeping longer than the body needs will increase the amount of time spent in very light sleep, causing a person to awaken un-refreshed. Despite the myth that people need less sleep as they get older, most adults need 7-9 hours sleep to function well; patterns of sleep may change but the amount needed is the same. 

Poor work performance, irritability, risk for injury, and poor health are some of the consequences of inadequate sleep; some know this from personal experience.
The Harvard research adds that prolonged sleep deprivation studies have shown no lasting physical or emotional impact on health once people have caught up on sleep but even brief periods of inadequate sleep may lead to feeling miserable. 

Sleep is regulated by two brain processes: One is the restorative process when sleep occurs naturally in response to how long we are awake. The second process controls the timing of sleep and wakefulness during the day-night cycle; timing is regulated by the circadian biological clock that is located in our brain. 

When sleeping at night, important hormones are secreted, blood pressure is lowered and kidney functions change. Research suggests that memory is consolidated during sleep. 

Our "brain clocks" run on a 24-hour cycle with the result that most of us feel sleepy around 2:00-4:00 AM and in the afternoon between 1:00-3:00 PM. As we sleep we pass through different "stages" of sleep and these stages are important to the quality of our sleep. 

Sleep contributes to a healthy immune system and can also balance appetites by helping regulate levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which play a role in the feelings of hunger and appetite satiety. So when sleep deprived, there may be the need  to eat more, which can lead to weight gain. 

According to the NSF, when people don't get adequate sleep, they accumulate a sleep "debt" that can be difficult to pay back if it becomes too big. The resulting sleep deprivation has also been linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, negative mood and behavior, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job, and on the road. 

Here are some "golden rules" of sleep: Make sleep a priority. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Go to bed when sleepy but get up again if you don't fall asleep within 15 minutes; do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again. Avoid nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol late in the day. Avoid heavy meals late in the evening or foods that contribute to heartburn. Limit fluids before bedtime to eliminate nighttime trips to the bathroom. Exercise regularly but not within 2-3 hours of going to sleep. Maintain a restful bedroom environment, keeping a cool room that is as dark and quiet as possible. Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only; don't do tasks or projects in the sleeping space. Establish a sleep ritual such as a warm bath and make sure to have a good pillow and mattress. Unwind and deal with worries several hours before bed; make a list of those things to address tomorrow and put them out of your mind for the night. They will be there the next day and can be tackled with renewed energy. 

Sleep is an important component of being healthy: We need to fuel our bodies well, exercise and move them adequately, and rest our bodies for restoration and energy renewal. The one-third of our lives that we spend sleeping plays a direct role in how full, energetic and successful the other two-thirds of our lives can be. 

For more information visit www.sleepfoundation.org.