Sleep better, how? However, before we can begin to discuss how to improve your sleep, let’s take a little review.

This review of sleep problems and insomnia is based on Penn’s Microtrends. In his book, Penn points out that the average American now sleeps less than seven hours a night, a drop of over 25% in sleep time, since the early 1990s. But, humans need between seven and a half to eight hours of sleep per night.

Less sleep, though it can translate into more work time , typically leads to poor health, worry, stress and lower income. Moreover, shorter sleep times are also related to adult obesity. Quite an outcome for being up longer, huh.

However, Americans aren’t alone in this problem - it appears to be an international one. Seven out of 10 night-owl countries are Asian, and the Europeans also have a number of citizens who are burning the candle at both ends.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to”.

With these statistics in mind, where do we begin to get ourselves to go to sleep?

The real issue is related to our very imaginative minds. Our imaginative abilities allow us to find solutions to very complicated problems, which has led to the development of computers, cars, cards and modern conveniences.

But your basic mental abilities are present to help you avoid problems in primitive situations. So, even though we may not live in a primitive world, our brains respond to stressors in very primitive ways.

As you are probably aware, there is a shortage of food and water in much of the world today (as in the past). Individuals living in countries with such conditions must constantly be looking for sustenance; ergo, they spend a lot of time thinking about how they can get their basic needs met. In their circumstances, the “worry maker,” that keeps us up at night, is put to good use every day in keeping them alive.

This “worry center,” which is critical in primitive environments, keeps on churning away in our heads even though our survival doesn’t depend on it.

The challenge, then, is to shut off this primitive mechanism.

Millions of people suffer from one sleep disorder or another. But do you know how to recognize the symptoms, and identify the disorder? Today I want to talk about Sleep Apnea, and its symptoms.

This particular sleep disorder can easily go undetected, or misdiagnosed by the average person. The reason is, some of the most critical symptoms, like heavy snoring, and trouble breathing, happen while you are sleeping.

Let me make one point here about snoring. I would say that every case of sleep apnea, is coupled with snoring. But snoring alone doesn’t mean you have apnea. There are plenty of people out there who snore without any ill effects.

Most people wake up without any comprehension of what went on while they slept. Only if you have someone sleeping in the same room that might be disturbed, and complain about your symptoms, will you have any indication that something is wrong.

For this reason, so many people suffer without ever knowing the reason why. Even though most of the symptoms happen during sleep time, there are some that you will experience while awake, and that should be your starting point for further investigation.

Do you wake with headaches often? Are you normally tired during the day, even after you feel you have had a good nights rest? Do you have problems maintaining an adequate concentration level, have irritability, and have frequent urination during the night?

Now grant it, all or some of the above could be symptoms of something besides sleep apnea, but this is only a starting point. If you experience some of these symptoms, then you should start to look into whether or not you have sleep apnea.

If you have a bed partner, then start by asking them if they have been disturbed or have noticed if you snore loudly or gasp for air while sleeping. Depending on the severity of your apnea you could stop breathing dozens of times through the night.

This is very dangerous, especially for the elderly, for this could cause a stroke, or heart attack. The reason you stop breathing, is because while sleeping, the throat muscles relax, and the throat collapses blocking the airway. This is called obstructive sleep apnea or (OSA) and is the most common type of sleep apnea.

When this happens, it forces your brain to wake you so you can start breathing again. This will go on all through the night, and is the reason you feel tired all through the day. The problem is, you won’t remember it in the morning.

There are sleep devices to help with sleep apnea that can be bought over the counter, or prescribed by a doctor depending on your personal need.

If you feel there is a possibility that you might have sleep apnea, but don’t have anyone that can tell you what is going on while you sleep, then here are a few alternatives. First you can set up your own camera to film yourself while you’re asleep.

You can also keep a sleep diary; so every time you wake, you write down the time, and the reason you woke. Of course this isn’t going to work well if you are only experiencing the symptoms that happen in your sleep.

But you can write down how you feel when you wake, and during the daytime. This can be very beneficial information you can give to your doctor. This will help him/her with diagnosing the problem. The last thing is to get into a sleep study.

Have your doctor recommend you for a study where you would stay overnight in a sleep clinic. There they can observe you through the night. They will keep track of your blood pressure, brain activity, heart rate, and oxygen level just to name a few.

This is probably the best way to make sure you get diagnosed correctly, and receive the proper treatment. Remember, sleep is a very important part of a healthy life. Don’t go another day without getting help.

According to a research abstract presented on June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, television watching may be an important determinant of bedtime, and may contribute to chronic sleep debt.

The study included data from 21,475 people aged 15 or older who completed the American Time Use Survey between the years 2003 and 2006. The study examined the activities participants undertook two hours before and after bed time. It found that television viewing was by far and away the dominant pre-sleep activity, accounting for almost 50% of pre-bed time.

According to the authors of the study, Mathias Basner, MD, MS, MSc, and David F. Dinges, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, they were surprised to find that watching television seemed to be the most important time cue for the beginning of the sleep period, rather than hours past sunset or other more biological factors. So, in fact, TV may make people stay up late, while alarm clocks make them get up early, potentially reducing sleep time below what is physiologically needed.

Sleeping less than 7-8 hours daily impairs alertness and is associated with increased obesity, morbidity and mortality. Despite this fact, up to 40 percent of Americans sleep for less than the recommended time per night.

“Given the relationship of short sleep duration to health risks, there is concern that many Americans are chronically under-sleeping due to lifestyle choices,” said Dinges. Dr. Basner added that “According to our results, watching less television in the evening and postponing work start time in the morning appear to be the candidate behavioral changes for achieving additional sleep and reducing chronic sleep debt. While the timing of work may not be flexible, giving up some TV viewing in the evening should be possible to promote adequate sleep.”

Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist at a sleep center accredited by the AASM.

Abstract Title: The Time of Our Lives: Work, Sleep and Television
Presentation Date: Monday, June 8
Category: Behavior, Cognition and Dreams
Abstract ID: 1260

Source:
Kelly Wagner

American Academy of Sleep Medicine