Getting the right amount of sleep should never be underestimated as it plays a vital role in both your mental and physical health as well as giving your body enough time to heal and repair. Despite this, most people do not get enough sleep. A study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) shows that one out of three Americans does not get enough sleep and that about 65% of Americans sleep for less than 7 hours each night. Another study has revealed that more than 30% of Canadians feel that they do not have the right amount of sleep. Studies have shown that sleep duration has decreased 1.5 to 2 hours per night per person in the last 50 years, and shortened sleep has been defined as less than 6 hours per night.
Ideally, an adult will need about 8 hours of sleep per night while children and teenagers need more. However, the right amount of sleep is dependent on other factors such as health and age.
As an full time Ob/GYN for the past 15 years (which includes 4 years of residency), I am familiar with lack of sleep or suffering from sleep deprivation, and I definitely believe this has impacted my overall health and well-being and has definitely contributed to my weight gain over time.
Impacts of sleep deprivation on your health
There is no question that sleep is essential for your health. Lack of enough quality sleep will make you feel fatigued and often cause the inability to concentrate and make decisions.
When someone has chronic sleep deprivation, you may even risk physical injuries on yourself and even others at home or work. There has also been an association of chronic sleep deprivation and weight gain.
Here are some ways how lack of sleep can impact your overall health:
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Immune system
During sleep, the immune system is strengthened. Therefore, when your body doesn’t get enough rest, your immune system is likely to break down and thus fail to defend your body against illness, such as the common cold or the flu.
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Weight gain
Because of sleep deprivation, increased levels of a hunger hormone called ghrelin and decreased levels of the satiety/fullness hormone called leptin can lead to overeating and weight gain. Lack of sleep will also result in increased production of insulin, which puts you at risk for Type II diabetes and heart disease. These changes due to lack of sleep may result in obesity and other related conditions.
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Mental health
Chronic and severe sleep deprivation is likely to lead to long-term mood disorders, which with time may advance to depression and anxiety. Those with depression and/or anxiety may suffer from insomnia or sleep too much.
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Cardiovascular disease
When you get enough rest, the body’s systems, such as the heart and blood vessels get time to rejuvenate. Several studies have shown that excessive sleep deprivation is likely to put you at risk of cardiovascular diseases. For example, a 2011 European Heart Journal review of 15 medical studies involving almost 475,000 people found that short sleepers (less than 6 hours/night) had a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease (CHD) in a seven to 25-year follow-up period (depending on the study) and a 15% greater risk of developing or dying from stroke during this same time.
Developing Good Sleep Hygiene
Now we now the benefits of quality sleep, what are some techniques in getting a good night’s rest?
If you intend to have enough sleep, you probably need to consider your daily activities as well as what you engage in before bedtime
Here are some helpful, good sleeping habits:
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Keeping a consistent bedtime routine
If you do consistent activities every day before sleep, you will be in a position to sleep on time. You can take a warm and relaxing bath, listen to soothing music, and or read a book for pleasure. Just like when we were children (and now raising children), having a consistent sleep schedule is also crucial so that your body adjusts to that schedule. It is essential to keep up this schedule even on weekends or vacations if possible.
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Setting a reasonable bedtime
For you to get enough rest, you will need to have a bedtime that will allow you to get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. Sounds luxurious to me! However, varying your bedtime can have an impact on the quality of your sleep. You can easily set your “bedtime” on your smartphone (just did this on my smart phone), download an app to help track and analyze your sleep patterns, or set an alarm an hour before you plan to go to sleep to start your nightly routine.
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Go to bed when sleepy
The best way to avoid turning and tossing in bed is to go to bed when you are feeling sleepy and ready to sleep. This may seem like common sense, but if you go to bed early, you may have trouble settling yourself to sleep. It is advisable to get out of bed if you cannot relax after 20 minutes in bed.
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Create a relaxing environment
For you to get quality sleep, you will need to create a conducive environment for this. Make sure that your bedroom is comfortable. To achieve this, you will need to limit too much bright light and other devices that may inhibit quality sleep and keep your bedroom cool in temperature to be comfortable.
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Avoid electronic devices just before bedtime
Switching off electronic devices is probably one of the hardest things to do for many people. Most people go to bed while still using their mobile phones, tablets, or laptops. This nightly screen time behavior is likely to cause insomnia, sleep deprivation, and lack of quality sleep. Why? The glow or the light coming from these devices and video screens delays the release of the natural sleep-inducing melatonin and gives the body the impression that you are not ready for sleep.
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Eating before bedtime
Eating before going to bed will inhibit your sleep because the digestive system will be busy working on digestive the food, and it can cause symptoms of GERD (acid reflux or heartburn). If you must eat, it is advisable to eat a light, healthy snack as opposed to a heavy meal. You should wait at least 3 hours after a heavy meal before going to bed.
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Exercise regularly
Exercise and good quality sleep are partners. Those people who exercise regularly are more likely to get quality sleep compared to those who do not. Some studies show that exercising right before bed can make it hard to sleep, but as long as you are still able to fall asleep and get a quality sleep, it should not be a problem. Unfortunately, the evenings are sometimes the only time I can exercise and I can still fall asleep with no problem!
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Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening
Caffeine will likely make you more alert than sleepy, thus reducing the number of hours you will sleep. In some cases, too much caffeine may alter your sleeping patterns. Leave the cafe lattes for the morning!
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Get evaluated
If you suffer from daytime sleepiness with a full night’s sleep or your partner tells you snore loudly, it is recommended you get evaluated with a sleep study to assess for sleep apnea. If left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious and life-shortening consequences, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and automobile accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel. If you are having sleep issues in general, see your primary care physician and/or a sleep specialist.
With all we have going on, these tips are all easier said than done…. but as we get older, it is more important to get that regenerative sleep that our body and mind needs. It seems easier just to push through and get it done instead of asking for help from the kids, partner, or family, but we all need to stop to remember to take times for ourselves. With all the rewards of sleep, it might just be the easiest to do.
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