Healthy Sleep For Healthy Life!

If we try to guess which activity is so important for us that we devote almost one-third of our time for it, probably the first things that come to our mind are working, spending time with our family, or pursuing leisure activities. But we don’t realize that there’s something else we should be doing about one-third of our time ie. Sleeping !

We should know that there are two basic types of sleep, ie. REM sleep and non-REM sleep, because our brain stays active throughout sleep, and each stage of sleep is linked to a distinctive pattern of electrical activity known as brain waves.

Now let’s look at the importance of sleep. If we decide to go on fast and we don’t eat anything for a week, then we would probably feel hungry, little thinner and maybe weak. But if we deprive ourself of a sleep for seven days, we won’t be able to function at all. That's why Amnesty International lists sleep deprivation as a form of torture.

We should get enough sleep because: 

Agood night’s sleep is required to form new learning and memory pathways in the brain, and to work up those to speed.

Enough sleep helps us to feel better, and to manage emotions better and in positive way  

it makes us to work with more focus and attention.

Sleep gives our heart and vascular system a much-needed rest.

Deep sleep triggers more release of growth hormone, which fuels growth in children and boosts muscle mass and the repair of cells and tissues in children and adults 

It ultimately leads to healthy and long life! 
 

Sleep quantity and Quality -  are they important?

Scientists have looked at how much people sleep when unrestricted, the average amount of sleep among various age groups, and the amount of sleep that studies reveal is necessary to function at our best. They say that optimum amount of sleep needed is about 7–8 hours for adults and 9 or more hours for school-aged children and adolescents. Following table gives time of sleep for various age groups:

Age	Hours
Newborns (0-2 months)	12 - 18
Infants (3 months to 1 year)	14 - 15
Toddlers (1 to 3 years)	12 - 14
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)	11 - 13
School-aged children (5 to 12 years)	10 - 11
Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years)	8.5 - 10
Adults (18+)	7.5 - 9

The hormonal influences of puberty tend to shift adolescents’ biological clocks. As a result, teenagers are more likely to go to bed later than younger children and adults, and so want to sleep later in the morning. Have you ever wondered, why children can sleep through loud noises and might not wake up when they are moved from the car to their beds? It is just the amount of time spent in the deep sleep stages which is more for children than adults. And as they age, time spent in deep sleep decreases.

NIH study suggests that healthy older people may require about 1.5 hours less sleep than younger adults, an average of 7.5 hours per night. Seniors sleep less maybe because of age-related changes in the ability to fall asleep and remain asleep.

Quality of sleep is as important as quantity. People whose sleep is frequently interrupted or cut short may not get enough of both non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Both types of sleep appear to be crucial for learning and memory and perhaps for all the other restorative benefits of healthy sleep, including the growth and repair of cells.

Many of us try to make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends. But if you have lost too much sleep, sleeping in on the weekend does not completely erase your sleep debt.

Another important thing to consider for qualitative sleep is complete sleep at night. When we find ourself getting dozy, lazy, or staring at the computer screen at work in the afternoon, we probably think of napping, isn’t it? Though some evidence shows that short naps (up to an hour) can make up, at least partially, for the sleep missed on the previous night and improve alertness, mood, and work performance, naps don’t substitute for a good night’s sleep. One study found that a daytime nap after a lack of sleep at night did not fully restore levels of blood sugar to the pattern seen with adequate nighttime sleep. If a nap lasts longer than 1 hour, you may have a hard time waking up fully. In addition, late afternoon naps can make falling asleep at night more difficult.

Sleep for kids :

Some kids sleep fine and there is no need for intervention. But you should keep in mind that sleep through the childhood and teen years changes greatly. Some kind of nightly routine is important for your kids sleep. A bedtime ritual makes it easier for your child to relax, fall asleep and sleep through the night. Falling asleep is a passive process which we cannot force, all we can do it put ourselves in the right state of mind and right environment for it to happen "to" us or for sleep to "come" to us. And parents are the one who can create right environment and right state of mind for their kid.


Helpful tips:

• Create right sleep environment for your babies like a quite dark room, a soft crib to lie on, a favorite blanket or teddy bear, the singing of the mom (or dad), sucking on a thumb.
• For small children, reading or stories in bed is perfect.
• Make bedtime a positive experience without arguments or crying and relaxing experience without TV or videos.
• Be sure that there is a time to “get ready for bed.”
• Reading, praying, talking gently about the day, or any kind of “down time” is best.
• Avoid TV, computer, ear phones and music as part of the immediate pre-sleep routine.
• Encourage children to fall asleep on their own and discourage nighttime awakenings

Seniors and sleep :

For seniors, a good night’s sleep is especially important because it helps improve concentration and memory formation, allows your body to repair any cell damage that occurred during the day, and refreshes your immune system, which in turn helps to prevent disease.
Older adults who don’t sleep well are more likely to suffer from depression, attention and memory problems, and excessive daytime sleepiness. They’re also likely to suffer more nighttime falls, have increased sensitivity to pain, and use more prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids. Insufficient sleep can also lead to many serious health problems in older adults, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight problems, and breast cancer in women.

Sleep tips for seniors:

• Understand how sleep changes as you age
• Find out why you can’t sleep well Improve sleep habits
• Use diet and exercise to improve sleep
• Reduce mental stress to improve sleep
• Tai chi, a traditional Chinese exercise, can help older people sleep when it is practiced regularly.

Sleep and weight loss :

Researchers at Harvard University examined how various lifestyle habits affected weight over an extended period of time. Their findings suggests the weight-control benefits of a full 6-8 hours of nightly sleep: Adults who slept fewer than 6 hours per night or more than 8 hours per night gained more weight than those whose nightly sleep fell within the recommended 6-8 hour range.

We already know that sleep has an effect on our eating habits—on what we consume, how much we consume, and how well we burn it off.  Studies have shown that when we’re sleep deprived, we’re more likely to :

• Feel hungry, and consume more calories throughout a day
• Eat higher fat and calorie foods
• Burn calories less effectively

When we’re sleep deprived, we’re also just more likely to give in to temptation. We’ve simply got more time to choose to eat, and our judgment and willpower will be weaker when we’re tired meaning we’re more likely to reach for the cookie jar than the fruit bowl.

Establishing good sleep habits can really help you reach and maintain a healthy weight over the long term giving you that waistline you want, and protecting your overall health.

A lack of sleep will cause…


A number of sleep disorders can disrupt your sleep quality and leave you with excessive daytime sleepiness, even if enough time was spent in bed to be well rested. More than 70 sleep disorders affect at least 40 million Americans and account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year, not counting costs due to lost work time and other factors. The four most common sleep disorders are insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (sleep-disordered breathing), restless legs syndrome (RLS), and narcolepsy. Additional sleep problems include sleep walking, sleep paralysis, night terrors, and other "parasomnias" that cause abnormal arousals.

A lack of sleep will quickly cause irritability, grogginess, the inability to make decisions or follow through with cognitive functions. It will cause hallucinations, dozing off during activities and even throughout the day, etc. A continued lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain, anxiety, depression, lethargy and fatigue. Sleeplessness, namely “insomnia” is the second most common complaint in society after ache. This disease causes a loss of approximately 100 million dollars resulting as medical expenditure, loss of accident, absenteeism and decrease in production. A chronic, or pathological, sleep disorder will often result in an immune system deficiency. Severe sleep deprivation can ultimately lead to death. These inevitabilities clearly show the importance of sleep.


Simple tips to follow for healthier sleep pattern:

• Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up the same time each day. As creatures of habit, people have a hard time adjusting to altered sleep patterns. Sleeping later on weekends won't fully make up for the lack of sleep during the week and will make it harder to wake up early on Monday morning.
• Exercise is great but not too late in the day. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes on most days but not later than 5 or 6 hours before your bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Coffee, colas, certain teas, and chocolate contain the stimulant caffeine, and its effects can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully. Therefore, a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night. Nicotine is also a stimulant, often causing smokers to sleep only very lightly. In addition, smokers often wake up too early in the morning because of nicotine withdrawal.
• Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. You may think having an alcoholic "nightcap" will help you sleep, but alcohol robs you of deep sleep and REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep. You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the effects of the alcohol have worn off.
• Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A light snack is okay, but a large meal can cause indigestion that interferes with sleep. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause frequent awakenings to urinate.
• If possible, avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep. Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter and herbal remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns. If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if any drugs you're taking might be contributing to your insomnia.
• Don't take naps after 3 p.m. Naps can help make up for lost sleep, but late afternoon naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
• Relax before bed. Don't overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.
• Take a hot bath before bed. The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help you relax and slow down so you're more ready to sleep.
• Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as noises, bright lights, an uncomfortable bed, or warm temperatures. You sleep better if the temperature in your bedroom is kept on the cool side. A TV or computer in the bedroom can be a distraction and deprive you of needed sleep. Having a comfortable mattress and pillow can help promote a good night's sleep.
• Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day. If possible, wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning. Sleep experts recommend that, if you have problems falling asleep, you should get an hour of exposure to morning sunlight.
• Don't lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
• Try to limit night shift work if you are doing. If that is not possible use bright lights in your workplace, Minimize your shift changes, Get rid of sound and light distractions during your daytime sleep, Use caffeine only during the first part of your shift to promote alertness at night.
• See a doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping. If you consistently find yourself feeling tired or not well rested during the day despite spending enough time in bed at night, you may have a sleep disorder. Your family doctor or a sleep specialist should be able to help you.

Some interesting sleep myths :

• Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation.

No evidence shows that any major organ (including the brain) or regulatory system in the body shuts down during sleep. Some physiological processes actually become more active while you sleep. eg. secretion of certain hormones is boosted, and activity of the pathways in the brain needed for learning and memory is heightened.

• Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night than needed will not have any effect on your daytime functioning.

This lack of sleep may not make you noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and it can compromise your cardiovascular health and energy balance as well as the ability to fight infections, particularly if lack of sleep continues. If you consistently do not get enough sleep, eventually a sleep debt builds up that will make you excessively tired during the day.

• Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules.

Your biological clock makes you most alert during the daytime and most drowsy at night. Thus, even if you work the night shift, you will naturally feel sleepy when nighttime comes. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by 1–2 hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust to a dramatically altered sleep/wake cycle, such as you encounter when traveling across several time zones or switching from working the day shift to the night shift. 

• Snoring is a normal part of sleep. 

Snoring during sleep is common, particularly as a person gets older. Evidence is growing that snoring on a regular basis can make you sleepy during the day and more susceptible to diabetes and heart disease. In addition, some studies link frequent snoring to problem behavior and poorer school achievement in children. Loud, frequent snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that should be treated. 

• People need less sleep as they get older. 

Older people don’t need less sleep, but they often get less sleep or find their sleep less refreshing. That’s because as people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are more easily awakened. Older people are also more likely to have insomnia or other medical conditions that disrupt their sleep.

Always remember that better sleep will truly lead to a better life , in every possible way!