Are Sleep Loss and Fatigue Affecting Your Health? How to Tell if you’re Getting Enough Sleep.

Nearly 6 in 10 Canadians say they wake up feeling tired.  About 40% of Canadians will exhaust themselves with a sleep disorder at some point in their lifetime studies suggest. (Can J Psychiatry. 2011 Sep;56(9):540-8.)   

How can you tell if you’re not getting enough sleep?

A good night’s sleep is when you fall asleep quite easily, do not fully wake up during the night, do not wake up too early and feel refreshed in the morning.

Stages of Sleep

Moving from Stage 1 through REM sleep is considered one sleep cycle and usually takes 90 minutes to complete.  Adults typically need to complete at least four or five sleep cycles per night or 6 to 9 hours of sleep.

Increased Risk for Health Problems

If your sleep is constantly interrupted and you don’t get into the deep restorative sleep patterns, you can be more susceptible to a variety of diseases.  Studies have shown that poor sleep can result in increased risk for health problems such as heart disease, stroke, obesity, decreased productivity at work and increased lapses in judgement leading to things such as car accidents and workplace accidents. (Walsh et al, 2005)   “The foundations of good health are good diet, good exercise and good sleep, but two out of three doesn’t get you there”, said Dr. Anne Calhoun, a neurology professor at the University of North Carolina.

What Affects Your Sleep and How Can you Have a Better Sleep?

Many things can make it difficult for you to get a good sleep, such as:

Alcohol  Drugs Medications Mental or physical illness Stress Shift work Sleep Apnea (pauses in breathing) Restless Leg Syndrome Having to go to the bathroom Hot Flashes in Menopausal women Fall and spring clock changes Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Even changing the clocks in the Spring and Fall can affect our sleep.  There is a disruption in our internal clock with both time changes, says sleep expert Alanna McGinn from Goodnightsleep.com.  With the fall time change we just entered, we see increased cases of depression due to less sunlight hours. McGinn says that getting rid of our flip-flopping clock situation would indeed be better for our sleep schedules, but sticking with daylight time for the entire year over standard time would be a mistake.  She has indicated that if we’re considering looking at our overall health and wellbeing, we ideally want to wake up in natural light.  For some areas of Canada it would mean waking up in that permanent, consistent darkness which can have long-term health effects such as higher risk for cancer as well as being more prone to obesity and diabetes.  McGinn has indicated that sleep experts think it would be better to have standard time year-round.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder that happens every year at the same time usually starting in fall or winter and ending in spring or early summer. While we don’t know the exact causes of SAD, some scientists think that certain hormones made deep in the brain trigger attitude-related changes at certain times of year.  Experts believe that SAD may be related to these hormonal changes.  One theory is that less sunlight during fall and winter leads to the brain making less serotonin, a chemical linked to brain pathways that regulate mood.   Light therapy has been found to help decrease the severity of SAD symptoms in the winter months.   

What can I do to get a better night’s sleep?

1. Keep a regular schedule – try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.
2. Maintain good habits like eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can help you sleep. Don’t exercise within a few hours of bedtime.
3. Avoid napping during the day.
4. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can interrupt sleep.  Those who smoke have more difficulty getting to sleep and wake up more often at night, compared to non-smokers.
5. Take time to relax and unwind before going to bed. Develop a sleep routine.  If you do the same things before you go to bed each night it will train your body and mind to get ready for sleep.
6. Make sure your room and bed are conducive for sleep. Your bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.
7. Make sure your stomach isn’t too empty or full before going to bed.
8. Go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Reading will often help one relax but avoid artificial light from an e-reader, cell phone or tablet.
9. If your thoughts keep you awake, try getting up and writing them down.
10. Experts say sleeping pills can help in some cases, but should be treated as a form of temporary relief. Sleeping pills can be unsafe if your insomnia is caused by certain health problems.  Talk to your doctor about whether sleeping pills would be helpful and safe for you.  Sources:  National Sleep Foundation, The College of Physicians of Canada, Canadian Health Network

Sleeping Position

Even your sleeping position can affect how you sleep.  The Cleveland Clinic offers these tips for the best position for lying down or sleeping:

1. Try to maintain the natural curve in your lower back by using a pillow between your knees (if sleeping on your side) or under your knees (if sleeping on your back).
2. Do not sleep on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest.
3. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, especially on a saggy mattress since this can cause back strain and be uncomfortable for your neck.
4. Select a firm mattress and box spring that does not sag.

Sleep has been underrated as a factor for good health for a long time.  More and more studies are proving that good quality sleep is important for our overall health and well-being.  The better sleep we get the better we feel and the more productive we can be at work and at home.

References:

Walsh JK, Dement WC, Dinges DF. Sleep medicine, public policy, and public health. In: Kryger MH, Roth T, Dement WC, editors. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders; 2005. pp. 648–656.