William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-09-01 / 9. szám
Sleepers Awake The importance of visiting dreamland from FDA Consumer magazine IT IS ESTIMATED THAT MORE than 35 million Americans suffer from chronic insomnia. Another 20 to 30 million suffer shorter-term sleeplessness. Then there are the millions of Americans who undersleep by choice, burning the candle at both ends because of hectic work and family schedules. Surveys show that the average American sleeps seven hours each night. "People don't respect sleep enough," says Daniel O'Hearn, a sleep disorders specialist at Johns Hopkins University. "They feel they can do more—have more time for work and family—by allowing themselves less time for sleep. But they do sleep; they sleep at work, or driving to work." Nodding off at work isn't just unproductive; in the worst cases, it can cause serious industrial accidents. The 1989 Exxon Valdez Alaskan oil spill, for example, was reportedly due at least in part to the severe fatigue of the tanker's sleep-deprived third mate. Also, like drunk driving, drowsy driving can kill. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 200,000 crashes each year involve drivers falling asleep at the wheel, and that thousands of Americans die in such accidents annually. Lack of sleep can diminish alertness, slow reflexes, cause memory and mood problems, and affect immune function, which could lead to an increased incidence of infection and other illnesses. In studies performed on rates, prolonged sleep deprivation resulted in death. Why we need sleep remains largely a mystery. What is known for sure is that sleep is an important biological need, like food and drink, and that the brain is very active while we're sleeping. Leading sleep theories suggest that during sleep the brain may recharge its energy stores and shift the day's information that has been stored in temporary memory to regions of the brain associated with long-term memory. So how much nightly R and R does a person need? That can change throughout one's life based on age and other factors affecting one's "internal clock." For most of us, though, seven and a half to eight and a half hours of sleep each night fulfills the basic need. But, some need as few as four or five hours while other need as many as nine or 10. The Mayo Clinic defines an adequate amount of sleep as whatever produces daytime alertness and a feeling of well-being. You should not need an alarm clock to wake you if you are getting enough sleep, the Mayo Clinic says (but don't throw away your alarm clock). Wooing sleep by Tamar Nordenberg, FDA Consumer magazine Experts agree that the time-honored practice of counting sheep or doing a similar monotonous task may help induce sleep. Sleep specialists provide these additional tips to help you reach dreamland: • Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol for four to six hours before bedtime. The first two are stimulants and alcohol can disturb sleep. • Don't exercise within four to six hours of bedtime. Working out early in the day, though, can actually improve sleep. • Perform relaxing rituals before bed, such as taking a warm bath, listening to relaxing music or eating a light snack. • Before going to bed, try as much as possible to put your worries out of your mind and plan to address them at another time. • Reserve your bed for sleeping. To preserve the association between bed and slumber, don't watch television or work in bed. • Go to bed only when sleepy. If you can't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a relaxing activity for awhile. • Wake up about the same time every day, even on weekends, to normalize the sleep-wake schedule. • Don't take naps, or nap in mid-afternoon for less than 30 minutes. Health Links For information on sleep, insomnia and sleeping disorders, such as sleep apnea (episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep), narcolepsy (an overwhelming sleepiness at inappropriate times) and restless leg syndrome (an unpleasant sensation in the legs while sitting or lying down that creates an irresistible urge to move), contact: 3 American Sleep Disorders Association 1610- 14th St. N.W., Suite 300 Rochester, MN 55901 www.asda.org 3 American Sleep Apnea Association 2025 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20006 (202) 293-3650 www.nicom.com/~asaa/ William Penn Life, September 1999 5
