TOP TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER IN 2013

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

http://www.philstar.com/health-and-family/2013-01-01/891871/top-tips-sleep-better-2013

Mr. USA 2011 Tamer ElGuindy lamented that sleep is overlooked by so many people as a vital component of being well and healthy. I cannot agree more. With all the modern-day distractions like tech and gaming gadgets, social media, television, parties, and the Internet, I can’t make my children sleep enough or make them understand why it’s important. A situation that makes me sleep less as well. This new year, I resolve to erase my sleep debt. Why? Well, these new research findings about the benefits of sleep might also surprise you.

Sleep Benefits a-plenty

David Rapoport, MD, director of the NYU sleep disorders program, reminds us that adequate sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle with positive benefits to your heart, mind, weight, and more. Such as improving your memory! During sleep, you consolidate memories or practice skills you have learned while awake. “If you are trying to learn something, whether it’s physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice. But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better,” Dr. Rapoport adds.

One research links sleep of six or fewer hours a night to higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins which are linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Both too much and too little sleep were also associated by research to a shorter lifespan. A 2010 study of women, aged 50 to 79, confirmed more deaths in those who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours per night.  Another 2010 study found that C-reactive protein, associated with heart attack risk, was higher in those who sleep six or fewer hours a night.

Research from Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of memory during sleep, which may help increase creativity.  Stanford University also found that college football players who slept at least 10 hours a night for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time. They also had less daytime fatigue and more stamina. Similar results were observed previously in tennis players and swimmers.

Children (from 10 to 16 years old) with sleep disordered breathing, such as snoring, sleep apnea, and other types of interrupted breathing during sleep, are more likely to have problems with attention and learning, according to a 2010 study in the journal Sleep. Still another study revealed that college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did.

Dr. Rapoport clarifies that sleep-deprived kids react differently compared to adults. “Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive,” he says. “My son always thought he had ADHD, but he was recently diagnosed as sleep deprived due to sleep apnea.  Furthermore, a 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children, ages seven and eight, who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.

If your new year’s resolution involves dieting to lose weight, make sure that your plan includes sleeping enough. The University of Chicago in a research found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat, 56 percent of their weight loss, than those who were sleep deprived who lost more muscle mass.  Dieters who slept less also felt more hungry. “Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain,” notes Dr. Rapoport. “When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite.” The  association between health stress and sleep is as close. And both do affect cardiovascular health.

Less than five hours of sleep or more than nine hours a night may increase the likelihood of weight gain. In a study, recurrent sleep deprivation in men increased their preferences for high-calorie foods and their overall calorie intake. In another study, women who slept less than six hours a night or more than nine hours were found to gain 11 pounds compared to those who slept seven hours a night. Sleep duration appears to affect hormones that regulate hunger (ghrelin and leptin) and stimulate the appetite.

Sleep also affects your mood. Lack of sleep can make one irritable or depressed. Enough quality sleep can provide emotional stability. Dr. Rapport explains that you cannot just sleep more on weekends to cover up for the lack of it on weekdays. “If you sleep more on weekends, you simply aren’t sleeping enough in the week. It’s all about finding a balance,” he concludes.

Better Sleep Habits

While there are many reasons why people find it hard to sleep and rest the required number of hours for one’s age, experts from WebMd and Mayo Clinic seem to agree on suggestions regarding better sleep habits:

• A regular schedule. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, including on weekends and holidays. Being consistent creates your body’s own sleep-wake cycle.  This helps promote better sleep at night.

• A bedtime ritual. Create your unique pre-sleep ritual. It could be a warm bath or shower, a relaxing massage or facial, meditation, reading a book or listening to music preferably with lights dimmed.  Each night, this activity, 10 to 60 minutes long, will tell your body it’s time to wind down. This ritual will ease the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness. Experts caution about the use of TV or electronic devices as they seem to interfere with sleep.

• Caution on food and drink. Don’t go to bed either full or hungry. The discomfort might keep you up. Don’t also drink too much before going to bed to prevent waking up to use the toilet. Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol have stimulating effects that may make it hard for you to sleep. Don’t take caffeine four to six hours before your bedtime. Some foods though help promote sleep such as milk, tuna, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, bok choy, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, buckwheat, and bananas.

• Create a comfort zone. Your room should be ideal for sleeping. Think something cool, dark, quiet. Choose the pillow and mattress most comfortable for you. The softness or hardness of a mattress and pillow are subjective.

• No long naps. If you like to take a nap at noon, keep it to 10 to 30 minutes only. Longer naps can interfere with nighttime rest.

• Exercise. Regular physical activity can make you sleep better. It can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep.  But if you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be the case, exercise earlier in the day.

• Zap stress. Too much work and too many thoughts will scare drowsiness away.

• Restore peace and balance in your life. Start with the basics. Get organized, set your priorities and delegate tasks. Share a good laugh. Jot down your thoughts and then set them aside for tomorrow.

Have a peaceful and restful New Year!

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