The Sleep Foundation has a really nice chart of sleep needs for ALL ages. Check it out at https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
STAT FACTS (Harvard Medical School, 2019):
70% of people are sleep deprived
33% get 6 hours or less of sleep per night
20% of all automobile crashes are related to sleep deprivation
During the day, toxins build up in our body and brain. When we sleep, our body detoxifies itself; the brain rids itself of toxins via the lymph system. When we sleep, our cells regenerate themselves, and our memories consolidate.
So what happens when we don’t sleep?
This is your brain on NO Sleep
Loss of focus, attention and alertness
Poor judgment
Decreased vision (from less energy to the occipital cortex)
Increase of the “hungry hormones”
Build up of brain toxins such as amyloid beta (amyloid Beta plaques are DIRECTLY related to causing Alzheimer’s disease)
Decreased immunity. Poor sleep one week before receiving a vaccine causes a 50% reduction in antibody response. (Harvard Medical School, 2019). Go to sleep before your vaccine!!
Insufficient sleep contributes to: inflammation, cancer, hormone dysregulation, depression, decreased vaccine response, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain. (Harvard Medical School, 2019).
Additionally, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by emotional instability, impulsive behavior, and lack of focus. Well, so is sleep deprivation!
This very topic was just discussed in our management meeting with the neurologists last month. Why are so many ritalin prescriptions written for kids? Why not FIRST look at their sleep habits and get them in bed before 11pm!
Now I lay me down to sleep.....
Let’s also lay these other things down:
Electronics- distract us; blue light decreases the melatonin (sleepy hormone)
Caffeine--wake-promoting. Don't’ drink too close to bedtime
TV in the room (ideal NOT to have one in the room.)
But pick these habits up:
Optimum room temperature for sleeping is 65 degrees
Consistent wake time
Try LAVENDER essential oil, in diffusers or as a spray.
Two main Sleep Disorders disruptive to Sleep and Health and Well Being:
INSOMNIA AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the inability to breathe at night while sleep, due to an obstructed airway. OSA increases cardiovascular risk by 420%!! (Harvard Medical School, 2019). Typical signs of OSA include snoring, gasping for air, and night awakenings. If you are concerned or suspect that you or a loved one may have OSA, see your primary care physician promptly to see if you should have a sleep study.
Make sleep your priority, and as I always say, REMember to SLEEP!!
NIGHTY-NIGHT!
Sources
Harvard Medical School. (2019, May 2). Why sleep matters [Video file]. Retrieved from
National Institutes of Health. (2019, August 13). Brain basics: Understanding sleep
National Sleep Foundation. (2020, December 28). Sleep, immune health, and vaccination
Sleep Foundation. (2021). How much sleep do we really need?
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