The Importance Of Sleep

By: Mike Staszak PT
 
Sleep deficiency is a common public health problem in the United States. People in all age groups report not getting enough sleep. An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic (ongoing) sleep disorders. Insomnia is estimated to affect 30 million people in the United States.
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Inadequate and poor quality sleep are risk factors for impaired cognitive performance, accidents, chronic disease, and even mortality. The average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep tonight, on average we need a little less sleep as we age.
 
 
Common Sleep disorders
 
Insomnia
This is when someone can’t fall asleep or wakes in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. Suggested treatment is behavior modification, possible sleep aids.
Daytime Sleepiness
Sleeping during the day or at unexpected times is sometimes diagnosed as Daytime Sleepiness. 
Suggested treatment is behavior modification.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is described as breathing in interrupted while you sleep. A recommendation is to consult a sleep specialist.
Circadian Rhythm Disorder
Shift workers are primarily affected due to working abnormal hours.
Recommended to modify your sleep area, including black-out curtains and possible earplugs to improve daytime sleep as much as possible.
Restless Leg Syndrome
This affects 5-10% of the adult population. Recommendations are to eliminate evening alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, moderate-intensity exercise before evening, stress reduction, and getting a massage.
Obstructive airway
Oftentimes people with this problem are overweight or have a thicker than the normal neck. Weight loss, exercise, and limiting alcohol can often be helpful.
 
 
Sleep and health
Research has shown a strong correlation to increase risk of multiple diseases in people with sleep-related disorders. Including, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, atrial fabulation, stroke, diabetes, immune system suppression, pain, and arthritis, increased inflammatory markers, cancer, chronic kidney disease, mood disorders, depression, and increased mortality.
Additionally, the shorter length of time someone sleeps the greater risk of obesity and mental health disorders and have shown improved outcomes when addressing sleep disorders.
 
 
Positive effects of getting adequate sleep
Sleep is said to be the golden chain that ties health together in our bodies. It replenishes the body, helps with healing, and increases energy.
 
 
Behaviors and Habits that Impair Sleep Quality

• Frequent daytime napping
• Spending too much time in bed
• Insufficient daytime activity
• Late evening higher intensity exercise
• Evening alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco consumption. Alcohol can initially help you fall asleep, then often results in waking during critical periods of sleep.
• Eating dinner late, especially heavy meals.
• Watching TV or engaging in other stimulating activities at night. Blue light from TV, computers, and cell phones is very disruptive.
• Anxiety and anticipation of poor sleep
• Clock watching has been shown to cause sleep anxiety
• Insufficient bright light exposure during the day
• Environmental factors such as temperature, noise, light, snoring, and pets
• Pain at night is a complicating factor for sleep disruption
• Stress can also affect sleep and sleep disorders can increase stress

 

Things to do to improve sleep

• Supplementation, Theanine, B6, and Melatonin have been shown to be helpful for some people.
• Stick to a sleep schedule, even on weekends. 
• Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. 
• Exercise daily. 
• Comfortable sleeping space, dark quiet, and cool room
• Noise can drown out disruptive sounds, such as the sound of a fan, white noise.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillow.
• Turn off electronics before bed.
• Curtail the amount of time in bed
• Remove bedroom clock or cover it

 

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, high sugar, highly processed food, high fat, and protein before sleep. 
• Get rid of electronics:
• Nighttime stress watching the news before bed increases stress levels.
• Blue blocking goggles when you use your phone computer and TV before bed. 
• Stop devices 30 min before bed.
• Night lite should be red

 
 
Exercise

• Non-exercisers noted a significant increase in daytime sleepiness than those that do exercise
• Exercising in the morning, afternoon, or early evening
• Evening exercise should have decreased intensity
• Less time sitting is linked to better sleep
• Our core temp decreases when we sleep, exercise for most people should be 4-6 hours before sleep to give enough time for our core temp to go back down.

Things to do as relaxation techniques

• Yoga
• Breathing techniques
• If you are having a lot of problems sleeping, don’t nap on days you didn’t get enough sleep

 
Nutrition

• Overall found that better nutrition is helpful
• High fat and protein meals shortly before sleep are problematic. 
• Eating lighter meals at night and even prolonged nighttime fasting period. Refer to our recent intermittent fasting article for more information. 

 
About Mike Staszak
Michael Staszak has been an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist for the past 27 years. He is the owner of Staszak Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in Eugene. He and his staff believe that the more people understand how their bodies work and learn proper body mechanics, the less likely they are to become injured again. With this commitment to patient education, Michael provides wellness articles and presentations for businesses and community members.
 
Photos from MedicalNewsToday, Newsmeter