The Importance of Sleep

Seven to eight hours of good sleep is one of the cornerstones of good health

Sleep deprivation is extremely common today and can weaken your immune system, accelerate tumor growth, accelerate diabetes, and impair all aspects of your cognition; not sleeping can increase your risk of dying from all causes

Optimizing your sleep sanctuary is part of exercising good sleep hygiene.  What you do in preparation for bed is also very important.

In order to improve your sleep, you may need to modify some of your lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lack of sleep is a major public health problem, and insufficient sleep has been linked to a wide range of health problems. After reviewing more than 300 studies to determine how many hours of sleep most people need to maintain their health, an expert panel concluded that most adults need around eight hours per night to function well. Children and teenagers require even more.

About 1 in 3 Americans gets less than seven hours of sleep a night, and more than 83 million adults in the U.S. are sleep-deprived. If you work long hours, have a sleep disorder or spend a lot of time in front of your computer, phone or TV, chances are you may be getting five or fewer hours of sleep per night. Such little sleep can trigger a wide range of health repercussions — from an increased risk of accidents, weight gain and chronic diseases, to reduced sex drive and decreased sexual satisfaction.

It's important to note the time you spend in bed is rarely equal to the time you actually spend sleeping. You may want to use a tracking device to better understand the quantity and quality of your sleep. If you do you will find on good nights you will not be sleeping for 30 minutes and on bad nights it could be two to three times that or more.

Sleep also plays an important role in in memory formation, and sleep dysfunctions such as sleep apnea have been shown to accelerate memory loss. While I previously disregarded the value of sleep, rarely getting more than five or six hours each night, I now typically average more than eight hours. After changing my habits, I have come to appreciate sleep's value in supporting my overall health and longevity.

Dr. Paul Mathew, neurologist and assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School (HMS), who holds clinical positions at three HMS-affiliated institutions, also believes sleep is vital to your well-being. He states:

"Sleep is a critically important component of human existence. On average, humans spend about 25 to 35 percent of their lives sleeping. Sleep allows both the body and brain to rest and recover from the stress of daily life. As such, trouble sleeping can cause a range of health problems, and, if left untreated, dire consequences.

Even if sleep duration is good, sleep quality can be quite poor. People who wake up many times during the night can have some nights with zero hours of deep, restful sleep. Poor sleep quantity and/or quality can cause excessive daytime drowsiness … chronic fatigue, headaches, mood issues, irritability, poor memory and cognitive dysfunction."

Three Types of Sleep Apnea and Their Effects on Your Body
The American Sleep Apnea Association classifies sleep apnea in three categories as follows:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when your tongue collapses against your soft palate, and your soft palate and uvula fall against the back of your throat, blocking your airway while you sleep. The frequent collapse of your airway during sleep makes it difficult to breathe for periods lasting as long as 10 seconds. Breathing usually resumes with a gasp, jerk or snort, which disturbs sleep for the OSA sufferer and his or her sleep partner. OSA can also reduce the flow of oxygen to vital organs and cause irregular heart rhythms.
Central sleep apnea (CSA) is more of a mechanical problem characterized by a blocked airway and your brain's failure to signal your muscles to breathe. Specifically, your diaphragm and chest wall do not receive the proper signals from your brain to pull air in and regulate your breathing. CSA may occur due to conditions such as heart failure and stroke, as well as sleeping at a high altitude.
Complex sleep apnea is a combination of the earlier two conditions, resulting in your brain rousing you during each apneic event, usually only partially, to trigger you to resume breathing.
If you have a severe case of sleep apnea, your body may awaken you literally hundreds of times a night. The most intense time for this brief rousing to occur is late in your sleep cycle, during the rapid eye movement (REM) period. When your REM sleep is fragmented and of poor quality, you may suffer many ill effects. In addition, the continuous reduction of the oxygenation of your blood will put further stress on your mind and body.

How Can You Tell if You Have Sleep Apnea?
According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:

Abnormal breathing patterns during sleep
Abrupt awakenings with shortness of breath
Chest pain at night
Difficulty concentrating
Hypersomnia (excessive daytime sleepiness)
Insomnia
Mood changes
Morning headaches
Shortness of breath that is relieved by sitting up
Snoring
Stopped breathing during sleep
Although it is not necessarily a conclusive indicator of the disorder, snoring is often an early warning sign of sleep apnea. Snoring usually occurs when your breathing is partially obstructed in some way while sleeping. Not only is snoring a nuisance to others, but the majority of people who snore regularly have OSA. If you or someone you know is affected by two or more of these symptoms, ask your doctor for help in determining if sleep apnea may be the root cause. Here is a simple test you can perform to check whether or not you're breathing properly:

Stand with your back against a wall
Make sure your buttocks, head, heels and shoulder blades are touching the wall
Say "Hello," swallow and then breathe
If you are able to speak, swallow and breathe easily and comfortably in this position, then your mouth and throat are clear of obstructions. If you cannot perform these three functions easily and comfortably, your breathing may be obstructed. If you are having trouble breathing while standing up, you can imagine the situation will be exacerbated when you are lying down to sleep.

If you identify with any of these outcomes, I encourage you to take action today to get your sleep back on track. Even small adjustments to your daily routine and sleep area can make a big difference. A few of my top recommendations are shown below.

Address mental states that may interfere with sleep: Use the Emotional Freedom Techniques to deal with emotional or physical issues that may be interfering with your sleep, including health and relationship problems

Avoid alcohol, caffeine and other drugs, including nicotine: Be aware of the effects these substances, particularly if used every day and close to bedtime, are very likely having on your sleep

Develop a relaxing pre-sleep routine: Creating a consistent sleep ritual, involving meditation, music, reading, stretching or taking a warm bath, will help cue your body to begin preparing itself for sleep

Optimize your light exposure during the day, and minimize light exposure after sunset: Get at least 30 to 60 minutes of outdoor light exposure and minimize artificial light exposure at night; sleep in complete darkness, using a sleep mask or blackout shades

Turn off the TV and other electronics at least one hour before going to bed: Electronic devices emit blue light can trick your brain into thinking it's still daytime, potentially interfering with your body's melatonin-secretion process