As a result, most of us have heard a variety of tips and reminders about our sleep patterns. From getting eight hours a night, to avoiding eating big meals before bed, to keeping stressful work out of the bedroom, there is no shortage of common wisdom about sleep health.
However, it can be overwhelming. May is Better Sleep Month, and as a result, it presents a great opportunity to think about sleep practices individually. One key factor in sleep health is scheduling.
While most people know they need a minimum amount of sleep to be healthy, many experts also emphasize the importance of a regular sleep schedule. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, list going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day as their most important sleep hygiene tip.
A routine schedule is so important because while we’re unconscious, our brains are still working in complex, intricate ways.
“We tend to think of it as just the absence of wake, but sleep is an active process,” said Hal Sreden, a physician and the medical director of Mid Coast Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center.
Like other processes in the body, sleep is regulated in part by circadian rhythms, or an “internal clock,” which roughly aligns with the span of a day.
Sreden said that many researchers are interested in the ways that people’s circadian rhythms interact with the daylight cycle and their social or work schedules, which are often quite different from their natural patterns.
Until the advent of the incandescent light bulb, he said, human sleep patterns evolved more or less along with the rest of us. Since then, though, an increasing number of technologies and obligations have changed our relationships with sleep.
“We’re a society that’s probably getting worse about our sleep patterns,” he said.
He added that, while his clinic most often treats sleep apnea, “The majority of sleep problems never see a medical provider, because people just sort of live with them.”
This has consequences beyond drowsiness. Sreden cited research showing that workers on late-night shifts are prone to higher rates of heart disease, stroke and certain kinds of cancer.
When he is asked for advice about improving patients’ sleep health, Sreden said the first step is often a rethinking of sleep’s place in our lives.
“We try to reset the priorities, to make sleep a priority,” he said. “I have people literally go hour-by-hour through all the things they do (in a day). Often, they do a lot of things in the evening that may not be that important.”
However, establishing a sleep routine can be difficult: Not only because of unpredictable schedules during the day, but also because the environments where we sleep can influence our ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep we get when we do.
The good news is that many of these environmental factors are more easily changed than our daily routines. For example, Sreden says, minimizing light exposure and environmental noise often make it easier to fall asleep naturally, as well as avoiding using electronics in the bedroom.
These sleep hygiene tips may not by themselves make up for a lack of sleep, but they can act as a first step. This May, consider them a way in to thinking about our sleep patterns and the small changes we can make to live healthier lives.
John Branch, a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, is an intern at The Times Record.
To Nap or Not to Nap?
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady took a nap before Super Bowl XXXVI. He was named Most Valuable Player.
The mid-afternoon slump most of us experience, even when we’ve slept well, suggests that the human body may be meant to nap.
While the regular afternoon siesta isn’t part of North American culture, an occasional restorative nap may be a very good idea, particularly if you need to tap into an alertness reserve and a longer period of sleep isn’t an option.
“I woke up right before we went out (to play Super Bowl XXXVI) … I didn’t think I would feel as good as I felt.”
— New England Patriots
quarterback Tom Brady
There’s increasing evidence that a 15-20 minute nap can improve alertness, sharpen memory and generally reduce the symptoms of fatigue. If you’re coping with the impact of lost sleep from last night or you know you’re going to lose sleep tonight, a nap can help you through. In fact, it could be the difference between life and death if you’re planning on a long drive with less than your regular quotient of sleep.
CAUTION: A nap is not a substitute for a full night’s sleep; it is only a short-term solution. If getting to sleep or staying asleep at night is a problem, naps are probably not for you.
Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
1. Avoid any products with caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) or stimulants (such as diet aids) within four to six hours of sleep.
2. Avoid any nicotine close to bedtime or during the night or sleep period.
3. Avoid alcoholic beverages for four to six hours before bedtime.
4. Avoid large meals close to bedtime. A small snack may help promote sleep if you are hungry at bedtime.
5. Do get regular exercise but do not exercise strenuously within six hours of bedtime.
6. Make your bedroom comfortable by minimizing noise, light and extreme temperatures.
7. Set a regular bedtime and wakeup time and stick to it every day.
8. Do not consume large amounts of fluids before bedtime.
9. Try a relaxing ritual before bedtime.
10. Use your bedroom for sleep only. Do not use your bed for reading, watching TV or projects.
— www.midcoasthealth.com/sleep/
Sleep Disorder Clinic: What’s a good night’s sleep anyway?
Sleep is as basic to life as air, food and water. When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed, alert, ready to face the day.
Almost everyone’s clock is set for sleep at night, especially in the early morning hours between midnight and dawn. While the amount of sleep you need to be at your best may be very different than friends and family members, you will want to get an idea of your needs.
“Number one, you get your sleep. It’s your best friend. There’s no buoyancy in the music without eight hours of sleep, minimum.”
— Art Garfunkel, singer
Listen to your body and adjust your schedule accordingly.
On your next vacation, go to bed without an alarm clock. When you feel tired, go to bed and get up whenever you’re ready. “Sleep until you’re slept out.” Your body should tell you how much sleep you need on a regular basis. You can also try this experiment on a weekend.
Sleep patterns change as we age. Newborns and children spend more time in deep sleep than adults. We’ll probably need to turn in earlier and get up earlier in our senior years. But although we will probably sleep less as adults, getting by with just a few hours is generally a myth.
The architecture of sleep
Sleep is a dynamic process with a complex “architecture” all its own.
Stage 1. You begin your nightly journey by descending into a light sleep. Your muscles relax, and your brain waves are irregular and rapid.
Stage 2. Your brain waves become larger with bursts of electrical activity.
Stages 3. Your brain produces large, slow waves (sometimes called “delta” or slow-wave sleep). You’re more difficult to awaken in slow-wave sleep.
Stage 4. After an hour or so, you shift into a highly active stage characterized by rapid eye movements, hence the name REM sleep. Suddenly your brain waves are almost the same as if you were awake. You’re in the dreaming stage, which occurs several times during the night.
About 75 percent of your night is spent in non-REM sleep and about 25 percent dreaming. REM periods tend to become longer and more plentiful as the night wears on. Fortunately for your partners and neighbors, you’re essentially paralyzed during REM so that you’re not acting out your dreams no matter how real they may seem. Occasionally, you may even awaken before this paralysis has entirely ended — don’t be alarmed, it will pass in a matter of moments.
Taken from the Mid Coast Hospital Sleep Disorders Center (www.midcoasthealth.com/sleep/)
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