Better Sleep Better Health

Suicide is the third leading cause of death amongst Americans ages 15 to 24. This figure is made all the more heartrending when one considers that many suicides are preventable with intervention and proper treatment of depression. New information about sleep patterns may help prevent more senseless losses.

The study, reported in the journal SLEEP, found that teenagers who slept on average five hours or less a night were an alarming 71% more likely to be depressed than their peers who slept longer. They were also 48% more likely to think about committing suicide than those who got more sleep. These results are alarming considering that many teenagers are increasingly getting less sleep than they need. The AASM recommends that teens get at least 9 hours of sleep per night. However, many teen’s sleep schedules shift to a more nocturnal pattern of wakefulness. They may tend to feel tired later in the night and want to sleep in longer in the morning than adults and younger children. Unfortunately, school schedules and other responsibilities cut this sleep time short, leading to a repeated lack of rest. Setting an earlier bedtime is very important. Teens who went to bed at midnight or later on a regular basis were 24% more likely to feel depressed than those who had a bedtime of 10:00.

What can parents do to help their teens? The most important thing is always to talk to your kids. An open dialog is very important not only to understand what frame of mind they’re in, but also to offer support and stability. Also encourage your teens to get a good night’s sleep and enforce rules about no electronic devices or TV’s in the bedroom. Instill earlier bedtimes and make sure that they are as rested as possible. Try to remember what being a teenager was like and work to be a stable and safe harbor for them during this tumultuous time.
For more information about depression and suicide prevention call 1-800-SUICIDE.

Look on the side of a Rockstar, Red Bull, or 5 Hour Energy and you’ll usually find a warning for these products to be avoided by pregnant women or those sensitive to caffeine. These drinks, as well as the ubiquitous Starbucks coffee, can be consumed responsibly by adults. But should children be consuming caffeine?

A recent study published in the Journal Of Pediatrics reported that 75% of children ages 5 to 12 consume caffeine daily. Most of that consumption came in the form of soda, although the substance is also found in other sources such as chocolate. The study found that children aged 5 to 7 years were on average consuming 52mg of caffeine per day and those aged 8 to 12 years were consuming 109mg. To put that in perspective, the average Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine and a normal cup of coffee has around 120mg.

It is important to remember that caffeine is a drug and can have serious side effects. The lead researcher on the study, Dr William Warzak, advises, “Parents should be aware of the potentially negative influence of caffeine on a child’s sleep quality and daily functioning.” Caffeine is a stimulant and leads to hyperactivity, making it harder for children to focus in school and at home. It also is a diuretic, which can increase the likelihood of bed-wetting when consumed close to bedtime. The effects of caffeine can greatly disrupt children’s sleep cycles and increase nocturnal arousals. Disrupted and shortened sleep have been proven to be detrimental to childhood development, leading to increased obesity, hyperactivity, and decreased school performance.

Experts consider it unnecessary for children to consume caffeine and instead recommend milk, juices, or water to quench thirst. The next time your child wants something to drink, encourage lifetime of healthy habits by avoiding soda.

Drowsy driving is a very dangerous and under addressed problem facing our population. Each year thousands of accidents are caused by momentary fatigue-related lapses in attention and drivers simply falling asleep behind the wheel. Now companies are taking a proactive approach to keeping drivers awake.

Long hours on the road increase the risk for falling asleep whether you’re a trucker or just an average driver. A vehicle moving at 60 miles an hour can travel hundreds of feet in just seconds so nodding off momentarily can be fatal. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration more than 100,000 police-reported crashes, resulting in 1,550 deaths and another 71,000 injuries each year are caused by drowsy driving.

Mercedes Benz recently developed a system to be integrated into their cars which can sense steering angle trends and corrections made by the driver. By analyzing these trends, the system can recognize variations that may indicate drowsiness and alert the driver. Other companies such as Saab are developing similar systems.

For those of us without Mercedes, there are aftermarket solutions available. Devices like the NoNap or DozeAlert can be worn over a person’s ear. These device monitors the angle of the driver’s head and sounds a buzzer when the person nods off.

The Anti Sleep Pilot requires more interaction with the driver. The hockey puck sized device is programed and placed on the dashboard. The driver must respond to cues by touching the device when prompted. It determines reaction time and cross-references this information with risk factors for falling asleep. Then a recommendation to take a break is given.

These are all novel ways to address the problem of drowsy driving, however the root cause is not being fixed. People are too fatigued and distracted in the car. Often there can be an underlying sleep disorder causing excessive fatigue. People with Sleep Apnea have double the risk of being involved in a car crash than those who don’t suffer from the condition. Before you get behind the wheel, make sure you get tested for sleep disorders. You might save a life.

For more information check out the National Sleep Foundation’s drowsy driving website.