Better Sleep Better Health

The hectic schedule of an NBA team can wreck havoc on players’ performance and well-being. Constant traveling leads to sleep deprivation which increases recovery time from injuries, lowers judgement and reaction times, and leads to losses on the court. One team has found a way to gain the edge over the competition with sleep medicine.

The Boston Celtics coaching staff realized the impact constant traveling and a lack of sleep were having on their players, so they enlisted the help of Harvard’s Sleep Medicine director, Dr. Charles Czeisler. Czeisler detailed the detrimental effects of sleep loss to Celtics coach Doc Rivers and they took action to ensure a rested team. Paul Flannery of Boston Magazine recounts the changes on his blog:

The Celtics soon eliminated morning practices and instituted the “2 a.m. rule,” which holds that if the players can’t get to their hotel rooms in the next city by that time, then they stay where they are for an extra night and get their eight hours. Sound rest is all the more important for a veteran team like the Celtics, who have struggled playing games on consecutive nights. “Trying to create a window of 8 to 10 hours of sleep — it’s almost impossible during an NBA season,” Rivers says. “The way we were doing it made it completely impossible.”

The lessons learned from the Celtics sleep hygiene practices can be applied to everyone’s daily life. Allowing oneself plenty of time for sleep and eliminating distractions such as TV and computers from the bedroom are good steps to maintaining a balanced sleep schedule.

As reported by the New York Post:

“Yankee captain Derek Jeter has a new clubhouse — a $15,500-a-month, two-bedroom, three-bath rental at Trump World Tower, reports The Post’s Jennifer Gould Keil. Yes, that’s the same building where Jeter already owns a $20 million apartment that is now on the market. We hear that a neighbor’s noisy construction was hampering the star shortstop’s crucial rest. So Jeter signed a lease for a 2,087-square-foot corner pad away from the racket to ensure some serious shut-eye during baseball season.”

As expensive as that sounds, Jeter is taking a proactive approach to protect his sleep, something that is all too often ignored by many people. Having a proper sleep environment is very important to getting a good night’s rest. Sleep specialists recommend that your sleep environment be dark, cool, and quiet. Remove televisions and computers from the bedroom and don’t let pets sleep in the room to limit sleep disruptions. For more tips on proper sleep hygiene visit Oregon Sleep Associates.

The National Sleep Foundation recently talked to comedian Mike Birbiglia, author of the book Sleepwalk With Me, about his experiences with REM Behavior Disorder, living with a sleep disorder, and taking part in Downy’s Clean Sheet Challenge.

One of the highlights of the interview comes when he talks about his experience jumping out a hotel room window as a result of his REM Behavior Disorder, a condition in which people physically act out their dreams:

SleepMatters®: “You are well-known for talking about your experience with a rare sleep disorder (RBD). (I will never forget your description of jumping out a hotel window in Walla-Walla, Washington.) Can you tell us a little about this? How are you doing now?”

Mike: “In my early twenties I was a young comic hustling to get any foothold in the business. I took every gig, every red-eye flight, and drove any distance to make my career work. In my apartment in Brooklyn I had experienced a series of frightening sleepwalking episodes, but I just didn’t think they were serious. I would stand on my bed and try to fight flying jackals, and I had fallen off the bookshelf in my living room, which in my dream was an Olympic podium. Still, I thought I was too busy to see a doctor.

On one trip to Washington state, I was performing at 5 colleges in 4 days. I was staying up late, obsessed with cable news coverage of the war, and eating pizza on my bed while on the Internet right before I went to sleep. That night I nearly died when I jumped through my hotel window in my sleep.

That’s when I saw a sleep specialist and was diagnosed with REM Behavior Disorder. For the most part, I have been able to control these episodes with medication and behavioral changes. I definitely have a lot more respect for the importance of proper sleep.”

Read the rest of the interview with Mike Birbiglia here.

Every March the National Sleep Foundation endorses National Sleep Awareness Week, a country-wide campaign to bring awareness and education about sleep and sleep disorders to the public. The event coincides with the beginning of daylight savings time, when Americans lose an hour of sleep.

An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder, yet many are unaware they suffer from an impairment in their sleep. If you feel tired during the daytime, have medical issues such as Type II Diabetes or high blood pressure, or can’t sleep well at night, it is important to address the possibility of a sleep disorder. Speaking with a Board Certified Sleep Specialist is the first step towards treatment. They can review your symptoms, test for disorders, and formulate an effective treatment plan.

So this National Sleep Week, take the time to improve your health and well-being by getting screened for sleep disorders!

Many people have trouble sleeping and search for a remedy on the shelves of their local grocery store. But even though they don’t require a prescription, over the counter medicines can carry some significant health risks.

Many over the counter sleep medications are one of two substances. The active ingredient in medications such as  Sominex, Nytol, and Tylenol PM is Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine with drowsy effects. This substance is more well know as the common allergy medication Benadryl. Diphenhydramine has several side effects including:

• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Prolonged drowsiness lasting into the next day
• Memory problems

The other most common OTC sleep medication is Doxylamine, found in Unisom and Nyquil. This medication can offer more sedation than many prescription hypnotics and is also an antihistamine.

These substances may help to ameliorate short term insomnia but should be treated with caution. Individuals who are pregnant or have health complications such as glaucoma, enlarge prostate, heart problems, or asthma should not use them. In addition, the effects of these drugs can depress respiratory effort and worsen the effects of sleep apnea, leading to more disrupted sleep. Also the “hangover effect” can be worse than many prescription sleep aids and can increase daytime fatigue. These medications should not be used nightly or to treat chronic Insomnia.

If you suffer from Insomnia, doctors recommend addressing the root source of the condition, not the symptoms. Many health issues can cause Insomnia and there are both pharmacological and natural ways of treating them. Contact a sleep center near you to get tested for an underlying sleep disorder and to treat your insomnia properly.

The National Sleep Foundation recently conducted a bedroom poll to determine what environmental factors influence Americans sleep the most. The NSF Bedroom Poll looked at different areas such as temperature, romance, sleep habits, and bed condition and polled 1500 people from all walks of life to get the results.

Respondents were asked to rate the level of impact each factor has on their ability to get a good night’s sleep. Some of the more interesting results:

• Pillows and bedroom temperature were the two areas that have the most impact on sleep (70% and 69% impact respectively). Professionals recommend a cool environment as being the most conducive for sleep.

• Bedroom darkness and sheets were also considered important factors with 57% and 53% of participants rating them as being of high importance. These are common factors impacting good sleep hygiene, along with bedroom temperature.

• Snoring from a bed partner is a common reason for people to lose sleep with 41% of respondents saying it impacts their night. This shows that there are still millions of people being affected by untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea and its most common symptom, snoring.

For more on good sleep hygiene visit the NSF or Oregon Sleep Associates.

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.

The new year is upon us and it’s time to make that list of resolutions, most of which we never keep. But for 2011, improving your health and quality of life can be easily accomplished by addressing two common problems people have with their sleep:

Kick the bad habits: Poor Sleep Hygiene is a leading reason for sleep deprivation and Insomnia, but it is avoidable. Simple steps to improve Sleep Hygiene include eliminating the television from the bedroom, avoiding TV and computer use within 2 hours of bedtime, and avoiding caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime. Also don’t overdo the evening  alcohol intake and if you do find yourself unable to sleep, go to a separate dimly lit room and engage in a calming activity such as reading until you feel tired again. Taking these simple actions can help your mind associate the bedroom with sleep and can break the cycle of Insomnia.

Stop rattling the windows: Snoring is not only annoying for others around you, it is a major symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea can be a dangerous condition leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. Treatments are available for sleep apnea but diagnosis requires an overnight sleep study at an AASM accredited sleep center. If you have been told you snore, schedule an appointment to speak to a sleep specialist. It’s covered by insurance and treatment of apnea has been proven to help lower blood pressure, improve cognition, and decrease daytime fatigue.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

As 2010 gets put to bed, it is time to look at the stories about sleep that were most talked about this year:

• More Children Are Medicated for Insomnia -  Illustrating a disturbing trend in medicine, many children are given prescription sleep aids for Insomnia.

• US Military Finds Bright Light Can Improve Alertness, Reduce Post Traumatic Stress - Another link between exposure to light and our circadian rhythms.

• Tired Teenagers At Risk For Depression – Teens’ schedules are causing increased rates of depression in today’s youth.

• Shift Work Hurts Productivity – Important news for businesses with employees on late shifts.

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Linked to Low Levels of Serotonin – New research sheds light on the possible causes of SIDS, a scourge that continues to puzzle scientists.

• Sleep Suffers During Wartime Deployment – The stress of war is affecting our troop’s sleep and peace of mind, making it harder to adjust upon their return home.

• Insomnia And Sleep Duration Linked to Early Death – Startling news on the connection between lack of sleep and mortality.

• Percy Harvin’s Trouble With Sleep Apnea – The Viking’s receiver’s continued woes with his sleep disorder.

• Biggest Loser Contestant on CPAP – Contestant Sherry Johnston talks about sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure.

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea Linked to Heart Disease – A recent study finds that the common sleep disorder is even more serious than previously thought.