Considering the fact that we spend a third of our life doing it, you'd think we'd be more informed about sleeping. Most of take it for granted until it becomes a problem. Then we're likely to either apply old wive's tale remedies or take powerful medication which can make the problem worse.
For the next several Sundays, I'm going to explore the world of sleep. What you need, how to know if you're getting it, and what to do if you're not. I'll talk about do's and don't of sleep medications and naps. I'll also have some advice for shift workers and travelers. Finally, I'll address the myths and realities of how sleep changes with age, and what to do if you or your partner suffers from the potentially life-threatening disorder of sleep apnea.
The third of your life you spend sleeping has tremendous effects on the other two thirds of your life. We tend to think of sleep as passive, but it is actually a time of intense and important activity in our body. The amount and quality of your sleep affects your mood, energy, weight, memory, thinking, creativity, immune system, and risk of having an accident!
Before the invention of electricity, people slept ten hours a night. Modern sleep lab research has recently confirmed their wisdom. Ten hours is in fact what we need for optimal benefits. Yet very few of us get this much. The average America now gets only seven hours of sleep per night, and one third of our population gets less than six hours. While a very few of you may experience optimal productivity at this amount of sleep, some of you are running on fumes!
And we are all impacted by these statistics. Consider these findings: thirty percent of high school and college students fall asleep in class at least once a week, and fifty-six percent of shift workers fall asleep on the job at least once a week; thirty-one percent of drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel at least once, causing at least 100,000 auto accidents annually; and the National Transportation Safety Board has declared fatigue the number one detriment to pilot safety.
According to recent Gallup polls, 56 percent of adults report daytime drowsiness is a problem, and 49 percent suffer from insomnia. The percentages are going up steadily.
In spite of this, few doctors ask about sleep. William Dement, director of the Sleep Laboratory at Stanford University estimates that less than one percent of case histories include a sleep history. We are starting to realize the importance of good diet and proper exercise. But so far, our education about the role of sleep is lagging far behind. It's only been two years that the American Medical Association has recognized sleep disorders as a specialty.
So if you often feel sluggish, have less than optimal sleep patterns, but haven't really looked into it or educated yourself, you're not alone.
Fore more on sleep please read All About insomnia, Sleep Loss Has Serious Consequences, Guidelines for Getting Good Sleep, and Advice on Sleeping Pills and Naps
Dr. Moore is a licensed psychologist and Founder and Director of Fall Creek Associates. She is President of the Sacramento Psychological Association, adjunct faculty member in the School of Psychology at the Fielding Graduate Institute, teaches classes through The Learning Exchange, and frequently appear as a guest on public service programs having to do with psychology and emotional wellness. She has also written a newspaper column called Senior Wellness, which focuses on general psychology topics as well as those of special interest to senior readers. In addition to working with private clients, she welcomes the opportunity to disseminate information on psychology and mental health issues to the general public through her PsychPages website.
