Poor Sleep

What Happens When We Don't Sleep Right?

Dr. David W. Sparks

Quality sleep not only heals us, but gives us back control of our lives. We feel better about ourselves and about the world around us. We are rested, at peace and full of energy.

Did you know that there are more than 80-reasons why people do not sleep properly. But, no matter what the reason for not sleeping well, poor quality sleep always results in a negative impact on our quality of life.

Let's start with daytime sleepiness. A universal complaint from poor sleepers is that they feel exhausted all the time, and this is particularly true when they aren't being physically active. The sleep-deprived person has great difficulty staying awake when they're sitting, doing office work or driving, which is very dangerous. Forty-percent of American adults say that they're so sleepy during the day that it interferes with their daily activities. And almost every one of these poor folks will also tell you that they have no energy, period. They literally feel sick.

They're also grumpy. By the way, remember the movie "Grumpy Old Men?" Believe it or not, "grumpy old men" (or women for that matter) may not be irritable because their nerves are frayed from fighting life's day-in and day-out battles. They're grumpy or irritable because older people, on average, don't sleep as well as younger people. They're more prone to insomnia, snoring and sleep apnea. They also may be living with constant pain. The older we get, the more susceptible we are to chronic insomnia (particularly women).

So, whether it's children, teens, young adults or seniors, men or women, lack of sleep leads to crankiness and irritability.

People who aren't getting good sleep also have short-term memory problems. Tons of experiments have been done on the effects of lack of sleep, on memory. Here's an example. One study used a day-long classroom course and taught a large group of people symbols, like sign language type symbols. After learning the symbols, the group was split in half. One side got to go home and get a good night's rest. The other side had to stay in the classroom and stay awake all night long. The next day everybody got together and they were all tested on recognizing the symbols they had learned the day before.

Not surprisingly, the well-rested group way outperformed the dreary group. Older folks who don't sleep well have trouble remembering all kinds of things…like what their spouse told them the day before. They accuse each other of "not listening" when it's really not remembering. A lot of aging couples fear that they're getting Alzheimer's or having a "senior moment", when in fact, it may just relate to memory deficits that result from poor sleep.

Remember, if you forget where you left your car keys…that’s poor memory perhaps from a lack of sleep…if you forget what your keys are for, that’s perhaps a sign of something a lot more serious.

Some other side effects that are tied to sleep deprivation are depression and anxiety, and it's a vicious circle. If you already suffer from anxiety and/or depression disorders, it makes it harder to get to sleep. And if you're not sleeping, it makes your anxiety and depression worse. It's like falling into a trap.

One very interesting area of science involving sleep has to do with children or adults who've been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Those overactive, or hyperactive youngsters who cannot focus in the classroom, or sit in their chairs, may be showing symptoms of a lack of sleep! Poor sleep affects everyone, not just adults. Up until age ten, children should be getting 10 to 12 hours of sleep every night. Up until age 12, they should be getting at least ten hours of sleep.

But, truthfully, how many kids get that much? They stay up playing video games or watching fast-paced programming on TV. Many Pediatricians and Ear, Nose and Throat doctors are now suggesting that if you have a child with attention deficit disorder-like symptoms, you might want to check and make sure that they're not snoring.

The medical literature in the past five years has been full of articles that concern kids who both snore and have ADD-like symptoms. Loud snoring can have a very negative effect on the quality of sleep. The noise of their own snoring arouses them from deeper levels to lighter levels of sleep continuously throughout the night. The arousals are too small for them to notice, but in the morning, they're exhausted.

One of the reasons that more children are snoring these days is because so many of our kids in America are, quite frankly, obese. Every day, it seems that there's another article in the paper about our kids getting fatter. Well, obesity leads to thicker necks and more tissue crowding the airway or breathing passageway, and that leads to snoring.

But it's not just about kids. Every adult in America seems like they're on a diet these days. Atkins, The South Beach Diet, Dr. Phil, Weight Watchers, etc., etc. Why? Because we're a nation of adults who are overweight.

Actually, a recent research survey in USA Today said that we've gotten fatter and fatter over the years and, as of the year 2000, 64% of Americans between the ages of 20 and 74 are clinically overweight . Another recent medical report said that a staggering 21% of adults are clinically obese meaning that they are 40 or more pounds overweight. And who do we have to thank for that alarming statistic??? Ourselves, of course.

If you're one of the millions of Americans who've made a vow to lose weight, your success may depend on how well you're sleeping. The Journal of the American Medical Association and the British Medical journal, Lancet, report studies showing that sleep loss may increase hunger. Another recent study indicated that when women don't sleep well, their metabolism slows down by as much as 40%. Slow metabolism leads to weight gain.

All kinds of new research shows that improper sleep may throw hormone production out of balance, which may be resulting in weight gain. One reason is because cortisol production may be affected by poor sleep. Cortisol is a stress-released hormone that's involved with the metabolism and, it is thought, the desire for carbohydrates. Cortisol also affects our reactions to stress. Anyway, people who aren't sleeping well, may continue to feel hungry, even though they have eaten enough.

An article published in the Washington Post reported that poor sleep may prevent the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates. This would mean that the bloodstream would carry high levels of glucose or blood sugar. The body's response to high blood sugar levels?

Overproduction of insulin and that causes the body to store fat. It also leads the body into a condition known as insulin resistance, which may be the first step toward adult onset/Type II diabetes. So…in a few words…poor sleep…an improper amount of cortisol…weight gain…stress over weight gain…too much insulin…that's depressing.

Let's not forget the importance of sleep as it concerns our immune systems. People who don't sleep well get sick more often because their immune functions are down. As we age and look for ways to stay youthful and healthy…sleep contributes perhaps the most to this goal.

In a few weeks we will be opening up a premium section in our web site entitled Actions Steps for Better Sleep and A Healthier Life. These steps incorporate some simple behavioral modification techniques to help solve your problems with insomnia along with some positive steps that you can take toward improving your wellness. We have some wonderful suggestions for diet and exercise. Think of this program as an "easy boot camp where you learn to go to war against insomnia". By the way, you can get this program for free with your purchase of one of my audiobooks entitled "Better Sleep in 7 Days".

Make sure you sign up in the Action Steps section and I will send you a sample of both the first day of Actions Steps for Better Sleep and A Healthier Life and Day 1 of The Better Sleep in 7 Days audiobook. We value your privacy and will not pass along your email address to anyone.

As the old saying goes, don't bring problems to people without providing solutions. Lets turn to some daily action steps, which will help us avoid all of life's pitfalls.

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