FORT LEE, Va. (April 17, 2014) -- "Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream."
"You snooze, you lose."
These are among the well-known quotations that equate sleep to a waste of time.
Not true.
Sleep is probably the most underrated aspect of our lives even though we spend about a third of our time doing it. Research continues to show that inadequate sleep (usually indicated by chronic sleepiness at inappropriate times), may contribute to the onset of chronic health conditions and other maladies including difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, loss of energy, fatigue, lethargy, and emotional instability. According to the National Institute of Health's Sleep Disorders Research Center, people who are chronically sleep-deprived are at higher risk of drowsy-driving crashes as well.
Sleep is essential to healthy living.
Sleep affects every aspect of our lives -- our moods, our physical and mental wellbeing, relationships, performance and the overall quality of our lives. We cannot survive without adequate rest and sleep. The amount of sleep each individual needs may vary. However, most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep daily. Children and adolescents need even more. Recent studies suggest that as we get older, we may require as much as 10 hours each night. Sleep is necessary to maintain normal brain and body functioning and development.
Some Facts and Helpful Hints for Better Sleep.
• Keep your 'biological' clock in sync -- go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
• Have a regular bedtime routine.
• Make where you sleep comfortable, quiet and relaxing.
• Eat at least two to three hours before bedtime.
• Be physically active! Turn off the TV, computer, games and get moving.
• Avoid nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol especially if you have trouble sleeping.
• Try a sleep friendly bedtime snack in small amounts. Small amounts of complex carbohydrates and protein might include air-popped popcorn, beans, oatmeal or plain yogurt with fruit.
Sleep Deprivation and Disorders.
• Sixty-six percent of Americans lose sleep because of stress.
• Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation affect an estimated 70 million Americans each year.
• Too little sleep may increase your risk for stroke, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic health conditions.
• Inadequate sleep also may be an indicator of other health-related issues such as post-traumatic stress, depression and chronic pain.
Sleep and the Performance Triad
All three components of the Performance Triad are essential to wellbeing and continued good health. However, many individuals including Soldiers, civilians, adults and children do not get enough sleep on any given day. In recent studies, service members identified sleep apnea and insomnia as their two most common sleep disorders. Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, the Army surgeon general, noted while deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 that many Soldiers suffered from sleep deprivation. She also observed that it was hard to get more than four hours of uninterrupted sleep and that concerns and issues raised about the impact of each component of the Performance Triad are of global importance and not exclusive to the Army.
So how much do you know about sleep?
Take this quick National Institutes of Health quiz, answering True (T) or False (F), and then go to Kenner's Facebook for the answers.
• Sleep is time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation.
• If you regularly doze off unintentionally during the day, you may need more than just a good nap.
• If you snore loudly and persistently at night and are sleepy during the day, you may have a sleep disorder.
• Opening the car window or turning the radio up will keep the drowsy driver awake.
• Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder marked by "sleep attacks."
• The primary cause of insomnia is worry.
• One cause of not getting enough sleep is restless legs syndrome.
• The body has a natural ability to adjust to different sleep schedules such as working different shifts or traveling through multiple time zones quickly.
• People need less sleep as they grow older.
• More people doze off at the wheel of a car in early morning or mid-afternoon than in the evening.
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