Released December 12, 2008
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. -- Imagine that you've had your hours reduced at work and you've decided to take a second job to makes ends meet, especially during the holidays.
What's wrong with this picture? Nothing providing that you are getting enough sleep. But in these challenging economic times, countless numbers of Americans who are working longer and harder are also skimping on sleep. And in the long run, sleep deprivation alone may render all of this extra work and money nil.
How? For starters, the loss in reaction time puts you at higher physical risk, more prone to accidents — a catastrophe in the making, especially if you are medically uninsured. Also, as a mountain of research findings have shown, you're also increasing your chances of developing several chronic diseases — yet another potential calamity, particularly among those who lack health insurance.
"Sleep deprivation has been shown to affect your health in ways we didn't realize only a few years ago," says Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutrition and health specialist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science.
"And one of the really disturbing things is that the worst sleep-deprived people aren't aware of how impaired they are in terms of alertness and attention spans."
Experts urge adults to get between six and 10 hours of sleep each night, though many recommend around eight hours. Children require even more — as much as nine and even 10 hours of sleep in some cases.
Aside from increased risks of physical injury, sleep deprivation also has been shown to impose severe stress on our long-term physical well-being.
Sleep deprivation causes a number of hormonal changes within the body — changes that contribute to chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome and, ultimately, to a host of other serious medical conditions.
"People who are chronically sleep-deprived tend to be heavier," Keith says, "and the secretion of certain hormones, in turn, make you want to eat more, which only complicates the problem."
Hormonal changes that accompany deprivation can also affect insulin resistance, which increases the risk of developing full-blown diabetes. In fact, Keith suspects sleep deprivation may be an understated factor behind the nationwide surge in type 2 diabetes.
"If you're uninsured, this may mean that you're more likely to encounter the sorts of health problems you're desperately trying to avoid," he says.
Sleep deprivation also has been shown to play havoc on the immune system.
"Besides these chronic diseases, you more prone to colds, flus and other things that pop up acutely and unexpectedly," Keith says.
Researchers over the last few decades have gained lots of insight into what constitutes effective sleep patterns.
Rule 1: Choose Regular Sleep Over Catnapping
Winston Churchill is remembered as history's most famous proponent of catnaps to make up for sleep deficits. But research conducted over decades has consistently shown that regular sleep trumps catnapping.
"Sleep typically involves patterns where you start out with lighter sleep and pass into a much deeper sleep — a cycle that may be repeated several times a night," Keith says.
Adequate sleep requires passing through all of these phases — something you don't get with catnaps.
Even sleeping 10 hours to make up for the six hours you missed the previous night is not as effective as a regular sleep pattern, Keith says.
Your best bet: Go to bed at a regular hour each night and strive to rise at the same time in the morning.
Rule 2: Avoid Late-Night Caffeine and Alcohol
If you're striving to get regular amounts of sleep, stay away from caffeinated drinks, such as tea and coffee during the hours before bedtime, Keith says.
The same rule applies to late-night alcohol. The old bromides about nightcaps are entirely that — bromides, tired notions with little basis in fact. Alcohol nightcaps ultimately are self-defeating — yes, they make you drowsy, but they also disrupt sleep patterns.
Rule 3: Avoid Exercising in the Evening
"Exercise is good for you, but it does gear up your system and can undermine your sleep if it's postponed until late in the day," Keith says.
Despite the best efforts of health experts, Keith says sleep deprivation, much like obesity and sedentary lifestyles, will remain a permanently ingrained problem.
He says the conveniences of modern technology, coupled with the stress of the recent economic downturn, will keep many of us on our feet long after the recommended bedtime, he says.
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