Do you know what’s keeping you up at night? Or maybe why, after
hours of sleep, you wake up feeling more drained then before? Sometimes
it is normal to be tired, but there are many reasons why getting the best
zzzzz’s can lead to a happy and healthy life.
Why Sleep Is Important
It is important to get a good night’s sleep because sleep helps
to restore our body. Lack of sleep can cause illness, fatigue and irritability,
along with psychological problems.
"Your body needs sleep, and one way or another it will get it--whether
or not you are at the wheel," said Mark Dyken, M.D. University of
Iowa associate professor of neurology and director of the Sleep Disorders
Center. "People die, and it’s preventable."
Jet lag, sleeplessness, and shift work can all attribute to sleep problems.
For every hour you are off on your sleep regimen, it takes the body 24
hours to catch up. Yet, more often than not--particularly if we don’t
pay attention to the amount of sleep we get each night--our bodies never
catch up. This loss of a baseline makes many people "burn the wick
at both ends" without realizing what is wrong.
Sleeping Well
In order to sleep well, it is important to be consistent. Not only should
you try to get enough sleep, but maintain a sleep pattern seven days a
week.
The quality of sleep is as important as the quantity. If someone gets
eight hours of sleep but is disrupted during the night, they will wake
up tired and feeling terrible. Phone calls, sickness, sleep apnea, snoring,
pets and children are common factors that disrupt the sleep cycle. When
we sleep, we go through stages of R.E.M (rapid eye movement) and four
stages of non-R.E.M.
R.E.M. is a deep sleep that comes after 90 minutes of non-R.E.M. This
cycle is repeated four to five times a night.
According to Dyken, our sleep needs change as we age. Babies have multiple
sleep times, but by the time they are one year old they should sleep through
the night. Around age 12 adolescents tend to go to bed earlier, wake up
later and sleep longer. During this time, adolescents require up to 12
hours of sleep a night. People over age 50 tend to go to bed early, get
up earlier and sleep less than people under 50. Pain, heart failure, sleep
apnea and disease are among the reasons older people get less sleep.
Between two to five percent of people fall outside of these patterns
and require more sleep than others. However, just as sleeplessness is
unhealthy, too much sleep can be unhealthy, too.
"Know thyself. Pay attention to how you are sleeping. If you are
a morning lark or a night owl, keep consistent and maintain what works
for your lifestyle," Dyken said.
Another way to accommodate your lifestyle with your sleep needs is to
make sure that your bedroom is inviting and helps you sleep well.
Sometimes people are unaware of their lack of sleep or that they may
even have a sleep disorder. Because they have lacked sleep for so long,
they are unable to appreciate what sleep does for the body. If you are
worried about your sleep, Dyken suggests keeping a sleep diary. Make sure
to record when you took naps, when you went to bed, how long it took you
to fall asleep, your bedtime routine, when you woke up, how you slept,
and how you felt when you woke up. This diary will help you understand
your sleep patterns better and also help find a problem if there is one.
Quick Tips to Ensure A Good Night's Rest
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Low level exercise four to six hours before sleep can increase
your body temperature and help you sleep
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Alcohol can put you to sleep, but after three or four hours it
excites the sympathetic nervous system and sleep tends to be fragmented.
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Accommodate your bedroom for sleep: close out the light, unplug
the phone and make the environment inviting.
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Massages before bed can increase deep delta sleep (R.E.M.).
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Dairy products, turkey, bananas, peanut butter, whole grain crackers
and yogurt contain tryptophan which some people find helps them sleep.
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Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine or nicotine, because they can
keep you awake or cause fragmented sleep.
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Avoid heavy meals or snacks, which can cause heartburn
If you would like more information about sleep disorders, contact the
Sleep Disorders Center at 319-356-3813.
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For more information:
Mark Dyken, M.D.
Department of Neurology
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