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Volume aaa, Number 7 |
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Getting your Zzz's
JEFF BENSON, M.D.
Dear Dr. Jeff: "I get 7 or 8 hours sleep most nights, but I'm still falling asleep in class. What's my problem?" T.F.
Dear T.F.: Maybe you need more sleep! Although experts agree that eight hours of sleep is right for most of us, that's an average figure. Younger adults and adolescents, for instance, need 9 or 10 hours of sleep per night. More importantly, though, your daytime sleepiness is a clear sign that YOU are not getting enough sleep at night.
Most of us don't get enough sleep. In fact, it's estimated that 40 percent of Americans are so sleepy during the daytime that it interferes with their daily activities.
You may remember that questions about sleep habits were included in last Spring's Survey of Students. The data are compelling. Nearly half of Bowdoin students reported going to sleep after 1:00 AM on weeknights, and over 60 percent are up by 8:00. On weekends, nearly 90 percent typically go to bed after 1:00 AM, 30 percent after 3:00 AM, and more than 60 percent are out of bed by 9:00 or 10:00. Over 70 percent of students reported sleeping less than 8 hours in a day at least a few times per week, 20 percent every day. Over 40 percent fortunately take naps at least once or twice a week. Not surprisingly, over 40 percent of students indicated they had trouble staying awake in class once or twice a week or more, nearly one-third felt too tired to function at least once or twice a week, and more than 80 percent wished they could get more sleep.
Sleep is very simply a basic necessity of life, as fundamental to our health and well being as air, food and water. If we don't sleep well, or sleep enough, almost every aspect of our lives will suffer. When we're sleep-deprived, we're less alert, less attentive, less able to concentrate, less able to make clear judgements, and less productive. We're also more irritable, more emotional, at increased risk for health and psychiatric problems, and, of course, more dangerous.
When hungry for sleep, our brains can be relentless in their quest for rest. Drowsiness is identified as the principal cause of over 100,000 traffic accidents each year, killing more than 1,500 of us and injuring another 71,000 more. And it's not just about "old folks" either: according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under the age of 25 cause more than half of fall-asleep crashes.
How do you know if you're getting enough sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you routinely roll over to snatch a few extra zzz's in the morning, if you need to catch up on your sleep on weekends or holidays, if you're put right to sleep by long meetings (or classes), overheated rooms or "heavy meals"-you are not getting enough sleep. NSF suggests trying to get up at the same time every day, but varying your bedtime until you've discovered the amount of sleep that leaves you most refreshed the next morning. THAT'S how much sleep YOUR body needs.
NSF also recommends you pay attention to your own internal clock. Some people really are "morning larks," while others are "night owls." Try to schedule your sleep hours accordingly. It doesn't matter nearly so much when you get the sleep you need, just that you DO get it daily. Sleep deprivation is cumulative, and can't effectively be "made up."
Daytime naps can certainly help. After all, more than half the world takes an afternoon siesta! Naps, though, need to be brief (no more than one hour), and should be avoided if getting to sleep or staying asleep at night is a problem.
The basics of good "sleep hygiene" are pretty simple. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants for at least six hours before bedtime, and alcohol and nicotine at least two hours. Alcohol may help you get to sleep, but it can fragment your sleep cycles, leaving you drowsy in the morning. Exercise regularly, but do so at least three or four hours before bedtime. Vigorous exercise can raise your internal body temperature, and thereby delay sleep onset. Establish a regular bedtime and waking time, even on weekends. Develop bedtime routines to cue your body in to bedtime. Many people take a warm bath, drink some herbal tea or warm milk, or listen to music or read. If you're going to read or watch TV, do it before you get into bed. Save your bed for sleep and sex.
Be well! And try to sleep well!!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center