Sleep and Diabetes
The Nurse's Health Study showed healthy women who reported getting less than five hours or more than nine hours sleep were more likely to develop diabetes in the next ten years than women who averaged seven to eight hours. As mentioned above, just three to four hours of sleep deprivation over the course of a few days can provoke metabolic changes that mimic a prediabetic state. The less you sleep, the more impaired you glucose tolerance and the greater your insulin resistance - a condition that often leads to Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, as sleep affects our appetite-related hormones , and we opt for convenience foods, an increase in weight and/or the threat of obesity can increase the risk of diabetes.
Sleep and your Immune Function
As we sleep, we release growth hormones that trigger the proteins in our body to build new cells and repair damage. Therefore, small amounts of partial sleep deprivation can reduce natural killer cell activity, making us more vulnerable to colds and infections.
Sleep and Motor/Cognitive Performance
When we have a restless night or insufficient sleep, we expect to feel tired, irritable and sluggish, but few of us fail to realise the serious effects this has on everything we do.
If you drive while sleep deprived, this risk is comparable to that of someone who has an illegal blood alcohol level, yet 50% percent of drivers report driving while sleepy and 25% report falling asleep at the wheel, though not crashing. Approximately 5% of people have crashed while being drowsy.
A recent study shows that sleep restriction of six hours or less per night produces cognitive deficits that mimic the loss of two full nights sleep. But when we live in an age where the implicit message is 'work more, sleep less', we continue with our day as normal - worrying when you consider how many of us drive at night, operate heavy, dangerous machinery, tend to the sick or look after children. The repercussions of sleep deprivation on safety, reliability, speed, accuracy, performance and productivity are abundant, yet still Government guidelines fail to highlight the importance of sleep.
Sleep and Longevity
One study has found that sleeping less than four hours per night was associated with a 2.8 times higher rate of mortality for men and a 1.5 times higher rate for women. The conductor of this study also found that sleep time is a better predictor of mortality than smoking, heart disease or high blood pressure.
"There's impressive evidence supporting the argument that the amount of time you sleep - even more so than whether you smoke, exercise, or have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels - could be the most important predictor of how long you'll live". (Steven Pratt, HealthStyle)
Are you getting enough?
There is no precise amount of sleep to recommend for everyone. The golden hours are between 11pm and 3am, but it is suggested we require seven to eight hours per night. If you do suffer from insomnia, consult your GP.
Women have a greater need for sleep than men, go to bed earlier and fall asleep quicker. However, they spend more time awake during the night and have generally poorer sleep quality.
How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
Create a 'Sleep Action Plan' that will help you relax for bedtime. A routine of relaxation will lower stress hormones and raise serotonin and other brain chemicals that initiate sleep. Follow the tips below and hopefully you'll wake feeling refreshed and invigorated.
- Try to go to bed and wake at the same time each day.
- Sleep in a cold, dark room. When your body temperature is cool, it is a signal to your body to sleep.
- Relax in a warm bath an hour before bedtime.
- Take regular exercise, but make sure you finish at least three hours prior to bedtime.
- Minimize alcohol consumption. Although it may make you sleepy, it will not be a deep, restorative sleep and you are more likely to wake during the night.
- Avoid caffeine eight hours before bedtime as it can stay in your bloodstream for 12 hours.
- Don't go to bed too full or too hungry.
- Complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread boosts serotonin levels which in turn relaxes you and help induce sleepiness.
- Drink some warm milk before bed. Dairy products contain trytophan, a natural sleep enhancer.
- Avoid activating the brain before bed with television, loud music, computer games etc.
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