How to reduce your sleep debt
Precious and increasingly elusive, sleep represents a third of everyday life, with a tremendous impact on how we live the other two thirds — in some cases, literally.
According to the CDC, the odds of being sleep deprived (less than 6 hours nightly) has increased significantly over the past 30 years as the lines between work and home have become blurred and digital technology has taken over modern lifestyles.
National Institutes of Health data indicate more than 25 percent of Americans report insufficient sleep at least half of the time.
Worse, the NIH says America’s sleep debt is on the rise.
While sleep is always important, whenever the goal is to prevent and fight specific illness, it should be an even greater priority. As one local reader said in an email, it’s curious that sleep has not been spotlighted by the CDC during this pandemic as one way to bolster our immune systems.
“If we understand that most disease is based in inflammation and poor sleep seems to increase inflammation,” wrote Donna Samuel, a licensed master social worker in Coeur d’Alene, “increased restorative sleep would be a logical strategy to decrease the effects of many diseases.”
Samuel’s emphasis on inflammation is supported by research. One illustrative study in 2013 by University of Helsinki researchers highlighted the link between poor sleep and the immune system, helping explain why sleep deprivation increases risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma and other illnesses linked to inflammatory responses in the body.
The study titled “Partial Sleep Restriction Activates Immune Response-Related Gene Expression Pathways Experimental and Epidemiological Studies in Humans,” published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, restricted a group of healthy young men to four hours sleep per night during a five-day workweek. When they compared blood samples with a control group who got eight hours nightly, they found differences in gene expression and pathways related to inflammation and a functioning immune system.
“(This) study points out that most of the genes that are down-regulated as a result of poor sleep are immune related,” wrote Samuel. “That may mean that poor sleep actually helps turn on the genes of our diseases.”
It logically follows that improved sleep, along with healthy diet and exercise, helps give us the best chance to avoid or cope with illness, whether COVID or any other.
But the sleep connection goes beyond immunity. Studies confirm the impact of sleep on other areas of life, including mental health and decision making. A 2019 study at Rockefeller University found that getting less sleep — even with the same activity level as a control group — changed how the brain reacts. In addition to poorer metabolism, hormone and insulin levels leading to weight gain (with no differences in diet), less sleep was equated with being more impulsive and less mentally flexible.
Researchers have also found that the brains of mice — whose genetic, biological and behavior characteristics closely resemble humans — actually shrunk with sleep deprivation.
As if we needed convincing, good sleep just makes life better, science or no science. So if you need more, try these tips from NIH and CDC:
1. Follow a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends.
2. Avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening.
3. Develop a relaxing bedtime routine.
4. No screens — try not to watch television or use your computer, cellphone, or tablet in the bedroom, especially in the hour before bed. (If you just can’t let go, Samuels recommends “Weathering the Storm” from the free Headspace app.)
5. Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature.
6. Use low lighting in the evenings.
7. Exercise at regular times daily, but not within 3 hours of bedtime.
8. Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime.
9. Stay away from caffeine late in the day (that includes coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate).
10. Remember — alcohol won’t help you sleep; even small amounts make it harder to stay asleep.
Feel like you never sleep well? Samuel suggests that’s all the more reason to keep trying, “starting with one small, sustainable change.”
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Sholeh Patrick is a sleep-deprived columnist for the Hagadone News Network who will never stop trying. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.