Better Sleep means Better Health

Ann Marie Licari, APRN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Emergency Department
North Country Hospital

Happy May! I hope you all have been readying your garden beds, keeping up with seedlings or enjoying the fresh air as much as possible. Last week we talked about improving our mental health and at the very least being aware of it. The Better Sleep Council and National Mental Health Association have united this May, which is recognized both as Better Sleep Month and Mental Health Month, to “issue a challenge to Americans to mind their mental health and make sleep a priority. It is well-known that sleep problems can be a key sign of depression. What people may not realize is that the reverse is also true: sleep disorders can actually trigger mood disorders and depression.” As researchers learn more about the underlying cyclical connection between sleep and our mental health, the important balance is becoming even more apparent. Cynthia Wainscott, acting president and CEO of the National Mental Health Association has stated “Being healthy doesn’t pertain just to our physical health -- mental and physical well-being go hand-in-hand,” adding, “We know that sleep plays a vital role in our overall health and we continue to learn how changes in sleep habits may contribute to changes in your mental health. For this reason alone, quality sleep is central to any healthy lifestyle.”

What is Sleep, exactly, and why does it matter how much I get?

The internet sites I mention this week offer information on similar topics, the way they deliver it is a bit different, so you will find one that you will like more than the others. I browsed the internet and found a very nice brochure “Your Guide To healthy Sleep” from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DOHHS), the website is http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.htm .

Sleep studies the past several decades have shown us that vital tasks are carried on in the brain and body while we sleep, and different tasks are done throughout the different stages of sleep. Some of these activities include helping our body feel well rested and energetic the next day and helping us learn or make memories. If your sleep is cut short or interrupted, you may not be getting enough of certain stages of sleep, in short, “how well rested you are and how well you function the next day depend on your total sleep time and how much of the various stages of sleep you get each night.”

How much Sleep do you need?

The NHLBI’s brochure states “Sleep needs vary from person to person, and they change throughout the lifecycle. Most adults need 7–8 hours of sleep each night. Newborns, on the other hand, sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day, and children in preschool sleep between 10 and 12 hours a day. School-aged children and teens need at least 9 hours of sleep a night.

Getting older does not mean needing less sleep. The National Sleep Foundation reports that among older adults, more positive moods and outlooks as well as having more active and "engaged" lifestyles (having someone to speak with about a problem, exercise, volunteer activity, etc.) are associated with sleeping 7–9 hours and fewer sleep complaints.

The President of NSF, James K. Walsh, PhD, states "In spite of the emerging science linking sleep quality and health status, most people believe that poor sleep is an inevitable consequence of getting older. But NSF’s poll findings reinforce the relationship between good sleep and good overall health, particularly in older individuals.

Why are we not getting enough sleep?

The National Sleep Foundation performs an annual Sleep in America Poll, and this year focused on the sleep habits of adolescents. Their poll discovered that America’s adolescents (6th-12th grade) are not getting the sleep they need, and this lack of sleep gets worse as they progress through their teen years.

The Better Sleep Council conducted a stress and sleep survey to find out what keeps Americans up at night. This year's findings revealed that 65% of Americans are losing sleep due to stress, 32% are losing sleep at least one night per week, and 16% experience stress induced insomnia. Of the things keeping us awake at night: 2% of us are worried about current events, 16% worry about personal finances and 23% claim that family issues are the culprit.

Sleep Diary

If the cause of your poor sleep or day time tiredness is not clear, your provider may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary. The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep. It will also keep track of your activity, if you needed any naps, if you had any caffeine or alcohol and generally how you feel. The National Sleep Foundation has an interactive sleep diary if you like to play on the computer, and also a good printout of a sleep diary at www.sleep.buffalo.edu/sleepdiary.pdf. If you do not use a computer, check in with your primary care provider and see if they have a form you can use or keep track of these things on a notepad so that you can share them with your provider at a follow-up visit. A good sleep diary should be kept for at least seven days.

How Can I get Better Sleep?

The National Sleep Foundation offers much information on its website concerning sleep disorders, with a sleep library for you to look up information in. There are also fun activities for understanding sleep with quizzes and learning about the sleep cycle from the “Doze Family”! There is information specific to the needs of women, children, teens, and the aging and information about the dangers of ‘drowsy driving’. Find all of this at www.sleepfoundation.org .

The Better Sleep Council offers some similar information with the addition of information on emotional well being, and even a quiz and information on making sure your mattress is not the reason you may not be getting enough sleep! They offer the following Tips for Better Sleep:

• Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule, including weekends.
• Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
• Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
• Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment.
• Finish eating at least two to three hours before your regular bedtime.
• Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime.
• Avoid nicotine (e.g., cigarettes, tobacco products). Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.
• Avoid caffeine (e.g., coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you awake.
• Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It can lead to disrupted sleep later in the night.
  

Please take the time with your family members to observe your own sleep patterns – try filling out sleep diaries together and see how you are doing, and work together to improve your sleep and your overall health. If you discover problems that persist, or recognize you are very tired throughout the day, having troubling focusing or little energy, talk to your provider about what you have observed and work together towards better sleep and better health. Until next week, find a hammock and enjoy an afternoon nap!

“HEALTHY YOU” is a weekly column prepared by Ann Marie Licari, APRN, North Country Hospital Emergency Department. Please call Nancy Goss, NCH Community Relations, 334-3225, for questions, information or to suggest a topic for this column.