DISRESPECTING SLEEP
Sleep… we know babies need lots of it and fight as they might, growing kids need it too. But what about adults? Many of us are disrespecting sleep by cheating, not getting enough and may paying a price.
Evan L. Stepp, MD, is a Pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. Dr. Stepp is in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.
What Is Disrespecting Sleep?
Are You a Sleep Cheater? Disrespecting sleep is any behavior that interferes with getting a good night’s sleep. This can include staying up late, napping during the day, using electronic devices in bed, and drinking caffeine or alcohol before bed.
Disrespecting sleep can have a number of negative consequences, including:
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Impaired judgment
- Mood swings
- Increased risk of accidents
- Increased risk of health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, and stroke
Struggling to Get to Sleep
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it’s important to identify the behaviors that are interfering with your sleep and to make changes to your lifestyle. Here are a few tips for respecting sleep:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool.
- Creating a relaxing bedtime routine: This could include taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to calming music.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.
- Use electronic devices in another room at least 30 minutes before bed.
- Get regular exercise, but not too close to bedtime.
- Avoiding napping during the day: If you do nap, limit it to 30 minutes or less.
- See a doctor if you have a sleep disorder.
Why We Need Sleep
Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. It allows our bodies to rest and repair, and it helps our brains to function properly. When we don’t get enough sleep, we can experience a variety of negative consequences, including:
- Reduced cognitive function: Sleep deprivation can impair our ability to think clearly, concentrate, and make decisions.
- Increased risk of accidents: Sleep-deprived people are more likely to get into accidents, both at work and at home.
- Weight gain: Sleep deprivation can increase our appetite and make it harder to lose weight.
- Accidently pressing the wrong button: groggy is not a good condition when texting.
- Heart disease: Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
What is it about sleep that is so important for our health?
Scientists are still learning about the full function of sleep, but they believe that it plays a role in a variety of important bodily processes, including:
- Learning: Sleep helps us to learn new things by strengthening the connections between neurons in our brains.
- Creativity: Sleep can help us to come up with new ideas and solutions to problems.
- Immunity: Sleep helps our bodies to fight off infection by boosting our immune system.
- Metabolism: Sleep helps to regulate our metabolism, which is the process by which our bodies convert food into energy.
- Weight control: Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain by increasing our appetite and making it harder to lose weight.
- Heart health: Sleep helps to reduce inflammation and improve heart health.
In short, sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. It helps us to function properly, to learn and remember things, to fight off infection, and to maintain a healthy weight. When we don’t get enough sleep, we are putting our health at risk.
Why Are Many Sleep Experts Pulmonologists?
Many sleep experts are pulmonologists because sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder that causes breathing to stop repeatedly during sleep, is a respiratory condition. Pulmonologists are doctors who specialize in the lungs and respiratory system, so they have the expertise to diagnose and treat sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can have serious consequences, including:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness: People with sleep apnea often feel sleepy during the day, even after a full night’s sleep.
- Increased risk of accidents: Sleep-deprived people are more likely to get into accidents, both at work and at home.
- Mood problems: Sleep apnea can lead to irritability, anxiety, and depression.
- Heart disease: Sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
Pulmonologists can diagnose sleep apnea with a variety of tests, including a sleep study.
Relationship Between Sleep Apnea and Pulmonology
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that can have a significant impact on your health. It is characterized by episodes of stopped or shallow breathing during sleep. These episodes can last for a few seconds to minutes and can occur dozens of times per night.
Sleep apnea is caused by a narrowing of the airway in the back of the throat. This narrowing can be caused by a number of factors, including obesity, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and a small jaw.
When the airway narrows, it can restrict airflow and cause breathing to stop or become shallow. This can lead to a number of problems, including:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness: People with sleep apnea often feel sleepy during the day, even after a full night’s sleep.
- Increased risk of accidents: Sleep-deprived people are more likely to get into accidents, both at work and at home.
- Mood problems: Sleep apnea can lead to irritability, anxiety, and depression.
- In addition to these short-term consequences, chronic sleep deprivation can also lead to more serious health problems, such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
- Type 2 diabetes: Sleep deprivation can increase our risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Cancer: Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and colon cancer.
- Heart disease: Sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
Pulmonologists to the Rescue
Pulmonologists are often the first doctors that people see for sleep apnea because they have the expertise to diagnose and treat this condition. They can also provide guidance on sleep hygiene, which is a set of behaviors and practices that can help to promote good sleep.
In addition to sleep apnea, pulmonologists also treat other sleep disorders, such as:
- Obstructive sleep hypopnea syndrome (OHS): This is a sleep disorder that is similar to sleep apnea, but it is characterized by less severe episodes of airway narrowing.
- Central sleep apnea: This is a sleep disorder that is caused by a problem with the brain’s respiratory control center.
- Narcolepsy: This is a sleep disorder that is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden episodes of sleep.
