It’s the beginning of the new year and so lots of articles on ways to improve your health from the perfect diet, exercise, stress relievers and of course sleep.
As I’ve been reading some of the sleep articles, I thought of my musician friend and middle school teacher Ray. He would come home from school and immediately go to bed. That way, he was ready to hit the clubs by 9 pm. Turning in for the night around 1 or 2 am and getting up at 6:30, he’d got about 5 hours of sleep at night and another 2 or so from his afternoon/early evening nap. Thus he racked up 7-8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period.
Basically he operated on a “segmented sleep” or “Biphasic sleep” schedule. This approach was ideal for him and he was quite happy, only complaining if someone called during his napping time.
Before the industrial age and artificial lighting, it was normal for people to get up in the middle of the night and do things-basically having “two sleeps.” There are lots of references throughout history about “two sleeps.”
The industrial age brought with it high productivity during day light hours, with people sleeping for 6-9 hours, rather than intermittently for 10-12 hours. Artificial light extended the productivity time. This affected our circadian rhythms, leading to what we now consider to be the norm: 6 to 9 hours of sleep that occur overnight.
Watch Roger Ekirch’s, the author of “At Day’s Close: Night in Times Past” discuss how segmented sleep was the norm.
We obsess about getting too little or too much sleep. While getting all your sleep in one time is promoted, history and research don’t necessarily support that one long bout of sleep is for everybody. In fact, many people I ask about their sleep patterns seem to have some form of biphasic sleep. My friend Gloria, who died at 100 on New Year’s Day, kept needle work by her bed, so she could sew when she woke during the night. Other friends tell me they listen to podcasts, meditate, do crossword puzzles (my husband’s preference), enjoy the solitude etc.
So if you think you have insomnia, but follow a segmented regular sleep pattern, this could be just how you are wired.
Your Brain on Sleep: Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake…. Sleep affects almost every type of tissue and system in the body – from the brain, heart, and lungs to metabolism, immune function, mood, and disease resistance. Research shows that a chronic lack of sleep, or getting poor quality sleep, increases the risk of disorders including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. Brain Basics Understanding Sleep
How much sleep do people need? Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night, but after age 60, nighttime sleep tends to be shorter, lighter, and interrupted by multiple awakenings. Older people are also more likely to take medications that interfere with sleep. The National Sleep Foundation posted a study in December that concludes, Consistency of sleep onset and offset timing is important for health, safety, and performance. Nonetheless, when insufficient sleep is obtained during the week/work days, weekend/non-work day catch-up sleep may be beneficial.
People that work shifts, where one week they’re on nights and the next on days, definitely suffer from this type of scheduling as it precludes consistency and may not offer sufficient stretches of sleep for the brain to recharge as it needs to.
Does it make a difference if you sleep all at once or break it up? Individuals vary in their need for sleep to begin with and include other factors such as age, health, working the night shift, parenting a young child, season, weather and so forth. For example, a “siesta” is a common practice in hotter climates. Farmers start early in the morning and work later into the evening. By taking a siesta (nap) mid-day they are able to get their 7-9 hours of sleep in, while avoiding the hottest part of the day.
No matter how you slice it, the brain needs to recharge and waking yourself by an alarm to shorten your sleep cycle isn’t helpful.
How to tell if you aren’t getting enough sleep: The following are some indicators that you may be dealing with a sleep issue: difficulty focusing; short tempered; taking unusual risks; feeling extremely sleepy; yawning a lot and/or falling asleep at the wrong time, such as while driving.
Try taking a sleep quiz to get a better indicator-the questions vary from quiz to quiz. These are just two examples:
• Short sleep deprivation quiz
Keep in mind that not getting enough sleep doesn’t just make us tired, according to a recent study, it can increase anxiety, degrade mood and altogether undermine our emotional functioning. Psychological BulletinEven staying up an hour later can cause us to be “off” the next day.
What about napping?: Studies indicate that a short nap can increase creativity, boost brain, and lower blood pressure However, there is a sweet spot, where if you sleep too deeply or too long, it can have a negative effect.
Who benefits most from a nap? The benefits of napping are strongest for people who have sleep debt, meaning their nighttime sleep falls short Shift workers, new parents and older people with fragmented nighttime sleep all seem to get a boost from a nap.
Nap Length: According to the National Sleep Foundation Researchers a 20 minute nap is the best length. A short nap like this allows your mind and body to rest without entering the deeper stages of sleep. If you have time and a need for a longer nap, napping for 60 to 90 minutes is enough time to have deep, slow-wave sleep, but end up in the lighter stages of sleep so you feel alert when you awake. Medium-length naps of around 45 minutes can be problematic because you will likely wake up during slow-wave sleep, the deepest stage, which can leave you with that groggy feeling—called sleep inertia—when you wake up.
But a short nap still has benefits! Scientists have found that when people napped around 30 minutes, they had better memory recall and superior overall cognition than both non-nappers and those who napped longer. You may be familiar with the term “power nap.” How long is a power nap? Power naps taken in the early afternoon usually last 15 to 20 minutes and can restore and refresh you when experiencing a natural decline in energy and wakefulness. NASA tested the effects of power napping on astronauts and found it had an effective boost to performance and alertness.
Bottom Line: Humans vary in sleep patterns but need about 7-9 hours sleep in a 24 hour period. Certain chronic conditions may dictate different sleep lengths and patterns. Further, sleep needs to be sufficient in length to allow the brain to recharge. Talk to your medical provider about your sleeping if it’s a concern to you. Note that there is now a category on sleep in the monthly Journal Watch (3rd Saturday of the month) as there is considerable research being done in this field and what is known today could be different in the months and years ahead.
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