Don’t Be Deprived of Your Sleep

It is as essential to us as air, food and water, but few people set aside the right amount of time each day for sleep – the thing on which our well-being and health depends.

If we are able to get enough quality sleep, we are left feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. On the other hand, if we don’t get enough sleep, many aspects of our lives are affected, including our work and relationships.

A Lack of Sleep

According to the 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll, 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39 percent get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three (37 percent) are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities.

Through the years we have reduced our average hours in sleep, but our bodies and minds have not adjusted. We are depriving ourselves from very important sleep, and our bodies are paying the price for it.

Sleep Requirements

Getting enough continuous quality sleep is essential to our well-being. It refers to the amount of sleep needed to not feel sleepy the next day. If you feel sleepiness is affecting your daily activities, you probably need more of it.

Sleep experts recommend that 7-9 hours of sleep per night are needed, but this can vary from person to person. Sleep requirements change over our lifespan. This chart illustrates the recommended sleep time for different life stages:



Although the sleep times change over the life cycle, the need for sleep remains constant.

Sleep Related Statistics

Planning your day so you allow enough time to get enough quality sleep is necessary. According to the 2002 poll, over 80 percent of American adults believe that not getting enough sleep leads to poor performance at work, risk for injury and poor health, and difficulty getting along with others.

This does not even mention the fact that many people become irritable due to lack of sleep, resulting in serious consequences. Problems completing a task, concentrating, making decisions and unsafe actions have also been seen in some studies.

Just as compelling are the serious consequences of sleep deprivation that lead to approximately 100,000 sleep-related vehicle crashes each year and result in 1,500 deaths.

Whatever the significance lack of sleep is on your life, sleep is essential and should be made a priority in everyone’s day.

Sleeping and Dreaming

For centuries, scientists, philosophers and psychologists have wondered how sleep and dreams affect us. Why or how we dream has forever been a question that many have asked, but few answers have followed.

Some scientists attribute our emotional arousal and other events to the frequency and intensity of our dreams, but can we really be sure?

What Do My Dreams Mean?

Dreams have always had a tremendous affect on people’s lives. From guiding the political, social and everyday decisions of ancient civilizations, to the Greek philosophers who attributed them to natural sources, dreams are as perplexing as any other phenomenon.

Sigmund Freud promoted the idea that dreams gave us access to our unconscious repressed conflicts. Another psychoanalyst, Alfred Adler, believed another idea - that dreams reflect our current lifestyle and offer solutions to contemporary problems.

These and many other theories have arisen over the years, but none have had such a tremendous affect on dream research as a discovery made in the mid-1900s.

What is REM Sleep?

In 1953 Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman came upon the idea of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and its connection with an increased frequency in dreaming.

It is known now that REM sleep leads to a better waking experience and it is also the time when our most vivid dreaming occurs.

Some scientists have even suggested that we spend more than two hours a night dreaming. Vivid dreams usually occur during the REM stage for most people, while less vivid dreams occur at other times of the night.

Whatever the case, dreams are a strange phenomenon that still remain a scientific mystery.

Caffeine Consumption

The use of Caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) are just a few ways people keep from falling asleep during the day. Whether we consume caffeine in the morning to wake up easier or in the afternoon to fight off our mid-day energy slump – Americans are increasingly devouring this stimulant.

How Does Caffeine Effect Me?

You hear people talk about getting a buzz from caffeine. This is because the stimulant actually blocks sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increases adrenaline production. Unlike certain vitamins and minerals, the body does not need caffeine – but consuming a moderate amount is not associated with any health risks.

How much caffeine do you consume, and what is considered a moderate amount? Most health experts agree that moderate caffeine consumption is defined as 250 milligrams per day – or three 8 oz. cups of coffee. Six or more cups is considered excessive and could be sign of caffeine dependence.

Most people report feeling the effects of caffeine about 15 minutes after consumption. Once caffeine enters the body, it remains for quite a long time – and can take up to six hours for just half of the amount consumed to leave the body.

Sleep Problems

Caffeine addiction can lead to sleep abuse and sleep problems. If you suspect someone you know is taking in an excessive amount of caffeine, eliminate consumption and look for signs of withdrawal – like reports of fatigue and headaches.

Jet Lag and Your Sleep

At one time or another in our lives, most of us have experienced some degree of the time zone change disorder, known as jet lag. Flying can be stressful in itself, but when you add jet lag, it can make traveling downright unbearable at times. After many years of not being considered a medical condition, jet lag is now one of the 84 known or suspected sleep disorders.

What is Jet Lag?

Jet lag, which occurs when the body’s biological clock is out of sync with local time, affects millions of people each year. Adjusting to a new time zone can take several days and can leave us feeling sleepy in the middle of the day or wide awake at night.

The degree of Jet Lag depends on these factors:
*In general, the more time zones crossed, the more severe the jet lag symptoms. These symptoms are usually worse following an eastward flight, resulting in difficulty initiating sleep. Westward flights, on the other hand, result in early morning awakenings.

*Jet lag affects people of all ages. However, individuals over the age of 50 are more likely to experience jet lag than individuals under the age of 30.

Symptoms of Jet Lag include:
*Daytime sleepiness
*Nighttime alertness (insomnia)
*Loss of appetite
*Gastrointestinal dysfunction
*Mood disturbances
*Difficulty concentrating or focusing

Some treatments and tips to reduce jet lag include:
*Gradually shifting your bedtime to coincide with the time zone of your destination in the days before you travel.
(A rule of thumb is that it takes about a day for each hour time zone change to recover from jet lag.)

*Prescription sleep aids can reduce the effects of jet lag by reducing the amount of sleep lost.
(Over the counter sleep aids and alcohol should be avoided.)

*Caffeine can be taken to overcome daytime sleepiness, as long as it is not in the few hours before bedtime.