-
Sleep Amounts: 6 hours is not enough
There is no single normal amount of sleep. Each person has a genetically determined amount of sleep that must be obtained to be normally alert. It has been theorized that there is a minimum amount, termed core sleep, that is essential for basic function. Perhaps 4 to 5 hours in duration and dominated by slow wave sleep, this may be sufficient to prevent death or psychosis, but is clearly inadequate for normal vigilance, safety and health. The range of sleep thought necessary for optimum health in most adults is between 7 and 9 hours. Chronic sleep durations below 4 hours and above 10 hours are associated with significantly reduced health.
-
Circadian Rhythms: The body has a timer
The lives of all human beings obviously are organized around the 24 hour solar day. The term usually applied to this rhythm is circadian, which means ‘about a day’. As it turns out, each person’s biological clock keeps their sleep and wake schedule synchronized, so called entrained, to the 24 hour light-dark cycle. If a person is placed in ‘temporal’ isolation, (ie in a cave or kept in dim light completely unaware of whether it is day or night), then the timing of a person’s sleep will dissociate from the setting and rising of the sun and “drift” to a different time. The amount of drift depends on how long the person’s “day length” or “tau” is. This is the amount of time required for one cycle of their circadian rhythm as measured by the production of melatonin. Melatonin is the “darkness” hormone that signals to various structures in the body that it is night. This cycle produces the circadian rhythm and dictates the duration of the biological “day” length. Humans have a biological “day” length of 24.2 hours on average with about 1/3 of the population less than 24 hours and 66% or more remaining greater than 24 hours. To stay ” in synch”, the circadian clock is influenced by multiple time givers or “zeitgebers” including light exposure and activity level. Multiple functions including alertness, vigilance, cognitive performance, temperature and digestive function and even sleep structure are influenced by the circadian rhythm. People normally retire as body temperature is falling, which it continues to do until the early AM, rising again in preparation for awakening in the morning.
-
Naps: The physiology of the ‘Siesta’
Our culture tends to view a nap almost as a sign of weakness of character or laziness. Other cultures incorporate a nap into their daily routine. All ages and species nap. Western society’s view of the nap is yet another reflection of the lack of appreciation of the importance of sleep to alertness.
Our Favorite Blogs
.
-
Fri, 18 May 2012 13:30:21 +0000
A new CDC study shows that overall, 30.0% of workers responding to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey reported short sleep duration (≤6 hours per day).
-
Fri, 18 May 2012 13:28:57 +0000
New research shows that sleepwalking may be much more common in adults than previously thought and that having depression or anxiety may increase your likelihood of experiencing the condition. The study is published in the May 15, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
-
Sat, 05 May 2012 01:59:17 +0000
Obesity, depression/anxiety, ADHD, asthma contribute to fatigue even after a good night’s sleep
Children who have learning, attention and behavior problems may be suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness, even though clinical tests show them sleeping long enough at night, a new study reports.
-
Fri, 04 May 2012 01:51:19 +0000
Short sleep duration increases expression of genetic risks for high body mass index
Toss out another old wives' tale: Sleeping too much does not make you fat. Quite the opposite, according to a new study examining sleep and body mass index (BMI) in twins, which found that sleeping more than nine hours a night may actually suppress genetic influences on body weight.
-
Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:09:55 +0000
NOMINATIONS DEADLINE: 4/20/12
The National Sleep Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award.
-
Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:20:41 +0000
A study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital reinforces the finding that too little sleep or sleep patterns that are inconsistent with our body's 'internal biological clock' may lead to increased risk of diabetes and obesity
-
Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:20:03 +0000
Sleep problems are common in young children and can lead to difficulties in families. Several factors likely contribute to these problems, and mothers' depression has consistently been identified as one. Now a new study has found that moms with higher levels of symptoms of depression might act in ways that disturb their infants' sleep.
-
Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:28:37 +0000
Obstructive sleep apnea and other symptoms of OSA are associated with probable major depression, regardless of factors like weight, age, sex or race, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was no link between depression and snoring.
-
Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:04:02 +0000
Sleep disturbance negatively impacts the memory consolidation and enhancement that usually occurs with a good night's sleep, according to a study published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
-
Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:58:53 +0000
A nightly breathing treatment may do more than help people with obstructive sleep apnea get a good night’s rest — it may also help prevent heart failure.
.
-
2/27/2012Minimize the negative effects of the time change by going to bed earlier over a series of nights.
-
1/7/2011Sleep deprived people tend to appear tired and less healthy, therefore less attractive.
-
1/7/2011a quarter of women who experience restless leg syndrome while pregnant may have chronic symptoms when they are older
-
1/7/2011Despite months or even years of preparation, many troops struggle to sleep arriving in a warzone.
-
1/7/2011New traffic safety statistics provide a wake-up call for America about the public safety threat that is drowsy driving.
-
1/7/2011A new study found that sleeping after a study session dramatically helps with the recall of new words.
-
1/6/2011Plenty of nighttime sleep at a very early age may help kick-start cognitive development and give kids a leg-up in school.
-
8/13/2010It’s that time of year when parents have to break the bad habits that keep kids up late during the summer months.
-
8/5/2010Fight heart disease by getting a full seven hours of sleep per night
-
8/5/2010Turning your sleep schedule topsy-turvy often leads to insomnia and chronic fatigue
-
About the BlogOur full-time, on-premises Medical Director, Dr. Gerald B. Rich received his MD degree from Oregon Health Sciences University in 1975. Dr. Rich also received his internship training from Oregon Health Sciences University, followed by residency training and fellowships in both Neurology and Psychiatry at world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
-
Categories -
Most Popular -
