SYHL Articles
Sleep On This
Written by Antonio Antenucci
Ever have one of those nights where you just stare at the ceiling unable to fall asleep? Thoughts racing through your head, worrying about recent events, work or about a loved one? Chances are you've had one of these sleepless nights filled with stress. For many Americans this is a daily occurrence, one that severely affects a healthy night's rest and can lead to many more ailments.
According to a 2009 survey conducted by The Better Sleep Council, 65% of Americans are losing sleep due to stress, and 16% of Americans suffer from stress induced insomnia. Insomnia is the inability to fall or stay asleep. Some people suffering from insomnia are awake for hours, or in more severe cases, days or weeks at a time.
"Stresses of everyday life will interfere with a person's ability to fall asleep," says Jordan Stern M.D, associate adjunct surgeon at The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary and founder of BLUESLEEP.com, an online sleep health resource center. "People start thinking of all the work they have to do or haven't done, paying bills, etc."
The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep every night and Dr.Stern contends that "most adults" are not getting the sleep they need.
Being sleep deprived can cause serious mental and physical issues for a person's health. "Lack of sleep can actually cause changes in mood, it can make people depressed, it can make people anxious," says Stern. "It can cause problems at school or work, if people are driving buses or operating heavy machinery, the lack of sleep is dangerous and can cause workplace accidents." Physically, sleep deprivation can cause body aches, head aches, tremors, and make you feel tired all day. Long term health effects include high blood pressure and heart disease.
The current economic climate hasn't helped matters either in stress reduction. "One of the most common stresses in anybody's life is financial stress," says Stern. According to the BSC survey, 16% of Americans attribute financial stress as reason they are staying awake at night, up three points from a previous stress & sleep study done in 2003. However, family issues took the prize as the number one stressor with 23% claiming that is what kept them up. Only 2% claimed worrying about current events was preventing them from sleeping.
Even though the BSC survey showed 26% of women reporting trouble sleeping at least once a week compared to only 16% of Men having similar problems sleeping, Dr. Stern sees stress-related sleep deprivation as non-sexist and non-age discriminatory, a major factor "deals with who is working and paying the bills," he says.
Sleep medication shouldn't be the first option for a person who is seeking a cure for their sleeping problems. Sleep drugs can be dangerous and make matters worse. "The most common dangers with sleeping drugs are that they are addictive and can interfere with other drugs."
Allergic reactions and side effects are also a big issue with sleep drugs. The FDA warns that sleep drug side effects can include "complex sleep-related behavior," causing a person to not remember certain events or of their actions while on these drugs. Being not fully awake and making phone calls, driving cars, eating food and even sex have been reported by people who are on certain kinds of sleep drugs. These side-effects are usually from products that are in the sedative-hypnotic class of drugs. Sedative-hypnotic drugs induce calm and reduce anxiety while helping a person fall and stay asleep. Some popular brands of sedative-hypnotic drugs are Ambien and Lunesta. In 2007, the FDA requested that stronger warning labels be used on sedative-hypnotic products.
Even over-the-counter sleep aids are known to have major side effects and are only short-term solutions for insomnia. "I would recommend that people not use over-the-counter sleeping drugs if they can avoid it," says Stern. The FDA reports that people often feel drowsy for longer than 8 hours after taking over-the-counter sleep aids.
The good news is that there are tons of natural alternative solutions to help you achieve a sound night of sleep and overcome stress related sleep deprivation. A healthy diet and regular exercise, such as yoga, are some well known remedies. A warm bath, chamomile herbal tea, staying away from caffeine and refraining from participating in intense exercise a few hours before bed are all other natural ways to relax and make falling asleep easier.
Some supplements can be very beneficial to regulating your sleep patterns. Valerian is an herbal supplement that is a natural sedative and helps reduce stress. Melatonin, a hormone produced in the brain that helps regulate your internal clock, can be taken in tablet form. Magnesium and Calcium are minerals that help relax muscles, and 5-Hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is an amino acid that helps create serotonin and tryptophan in the body and can improve the duration of sleep.
The need for a routine is also crucial. "We talk about bed time routines for children, but adults need to set a bedtime routine also," says Stern. He suggests having a specific time in mind set for when you should be in bed and removing distractions such as television, cell phones and computers at least an hour before bed time.
"You go through the routine where you remove stimulation, you decrease the lights, you decrease the noise," says Stern. "It's all very simple, but it does help people sleep."
If you are one of the millions who have trouble sleeping at night due to stress, it is important to do something about it and seek professional medical help, not only from your primary care doctor, but from a sleep specialist.
"Most primary care doctors don't have much training and expertise in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders," says Stern. "People should see sleep doctors or ear, nose and throat doctors, who can guide them."
Stress affects mostly every person in some way. But if stress is causing major problems in your sleep patterns and leaving you sleep deprived, recognizing the symptoms and finding a solution is vital to your health and may save your life.
Written by Antonio Antenucci
Ever have one of those nights where you just stare at the ceiling unable to fall asleep? Thoughts racing through your head, worrying about recent events, work or about a loved one? Chances are you've had one of these sleepless nights filled with stress. For many Americans this is a daily occurrence, one that severely affects a healthy night's rest and can lead to many more ailments.
According to a 2009 survey conducted by The Better Sleep Council, 65% of Americans are losing sleep due to stress, and 16% of Americans suffer from stress induced insomnia. Insomnia is the inability to fall or stay asleep. Some people suffering from insomnia are awake for hours, or in more severe cases, days or weeks at a time.
"Stresses of everyday life will interfere with a person's ability to fall asleep," says Jordan Stern M.D, associate adjunct surgeon at The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary and founder of BLUESLEEP.com, an online sleep health resource center. "People start thinking of all the work they have to do or haven't done, paying bills, etc."
The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep every night and Dr.Stern contends that "most adults" are not getting the sleep they need.
Being sleep deprived can cause serious mental and physical issues for a person's health. "Lack of sleep can actually cause changes in mood, it can make people depressed, it can make people anxious," says Stern. "It can cause problems at school or work, if people are driving buses or operating heavy machinery, the lack of sleep is dangerous and can cause workplace accidents." Physically, sleep deprivation can cause body aches, head aches, tremors, and make you feel tired all day. Long term health effects include high blood pressure and heart disease.
The current economic climate hasn't helped matters either in stress reduction. "One of the most common stresses in anybody's life is financial stress," says Stern. According to the BSC survey, 16% of Americans attribute financial stress as reason they are staying awake at night, up three points from a previous stress & sleep study done in 2003. However, family issues took the prize as the number one stressor with 23% claiming that is what kept them up. Only 2% claimed worrying about current events was preventing them from sleeping.
Even though the BSC survey showed 26% of women reporting trouble sleeping at least once a week compared to only 16% of Men having similar problems sleeping, Dr. Stern sees stress-related sleep deprivation as non-sexist and non-age discriminatory, a major factor "deals with who is working and paying the bills," he says.
Sleep medication shouldn't be the first option for a person who is seeking a cure for their sleeping problems. Sleep drugs can be dangerous and make matters worse. "The most common dangers with sleeping drugs are that they are addictive and can interfere with other drugs."
Allergic reactions and side effects are also a big issue with sleep drugs. The FDA warns that sleep drug side effects can include "complex sleep-related behavior," causing a person to not remember certain events or of their actions while on these drugs. Being not fully awake and making phone calls, driving cars, eating food and even sex have been reported by people who are on certain kinds of sleep drugs. These side-effects are usually from products that are in the sedative-hypnotic class of drugs. Sedative-hypnotic drugs induce calm and reduce anxiety while helping a person fall and stay asleep. Some popular brands of sedative-hypnotic drugs are Ambien and Lunesta. In 2007, the FDA requested that stronger warning labels be used on sedative-hypnotic products.
Even over-the-counter sleep aids are known to have major side effects and are only short-term solutions for insomnia. "I would recommend that people not use over-the-counter sleeping drugs if they can avoid it," says Stern. The FDA reports that people often feel drowsy for longer than 8 hours after taking over-the-counter sleep aids.
The good news is that there are tons of natural alternative solutions to help you achieve a sound night of sleep and overcome stress related sleep deprivation. A healthy diet and regular exercise, such as yoga, are some well known remedies. A warm bath, chamomile herbal tea, staying away from caffeine and refraining from participating in intense exercise a few hours before bed are all other natural ways to relax and make falling asleep easier.
Some supplements can be very beneficial to regulating your sleep patterns. Valerian is an herbal supplement that is a natural sedative and helps reduce stress. Melatonin, a hormone produced in the brain that helps regulate your internal clock, can be taken in tablet form. Magnesium and Calcium are minerals that help relax muscles, and 5-Hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is an amino acid that helps create serotonin and tryptophan in the body and can improve the duration of sleep.
The need for a routine is also crucial. "We talk about bed time routines for children, but adults need to set a bedtime routine also," says Stern. He suggests having a specific time in mind set for when you should be in bed and removing distractions such as television, cell phones and computers at least an hour before bed time.
"You go through the routine where you remove stimulation, you decrease the lights, you decrease the noise," says Stern. "It's all very simple, but it does help people sleep."
If you are one of the millions who have trouble sleeping at night due to stress, it is important to do something about it and seek professional medical help, not only from your primary care doctor, but from a sleep specialist.
"Most primary care doctors don't have much training and expertise in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders," says Stern. "People should see sleep doctors or ear, nose and throat doctors, who can guide them."
Stress affects mostly every person in some way. But if stress is causing major problems in your sleep patterns and leaving you sleep deprived, recognizing the symptoms and finding a solution is vital to your health and may save your life.
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