http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-sleep-myths-and-how-to-beat-them.html
5 Sleep Myths and How to Beat Them
By Veronica Peterson, Editor, Healthy & Green Living
We’ve all been there–those dreaded tossing and turning, sleepless nights that have us looking at the clock every five minutes thinking, “If I fall asleep now, I’ll get at least 4 hours.” Well, fret no longer. Below are some common sleep myths debunked, and suggestions for how you can turn your anxiety-ridden nights into peaceful Z’s.
1. Eight is the magic number.
Fact: There’s nothing special about that exact number, it’s just an average. “Everyone has different sleep needs, and you’ll know you’re getting enough when you don’t feel like nodding off in a boring situation in the afternoon,” says New York University psychologist Joyce Walsleben, Ph.D., co-author of A Woman’s Guide to Sleep.
How to beat it: Listen to your body. If you’re constantly reaching for snacks or need an afternoon caffeine jolt–go to bed earlier. Your body is craving other ways to stay alert via sugar and caffeine. As an added bonus, you’ll be amazed at the weight lost when you start getting the proper amount of rest. In fact, according to a Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, women who slept five hours or less a night were a third more likely to gain 33 pounds or more over 16 years than women who slept seven hours.
2. You can make up for lost sleep on weekends.
Fact: Sleep binging on the weekend and forgoing sleep during the week upsets your circadian rhythms and make it more difficult to get into a deep sleep state. So instead of making up for the past sleepless week, you set yourself up to fail for the week to come. “The body loves consistency,” says Donna Arand, Ph.D., spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
How to beat it: Try and wake up and go to bed at the same time every day–even on weekends. Like everything else in life, the key here is balance. A couple hours difference probably won’t make a huge impact, but don’t sleep in until the afternoon.
3. Some peoples’ bodies only need a few hours of sleep.
Fact: Despite the legendary stories we’ve all heard about Di Vinci only sleeping four hours a night, too little sleep is bad for your health and your happiness. It can impair performance, judgment, the ability to take in new information, weaken your immune system, and can contribute to weight gain.
How to beat it: If you don’t feel drowsy within 20 minutes of lying down, get up and do something that is not too active until you feel sleepy. Then try going back to bed. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol after 8 p.m. on weekends and 6 p.m. on weekdays.
4. You need to be on medication if you have chronic insomnia.
Fact: Sleeping medication is designed to be used solely for short term sleep disorders such as travel adjustment or a stressful incident. People who suffer from insomnia benefit more greatly through behavioral changes and cognitive therapy, such as learning better sleeping habits.
How to beat it: Look into Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). “People think there’s something wrong with them if they wake up in the middle of the night, so when it happens, they look at the clock and start to worry, which prevents them from getting back to sleep,” says CBT therapist Dan Walsleben in a recent MSNBC article. “A therapist would explain that sleep is made up of both deep and light phases, and it can be perfectly normal to awaken every 90 minutes or so. Instead of worrying, we tell patients to congratulate themselves for sleeping so normally and let their bodies drift off again,” Walsleben says.
5. The older you are the less sleep you need.
Fact: As we age our quality of restorative, deep sleep declines, making it more difficult to stay asleep. According to a New York Times article, “The composition of sleep changes. There is also a greater likelihood that sleep will be disrupted by chronic illness, pain or some other discomfort. As a result, you end up with fewer hours of sleep each night–and subsequently a need to make up for that loss during the day.”
How to beat it: Just say no to naps. Studies show that seniors need just as much sleep as everyone else, they’re just getting it at different times. If you want to have a restful evening, try to avoid daytime naps, especially after 3 p.m.
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The Japanese now sleep 20 minutes during lunch to rejuvenate and they work better! Amazing what sleep can do. Btw, I can't digg this but I will STUMBLEUPON this!
Thanks for a great article Veronica - I will browse the rest of this site after work! Come read mine too and give me your comments: http://www.bloggersbase.com/articles/lifestyle/sports-and-fitness/health-myths-busted-part-5 THANKS again Veronica!
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I seem to have a 26-hour circadian rhythm; if I do not have to wake up at a certain time of day, the pattern will slip forward about 15 minutes per day. After a few weeks it seems to come around full circle if not interrupted. I'm not sure how common this is.
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It seems like my circadian rhythm goes by a 26-hour clock rather than 24 hours; if I don't have to get up at a certain time each day, my routine slips forward about 15 minutes per day - coming around full circle in a few weeks if nothing is done to interfere with it. I'm not sure how common this is.
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Unfortunately, Lack of sleep can cause psychosis, and affect how you look and how you deal with stress. It is so true that you can never catch up with lost sleep. Our bodies repair themselves when we sleep, our cells turn over and rejuvenate, so sleep is indeed a very necessary ingredient for good health. One thing to avoid--alcohol. It might put you to sleep, however causes late night sleep disturbances.
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Sleep also affects the way you look, and the way you deal with stress! Lack of sleep in some cases can cause psychosis, which I have seen in the healthcare field.
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I appreciated the comments on this story, thank you to those who have shared. I especially identify with Alex's comment on the "Amish Approach". When I wake up early and physically work during the day, I have noticed that I have no problem getting to sleep and staying asleep...that is if my life stressors are not too much for me. If I've had a fight with my mate or a problem at work, I can forget sleeping that night. So, I recommend everyone, myself included, minimize their stress and learn to deal with stress better when it cannot be avoided. In addition, for those of us who do not have physically demanding jobs or access to sunshine at work, perhaps we would benefit from a quick walk during our lunch break? Now how many of you are reading this and saying, "I wish" because you don't feel you have the time. Me too, I eat at my desk and keep working more often than not. It might be worth carving out some time to give it a try though.
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Exposing oneself to sunlight (direct or indirect) at 12 Noon for, ideally, 30 minutes helps to synchronize the body's internal clock ~
We need to get back to the "Amish Approach", wake when the sun rises, work hard (physically) during the day and go to bed when the sun sets, THE WAY NATURE MEANT IT.
"Go to bed with the Swallows and arise with the Larks"
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Since I work I have to get up between 5:30 and 5:30 (if I'm pushing it), I don't have the luxury of going back to sleep except on the weekends, when it drives me nuts when I wake up at 5:00. Like some posters here, I used to be a night person, but at 46 I've become much less so. I tried Melatonin, with absolutely no effect, so I'm glad that it works for some people. From the research I've done on sleeplessness and other issues that face women age definitely has something to do with it. Menopause and perimenopause play havoc with women. Headaches, sleeplessness, lethargy, weight issues are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm dealing with all of them. I have a prescription sleeping pill that I take after I've had two or three nights in a row of waking up constantly. I finally sleep great and end up feeling better. I'd love to always take the natural route, but sometimes there isn't one.
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My wife suffers from lack of sleep...or she can't sleep at all some nights. She's 49, I'm 46. She's suffered since she was 15. I've always tended to be a sleeper who only needs about six hours per night. But since being with my wife, I have never had a normal nights sleep. Before I met her I didn't snore at all. She said for our first year sleeping together, I never snored, but I have for the last eight years. I wake up exhausted. I hate the feeling. She says it's my snoring that's disturbing my sleep, but I also think it's her constant waking up and leaving the room then returning to the room during the night. Granted, since we have been together, I have gained at least 40 pounds and kept if on. I hate being overweight. But she throws food at me that she can't or won't eat and I have been working very hard at refusing her leftovers. I've lost 15 pounds in the last couple of months and I have noticed that I am sleeping better...but still not getting the kind of sleep that I need. I'm still a very early riser which I prefer. Because I love being up before the rest of the world. I love the quiet and solitude of the very early morning hours. Watching the sun come up is wonderful. I've also started going to bed much earlier than my wife by at least two hours, that gives me a jump and I DO feel a lot better. So in bed by 10 PM and up by 6 or 630 AM and I'm good to go. I took a Valerian root capsule once but ended up sleeping 12 hours! I was a zombie for two days! It was horrible!
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