The Effects of Sleep Deprivation - Adults

This week we will be looking at how adults can be affected by a lack of sleep - worryingly these effects are the same whether the deprivation is caused by insomnia or just trying to fit too much into your day.

Since the beginning of the last century great leaps in technology have promised us more time for leisure and activities we enjoy. Electricity and light-bulbs promised us that we could do more in the evenings and the early hours of darkness. Time to spend with family and loved ones, time to read and do other hobbies rather than going to bed soon after dusk.

In reality some of the advances have actually impacted the amount of time we spend asleep and the impact is increasing year on year. On average humans now sleep for about an hour less than we did 60 years ago.

Television was a great invention but used to switch off in the evenings, now it is available 24/7 and there is always another programme to watch. As the technology improved, TV's have now expanded into the bedroom and have an even bigger impact on sleep levels.

Now the internet and the sophistication of mobile technology means that we are connected to work all the time. The days of leaving work at 5pm and heading home for an evening with the family are diminishing, with only a few occupations left where this is possible. I remember my father being 'on call' one night a week and one weekend in four. This did impact our lives but for the other nights/weekends he was off duty. Now Doctors can be called all the time and are never off duty. This isn't just for the medical profession though - hands up who checks their emails one last time before going to bed, over the weekend or even when on holiday.

Computers have introduced and updated a new range of hobbies and pastimes. Several clients have reported to me that if they can not sleep they get up and play on-line games during the night. These range from card games and chess through to the latest shoot-em dead epic. The thing is they all stimulate the brain and delay the opportunity for falling back to sleep.

Sometimes we expect our brains and bodies to act like computers and switch on and off automatically. We go to bed, so stimulated - through technology, work, caffeine etc - and expect to fall asleep as soon as we hit the pillow. In fact our brains need time to wind down before being relaxed enough to sleep. In the 'old days' the sunset and darkness would be enough of a trigger but now artifical light (especially the lights on computers and kindles etc) stimulate the retinas at the back of hours and delay the sleep mechanisms of the brain kicking in. Reading your kindle, even on the low light setting, sends light directly to your eyes, whereas reading a book with a sidelight slightly behind you sends only the light reflected off the page to your eyes. A big difference.

In this world of physical perfection some people are getting up ever earlier to fit in a workout or run before they go to work. In fact I often see this being offered as a solution to people who say that they do not have the time to exercise during the day - paraphrasing somewhat it is along the lines of 'Get up an hour early and fit in your exercise as it is important to have a physically fit body.' However, unless done with care, the physical benefits of exercise are diminished -if not negated - by the physical effects of sleep deprivation.

So whether or not you have the classic insomnia and lie awake staring at the ceiling or you are getting less than the recommended 7 to 8 hours as you are burning the candle at both ends - the effects on your body are exactly the same.

Sleep deprivation portrays itself in the body in a variety of ways including -
Lethargy
Poor concentration
Decreased performance in both physical and mental tasks
Increase in appetite
Weight gain
Increased risk of heart problems
Increased risk of diabetes
increased risk of strokes

The problem for most sleep deprived adults is that the effects are accumulated over time. You do not get diabetes after just one night of poor sleep. In fact, after just one night of poor sleep you feel ok, it was not a problem and you feel as if you could do it again.
You may have been slower at work, or felt tired on the way home but these effects are diminished by taking caffeine or other stimulants. So you do it again. Pulling an all nighter to get a report done. Staying out late with your friends. Watching a late night TV programme.

In fact your body has been pulling out all the stops to help you feel normal and ok and it has the resources to do this and it these that are causing the long term damage that one day may show up as a heart problem.

When you are sleep deprived your hormones are affected including leptin - that suppresses your appetite causing you to eat more. (The science bit is here). So you may eat a little more after a bad night's sleep, so what? It is the accumulative effect that causes weight gain and the increased risk of diabeties, heart problems and strokes.

Constantly taking stimulants to keep your performance levels high at work may gradually become a cycle of stimulants to wake you and sedatives to help you sleep.

Also if you start feeling tired, you skip on the exercise, further impacting on the problems for your health.

Without becoming a social recluse - what can you do help get back into a normal, healthy sleep pattern?

Make a sleep a priority in your life
Work out how many hours sleep you need a night and start to work towards getting them
Cut out caffeine after 2pm
Stop drinking alcohol 2 hours before bedtime
Take technology out of the bedroom - computers, smartphones, kindles, TV's etc
Have a 'no screen time' hour before bed
Read proper books at bedtime, not kindles
Use things like a having a bath as a wind down time before going to bed
If needed have strategic naps but not too late in the afternoon
Record and watch favourite late night programs at a later date
Have a time limit on social events on 'school nights'

If you are aware of sleep deprivation and the affect it is having on your body, you are already one step along the path of changing your habits. Good luck in your journey.

Sweet dreams

 If you think you have a problem with sleep deprivation and would like help resolving it and do not know where to begin, then please contact me for a free consultation session. charlotte@charlottewelply.com

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation - Teenagers

Teenagers are an interesting group of people to study in terms of sleep and sleep needs, as along with the usual concerns around getting enough sleep there is a big biological shift in their sleep patterns as well. This along with an increase in social activities, homework and studying, social media and computer access, as well as peer pressure and 'fitting in', means that sleep can be pushed down the list of priorities when in fact it should be at the top.

Teenagers need an average of nine to nine and half hours of sleep each night. Some need a little less, some a little more. As I mentioned above there is a biological shift that happens at this stage of development that lasts till the early 20's, which makes it difficult for teenagers and young adults to fall asleep before 11 pm, forcing them to go to bed earlier may not actually help them sleep any better or longer.

This of course has a big impact on how much sleep they get as they need to get up in time for school and most schools start between 8 and 9 am. This leads the classic picture of the lazy teenager not waking up in the morning and being ready for school!

The effects of sleep deprivation are similar to those of younger children in terms of both physical and mental performance. A sleep deprived teenager will do less well in their schoolwork and have difficulty remembering information. Staying up late to do last minute revision before an exam is actually less effective than getting a good night's sleep.

Poor sleep patterns will also affect sports performances, and can lead to teenagers being overweight and having problematic skin conditions. Although completely different examples these are areas that are important to teenagers and can have an effect on their confidence and self perception which in turn has a knock on effect with their social skills and interaction.

There is also alarming research showing that the effects of sleep deprivation on driving is similar to the effects of alcohol on driving. This needs to be discussed with any teenager who is learning to drive and pushed as much as the 'Don't drink and drive' message.

Alcohol and cigarettes are also stimulants and can affect sleep and teenage years are when most people start experimenting with these. Large amounts of caffeine will stimulate the brain and affect sleeping patterns; drinking large amounts of energy drinks may initially help a sleep deprived person get through important tests or exams but can have a knock on effect on the following sleep and set up a sleep deprived/caffeine intake cycle that needs to be broken.

Also poor sleep, a lack of interest in social activities and poor school performance can can be a sign of depression and so this is harder to spot amongst the usual teenage 'blues'. If you are concerned about a teenager, then sit down and ask them about their goals and inspirations and if you remain concerned seek medical advice.

The best way to ensure a teenager gets enough sleep is to encourage and develop good sleep habits when they are younger. However it is never to late to try and create good habits and work with the awareness of the shift in the body clock and help them adapt to it instead of trying to fight it

- Encourage a routine where homework is done earlier in the evening and finished well before bedtime

- Also encourage a no-screen time after 10pm. The lights (and the closeness of them) on a computer screen stimulates the receptors at the back of the eyes and blocks the message to the brain that it is night time and to get ready for sleep. TV screens are not as bad as they are watched from a greater distance.

- Record programmes that are on later at night to be watched at other times.

- Make the bedroom a place for sleep and not activity. Remove computers and tv's and have sidelights and dimmer switches to keep the light level low

- Have as much natural light as possible in the morning o help the body wake up. Walking or cycling to school can help with this

- Have different areas in the home for homework, computers and tv's. It is important that the brain associates the bedroom with sleep and not other activities

- Encourage phones to switched off at night and perhaps have an overnight docking/recharge station somewhere else in the home, where ALL the families phones go. This is best started from a younger age

- Set up consistent bedtime and waking times through the week as the brain responds well to this and recognizes the trigger signs for sleep

- Have a good wind down routine for the end of the day - after the screens have been turned off, have a bath, a bedtime snack and reading (for fun) are all good things to help the brain wind-down and prepare for sleep

- Allow time for strategic naps and lie-ins for catching up on sleep on weekends and holidays. Do not nap too close to bedtime and also only allow a couple of hours lie-in, sleeping in till midday will just throw the bodyclock out of kilter

- Look at any out of school activities and monitor how many hours they take each week and is this having an impact on their homework and sleep time. Are strenuous physical activities - sports training etc being done too late in the evening to give the body to relax before sleep

- Keep an open dialogue going about the importance sleep and listen to what the teenager says. It is important that this is more of a discussion of pro's and con's rather than an dictation or rule. Help them feel they have a choice in what is decided

- Ask about a delayed start to school. Schools that have put their start time back an hour have found that teenagers do better in achieving good grades and also that truancy levels are reduced

- Talk to teenagers regularly about their day, how things are going and any concerns they may have so that they are not taking worries and stress to bed with them

These are all great habits and will enable teenagers and young adults to live life to the full.

Sweet dreams

Are you TATT? (Tired all the time)

So you don't have a sleep problem as such, you just feel tired all the time and lacking in energy, what could be the reason? With 1 in 5 people reporting to be feeling like this, it is a real problem and seems to be growing.

The three most common reasons fortunately are the easiest to fix.

1 Diet - constantly reaching for a the caffeine or sugar to get through the day has a detrimental effect on your health as these both cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate and your body has to work hard to keep these levels stable. A well balanced diet full of healthy whole foods will go a long way to helping you feel more energized.  Also eating healthily will help control your weight as being over-weight can contribute to feelings of tiredness.

2 Sleep - not a surprising factor, but in this fast paced world the time set aside for sleep is being eroded away. Work out how much sleep you really are getting and make time for more. You should be aiming for around 8 hours each night. Please look back on previous posts in this blog for ideas and suggestions to help you make sleep a priority.

3 Exercise - although this appears to be counter-intuitive, (why do you need to do more physical activity if you are feeling tired?) exercise has been shown to increase energy levels. Small amounts of regular exercise will not only improve your health, it will also help you feel more energized and will help you sleep better too. Try and finish your exercise 3 hours before you go to bed to make sure you have time to wind down, or do some gentle yoga before going to bed to help relax and calm you in preparation for sleep. Work your way up to 40 minutes 3 times a week.
However if you feel worse as you are exercising - beyond the usual huff and puff, then please see a doctor as soon as possible.

Take an honest look at your lifestyle and evaluate if you can make some changes as just a few tweaks and adjustments can make a big difference. You do not have to become a vegan, gym bunny overnight, instead aim for being a slightly healthy, gym hamster first! Start with achievable goals - meeting your 5 fruit and vegetable a day target, taking a 20 min walk each evening or going to bed half an hour early do not take much effort and can be the first steps to an energetic, new you. Gradually build on these baby steps and look at how you feel in a few months time to really see the changes.

If despite changes to your lifestyle you see no changes or you feel you already have a relatively balanced lifestyle or have other symptoms on top of a general lack of energy then you should see a doctor as possible. Reasons could include conditions such as anemia, thyroid disorders, diabetes and nutrient deficiencies and would need medical examinations to determine the cause and the solution.

Sweet dreams!

 If you would like more help with your sleep problems then please contact me at charlotte@charlottewelply.com and we can set up a free introductory coaching session.

3 things you can do today to improve your sleep tonight!

It's all well and good to 'think' about things to do that will improve your sleep, but when it comes to actually doing them... well that seems to be another story!
Here are a few simple, quick and easy things to do today to help you get a better nights sleep tonight.

Clear some clutter

Is your bedroom a sanctuary or a store cupboard? It is easy to leave things in your room as there is nowhere else to put them. It may start off with one or two objects but before you know it you have boxes of toys, tool kits, ironing boards etc in your room.
Even if your room seems tidy, what is lurking in the cupboards? Under the bed?
I have written before about clearing the clutter in your bedroom - a clear space makes it easier to sleep.
So today take 15 minutes and clear some clutter! You do not have to do the whole room, start with a cupboard or drawer, or tackle what you have stashed beneath the bed. Even just tidying and dusting will help you feel better and give you a nicer sleep environment.

Go for a walk in daylight

In this modern world it is very easy to spend very little time outside in the fresh air and more importantly in daylight. We can drive to work, to the shops, to our friends. Stay indoors at work or when shopping. Go to the gym to work out. have a sandwich at your desk instead of going out for lunch... they all add up to time spent indoors.
Today make the effort to go out for a 20 to 30 minute walk, the earlier in the day the better. Not only will the gentle exercise help you sleep better but exposing your body to daylight will help rest your body clock which re-enforces the daytime/nighttime message that it needs to have in order to sleep properly.
BTW - another benefit of regular walking is weight loss. My sister-in-law successfully dropped two dress sizes before her wedding by walking during her lunch break three times a week!


Write down tomorrow's to do list

I am not a big fan of to do lists - in fact I hate them but when it comes to distrubed sleep trying to remember everything in your head does not help! It can keep your mind racing in the night so that you do not forget them. So the simple act of writing them on a piece of paper before you go to bed can help calm your mind and enable you to sleep more easily. Even if you feel that night time waking has nothing to do with your to do list, try this for a couple of nights and see what happens. You may not be thinking about tomorrows work but subconscious may be keeping you awake anyway in an effort not to forget.
As an example - if I forget to set my alarm (and it's not a weekend) I can not sleep, I will not be thinking about waking up, or work in fact I could be thinking about anything. Eventually, as it has happened a few times now, I'll think through why I'm not sleep and check my alarm to see if I have set it. After I have set it I then find it easy to drift off to sleep. My subconscious refuses to let me sleep until it knows I will be woken in the morning!  Writing things down has worked for many of my clients, some of whom thought it would not, so do try!

There you have three simple things that you can do today to improve your sleep tonight!

Sweet dreams.

The end of sleep?

This is a really interesting article about whether we can reduce the amount of time we need to sleep by the use of medications and control devices.

I find it an interesting debate.

In some ways spending 8 hours each day being effectively unconscious seems like a waste of time. So if we can reduce that time, then why not?

Then the other part of me kicks in thinking that if this is what has successfully lead human beings through thousands of years of evolution, why tinker with it?

Presently scientists do not fully understand why we sleep. They know we need it and the effects that happen if we don't sleep but not actually why we do it. This seems strange, especially in the modern world where technology and science are teaching us so much about our world and our bodies.

I love sleep, the getting ready for bed, feeling comfy and all tucked up, drifting of to sleep and the bizzare thoughts that go through my mind, the dreams and then waking - still feeling warm and comfortable in bed. As an ex insomniac I also know the side effects of not getting enough sleep - both the physical and the mental ones. It would concern me that if we all started reducing our sleep and relied on medication etc to counter the side effects - what the long term effects on our bodies would be.

After just one night of poor sleep I find myself being grumpy and irritable, taking things out on people when it is not their fault, poor decision making, eating more and exercising less. The long term effects are even more debilitating. It sounds great that the ideas mentioned in the article could help reduce these effects (and it opens the interesting possibility of how could these be put to use to help insomniacs) but how long for?
So far they seem to have useful temporary uses, but what would the long term effect of these be? This is one medical trial that I would be reluctant to put myself forward for. I have spent the last couple of years getting my health, fitness and energy levels back on track and would not want to jeopardize them.

One of the major things I find sad, is this modern belief that by sleeping we are wasting our time, when in fact sleep helps us make the most of the time we have, to live it more fully, be more productive and active each day. The modern lifestyle seems intent on reducing the importance and the time we spend asleep - the initial thoughts that technology would make our lives simpler and easier, allowing for more downtime, has in-fact been shown to be untrue and people are now connected 24/7, checking work emails before bed and when on holiday etc.
My life has been transformed since sleeping properly and maybe it is the people who have poor sleep patterns that fully understand the importance of sleep, rather than those who fall asleep easily and think nothing of it, who feel that we can reduce it or go without it.

It will be interesting to see where the research goes to reduce the need for sleep or to actively encourage it? In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy my sleep all 8 hours of it.

What do you think? 

Exercise and sleep.

It's an established fact that exercise can help improve your sleep. It makes sense. You feel tired after exercise, you have worked your muscles and your heart but do you sometimes have a great workout, feel exhausted yet find yourself staring at the ceiling and unable to sleep? The truth is that your body needs time to rest and recover after exercise.

So the really question is not - what is the best exercise for sleep? But - when is the best time to exercise to help sleep?

The answer depends on the type of exercise you have chosen.

Vigorous workouts within 3 hours of going to bed can actually hamper your efforts to sleep - you will have a raised heart rate and higher body temperature, both of which hinder sleep.
While exercising in the morning can help reduce stress and if this is combined with spending time in daylight it can help set your bodyclock naturally.

Cardio type workouts that raise your heart rate such as running, aerobics and weight training should be done earlier in the day to give your body time to relax and wind down before going to bed. It is possible to time this to perfection and working out in the mid-afternoon to early evening can really help you sleep better as your body will naturally be cooling down at the time you are getting ready to sleep.

This may be difficult for most people due to work and family commitments, so follow the general guidelines of exercising 3 to 4 times a week and at least three hours before bedtime. If you hit the gym after work, make sure it is straight after work and you allow time to wind down, or chose a gentler class or programme.

It is possible to do a workout later in the evening, but these need to be calming exercises such as gentle yoga, pilates and stretches which all help your body relax and unwind before sleep. Care needs to be taken with choosing these exercises as some types of yoga can actually be dynamic and quite aerobic, so discuss this with your gym instructor or trainer in to how appropriate your chosen activity is for aiding sleep.

I have seen an improvement in my sleep since joining a gym over a year ago. I prefer to go during the daytime and the only evening time class I do is a yoga based one, which though I feel slightly invigorated immediately after the class, I also feel relaxed and sleep well a couple of hours later.

As with any type of exercise, please consult your doctor before taking up any exercise if you haven't exercised in a while or are over weight.

Sweet dreams.