About Sleep Insufficiency | The State of Sleep in the USA | Sleep Deprivation: The Why | The Concept of Sleep Debt | Sleep Deprivation: The Consequences |
Embracing Healthy Sleep Habits | The Takeaway
Overview
The secret to a healthier, happier, and more productive life might be hiding right under your blanket. A quality night’s sleep is as integral to a balanced lifestyle as proper nutrition and regular exercise.
For optimal health, adults should be aiming for at least seven hours of sleep per night, as suggested by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society.[1]
About Sleep Insufficiency
Sleep insufficiency, characterized by a lack of sleep duration and poor quality, can wreak havoc on your alertness, performance, and overall health.
Quality sleep is defined by fewer disruptions during the night. More than five interruptions per hour can cause performance deficits and leave you feeling under the weather.[6,7]
The State of Sleep in the USA
Not catching enough is more common than you might think; over a third of American adults aren’t clocking in the recommended seven hours per night.[2]
Certain groups tend to be hit harder, including those under 65, men, African Americans, individuals with a lower income, full-time workers, and college students.[3,4,5]
Sleep Deprivation: The Why
Achieving quality sleep goes beyond just clocking in hours. Even after eight hours of sleep, disruptions can lead to poor sleep quality and deprivation.[6]
Chronic illnesses, lifestyle habits, acute illnesses, and caregiving responsibilities are just a few factors that can rob you of a good night’s rest.[6]
The Concept of Sleep Debt
When sleep deprivation becomes a regular occurrence, it results in something called sleep debt, which has similar effects to pulling an all-nighter.[8]
To counter sleep debt, consider strategies like taking power naps or catching up on sleep during the weekends.
Sleep Deprivation: The Consequences
A chronic lack of sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness and impaired cognitive abilities, slowing your response time and task completion.[9]
It can also lead to psychological symptoms similar to depression, such as irritability, decreased libido, fatigue, and poor judgment.[10]
Even more serious, sleep deprivation can contribute to life-threatening consequences like car accidents, and it’s seen as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.[11]
Embracing Healthy Sleep Habits
Fortunately, these negative effects can be mitigated by improving your sleep hygiene.
Consider integrating activities like daily exercise, minimizing light and noise at bedtime, and avoiding late afternoon naps, cigarettes, caffeine, heavy meals at night, and electronic devices 30 minutes before sleep into your nightly routine.
While alcohol may help some people fall asleep, it can disrupt sleep patterns and reduce quality.[12]
The Takeaway
In the grand scheme of a healthy lifestyle, quality sleep is your secret weapon for maximizing energy and concentration, protecting you from the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation. If you’re struggling with sleep, don’t hesitate to seek help your well-being is too important to be compromised.
References:
- Watson, N. F., et al. (2015). Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep, 38(6), 843–844. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4716
- Liu, Y., et al. (2016). Prevalence of Healthy Sleep Duration among Adults–United States, 2014. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 65(6), 137–141. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6506a1
- Carnethon, M. R., et al. (2016). Disparities in sleep characteristics by race/ethnicity in a population-based sample: Chicago Area Sleep Study. Sleep medicine, 18, 50–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2015.07.005
- Luckhaupt, S. E., et al. (2010). The prevalence of short sleep duration by industry and occupation in the National Health Interview Survey. Sleep, 33(2), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/33.2.149
- Matricciani, L., et al. (2012). In search of lost sleep: secular trends in the sleep time of school-aged children and adolescents. Sleep medicine reviews, 16(3), 203–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2011.03.005
- Martin, S. E., et al. (1996). The effect of sleep fragmentation on daytime function. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 153(4 Pt 1), 1328–1332. https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.153.4.8616562
- Martin SE, et al. (1997). The effect of nonvisible sleep fragmentation on daytime function. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 155(5), 1596-601. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.155.5.9154863.
- Horne J. (2011). The end of sleep: ‘sleep debt’ versus biological adaptation of human sleep to waking needs. Biological psychology, 87(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.10.004
- Van Dongen, H. P., et al. (2003). The cumulative cost of additional wakefulness: dose-response effects on neurobehavioral functions and sleep physiology from chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation. Sleep, 26(2), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/26.2.117
- Pires, G. N., et al. (2016). Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep medicine, 24, 109–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.019
- St-Onge, M. P., et al. (2016). Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation, 134(18), e367–e386. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000444
- Spadola, C. E., et al. (2019). Evening intake of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine: night-to-night associations with sleep duration and continuity among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study. Sleep, 42(11), zsz136. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz136
