Sleepless Beauty
I am a big fan of sleep. When I get a restful night’s sleep, I find I function better the next day, my ability to draw logical conclusions to problems that occur is not impaired in any way, and I just feel healthier. However, as Americans, we are adjusting more and more to a limited sleep schedule. On average, we receive 1 hour less of sleep per night than we did 40 years ago, and arguably, it’s not because we are more adept at working on less sleep during the day.
A recent Northwestern University study finds that this kind of sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on our bodies. When we lose sleep, we accumulate a “sleep debt”, which is much like a debt you would build with a credit card that you always used but never paid more than the minimum payment; before you know it, you are so far into debt it seems insurmountable. The unfortunate reality of sleep debt is that it occurs over a period of years and we really never recover from it.
If my memory serves on the subject, however, it was originally thought re-establishing a regular sleep pattern and adding some extra time to your sleep could eventually erase that debt and restore you to a normal sleeping pattern. The study, however, further indicates that this recovery may not be possible; in fact, your body will adjust to your new pattern of sleep and though you may not function quite as efficiently as you once did, your brain chemistry will indicate to you that you really aren’t in need of any more sleep. The study was carried out on animals where they were kept awake for 20 hours at a time, interspersed with 4 hour intervals of sleep. The first night of sleep deprivation resulted in the animals sleeping more deeply in the next night, almost in an effort towards recovery. However, by the next evening, the animals had adjusted to the change in their sleep patterns and failed to compensate for the lost sleep with any increase in intensity.
It’s easy to see this kind of pattern replicated in humans, and if you’ve ever had a couple of nights where you had to study for an exam, or work on a project until really late, you know exactly the kind of feeling I’m talking about. Rather than feeling tired after several nights of consecutive work/study, we feel energized, and a second wind comes frequently to us. But what are we doing to our bodies?
I have a friend who is a big believer in Ambien, a drug used to aid patients to sleep. Ambien works with a natural brain chemical called Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, or GABA-one, to reduce electrical impulses and reduce the effects of stimuli that could effect a person’s sleep patterns (click here to see more). Lunesta is another sleep aid drug that works similarly with this amino acid, and both are increasingly popular because of their tendency not to be addictive. My friend even once spoke to me of an “Ambien haze”, where if the drug is taken and you don’t go to sleep right away, you essentially black out, and won’t remember where you were or what you did the next morning.
Sleep deprivation is increasingly becoming a problem in this country because of the pressure we place upon ourselves to consistently work ourselves to the bone and sacrifice sleep in order to stay ahead of others in the game of life. And personally, advice that people give me to sleep more is all well and good; but it’s difficult to justify it to myself if I feel like someone else might be one step ahead because they’re getting less sleep. As my sleep debt increases, I am disheartened by studies like the one from Northwestern that give me little hope to recover from the damage I’ve done to my system. Still, given this new study, perhaps I’ll examine my daily schedule and determine what I can do increase the amount of time I sleep and improve my ability organize myself such that I’m comfortable getting more of it.
What about you? Do you feel you’re getting enough sleep at night? Have you adjusted to the challenges of life such that you are getting the recommended 8 hours, or would you need a drug like Ambien or Lunesta to help you reach it? Also, when you miss sleep consistently, are you aware whether you perform less efficiently, or do you think the effect is negligible? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
