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Sleep well
It's nature's natural healer, but huge numbers of us are living without enough of it. Vicki Robinson investigates sleep
We used to spend a third of our lives doing it – sleeping that is. But according to new research more and more of us are surviving on much less shut eye.
The pressures of modern life are taking their toll, it would seem, with up to 8.5 million people in Britain sleeping for as little as four hours a night.
Worse still, a staggering 1.5m exist on as little as three and a half hours, while a worrying 300,000 of us sleep for less than three hours.
In Yorkshire alone, up to 800,000 survive on less than five hours.
And, according to researchers, anxiety and worry – over relationships, money and work – are to blame.
Around half of those missing sleep cited those concerns as the reason they lay awake at night.
But the Future Laboratory's Sleep Debt Culture report for Nytol also throws up some other disturbing stats.
Around 12 per cent of people blamed their inability to sleep on the growing demands of family life and around 8.7 per cent – perhaps smaller than expected – attribute their lack of sleep to longer working hours.
Women are more likely to sleep less than five hours a night, as demands on their time from work, family and socialising, especially the latter, take their toll.
Around two thirds (64 per cent) of those who said socialising with friends affects their ability to get a good night's sleep were women.
But men are not immune, either.
UK fathers in their 30s are now working for up to 46.9 hours a week, compared to those in France who work just 35.5 hours a week, and they also report rising levels of fatigue.
As many as 40 per cent are also working more than 48 hours and spending three and a half hours a day travelling to and from work.
So what effect does missing sleep have on our bodies – and our ability to work and play?
In fairness, no one really knows why we sleep – despite the efforts of scientists for hundreds of years.
Some believe it gives the body a chance to recuperate from the day, but in reality the amount of energy saved by sleeping for even eight hours is minimal – about 50kcal, the same amount of energy in a piece of toast.
Normal levels
The main reason for sleep is that it helps to maintain normal levels in our brain – helping with skills such as speech, memory, innovative and flexible thinking.
Lack of sleep has a serious effect on our ability to function – we're often grumpy, groggy, irritable and forgetful when we have not had enough snooze.
With continued lack of sleep the part of the brain which controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is severely affected, practically shutting down. In fact, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05% (two glasses of wine). This is the legal drink driving limit in the UK.
Research also shows that sleep-deprived individuals often have difficulty in responding to rapidly changing situations and making rational judgments.
In real life situations, the consequences are grave and lack of sleep is said to have been be a contributory factor to a number of international disasters such as Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the Challenger shuttle explosion.
Major impact
Sleep deprivation not only has a major impact on daily functioning but also on emotional and physical health. Disorders such as sleep apnoea which result in excessive daytime sleepiness have been linked to stress and high blood pressure.
Research has also suggested that sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity because chemicals and hormones that play a key role in controlling appetite and weight gain are released during sleep.
vicki.robinson@ypn.co.uk
Different types of sleeper
SLEEP SNACKER
To try to counteract the lack of sleep, and compensate for our busy lives, many of us have turned to sleep "snacking".
These are mini naps which can take place on trains, in lay-bys, on buses, even in the office toilet - which some people even refer to as the bed with the hole in the middle.
SLEEP DREAMER
7.9m Britons experience 'dream sleep' and say that their sleep time is filled with 'fantastic' - usually disturbing - thoughts, which leave them exhausted in the morning.
As a result, just over 1m people sleep only four to five hours a night because their overactive minds are engaged in 'dream sleep'. Women are most likely to experience this.
ANCHOR SLEEPERS
Anchor sleep is commonly used to regulate the body clock against short-term sleep debt accumulation. For instance, a growing number of consumers block out a third day of rest if they spend two nights out on the town.
And for women in their 30s, 'anchor sleep' has become a way of regaining energy, as many use 'duvet days' to reboot their systems and sleep clocks.
MICRO SLEEPERS
People who accumulate 50 to 60 hours of sleep debt through working too much, socialising too hard, or consuming stimulants such as caffeine are increasingly susceptible to dropping into sudden short periods of 'micro sleep'.
For women especially, this has become a growing trend, as the hectic pace of their weekend starts on Wednesday night in many urban areas rather than the traditional Friday evening after work.
How to get a good night's sleep
There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep, but the average is around 7.75 hours.
To aid a good night's sleep , firstly create a calm environment.
Your bedroom should be for sleep only. Avoid turning it into an entertainment centre with televisions, computers and stereos.
Relax
Breathing exercises can help. Breathe – using your abdomen not your chest – through your nose for three seconds, then breathe out for three seconds. Pause for three seconds before breathing in again. Practise this for ten minutes at night.
Some people find that lavender oil, valerian or other herbs help them to sleep. If you still have problems, you could try massage, aromatherapy, or even acupuncture.
If you still can't sleep, get up and find something absorbing to do instead. Don't go back to bed until you feel tired.
Exercise
Regular exercise is a great way to improve your sleep. Just be careful not to do it close to bedtime as exercise produces stimulants that stop the brain from relaxing quickly.
Exercising in the morning is an excellent way to wake up the body. Going for a run or doing some aerobics releases stimulants into the body, which perks you up.
Avoid alcohol
It's fine to have a nightcap, but too much alcohol can make you restless. Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means it could leave you waking up during the night to need the loo.
Drinking is also more likely to lead to snoring, which can restrict airflow into the lungs. This reduces oxygen in your blood which disturbs your sleep and contributes to your hangover.
Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant which can stay in your system for many hours. So avoid sources of caffeine such as coffee, chocolate, cola drinks and non-herbal teas.
Watch what you eat
Eating a large heavy meal too close to bedtime will interfere with your sleep.
Spicy or fatty foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty in falling asleep and discomfort throughout the night.
Foods containing tyramine (bacon, cheese, ham, aubergines, pepperoni, raspberries avocado, nuts, soy sauce, red wine) might keep you awake at night. Tyramine causes the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
If you get the munchies close to bedtime, eat something that triggers the hormone serotonin, which makes you sleepy. Carbohydrates such as bread or cereal will do the trick.
Ask the Doctor
If you are still having trouble dropping off, speak to your family doctor to find out whether there could be an underlying cause.
Healy kicks off a good cause
LEEDS United hero David Healy is urging children and young people from Yorkshire to raise funds for kids with cancer.
The striker is encouraging youngsters to part in 'Kick for CLIC Sargent', a football fundraising campaign being held in partnership with American Express.
Tammy Urwin, CLIC Sargent's National Event Organiser, explains: "Kick for CLIC Sargent is an event in a box – we supply everything from sponsor forms, suggested event ideas and footballs – making it easy for teachers, youth leaders and football coaches to organise fun activities to raise money for the charity."
Of the money raised by 'Kick for CLIC Sargent' in partnership with American Express, 75 per cent will be used to provide ongoing care and support for the thousands of children and young people, and their families, affected by childhood cancer and leukaemia every year in the UK. Schools, clubs and associations taking part will be able to keep the remaining 25 per cent of the money they raise, to use on their own local initiatives.
For more information or to register to take part in 'Kick for CLIC Sargent' call the CLIC Sargent National Events team on 08451 20 22 32 or log on to
www.clicsargent.org.uk/
football
Giveaway that sprays away the superbugs
ACTRESS Leslie Ash – still recovering from a hospital infection which almost paralysed her – has launched her own range of bacteria-busting washes.
The Matron product range has been specially formulated with help from KWL, a UK-based health and beauty company, to kill the bacteria that can cause the disease MRSA and MSSA.
Leslie, wife of former Leeds United star Lee Chapman, said: "I am determined to fight this super bug situation any way I can and to help educate people as to the situation within certain hospital wards, especially whilst the epidemic continues and new cases of MRSA and MSSA are diagnosed every day due to people with infected hands.
"If this new product prevents just one person from having to go through what I have it will be worthwhile."
The Matron range is available through major supermarket chains nationwide, including Asda.
As well as fighting MRSA and MSSA, the new washes can also kill e.coli and salmonella, making them ideal for use in the kitchen.
All have added mositurisig agents and organic aloe vera to soothe skin without drying.
The YEP has teamed up the KWL to give away 100 handy sprays of Matron Bio Safe-touch spray.
To claim yours, simply send your name and address to MATRON SPRAY, Shirley Whitehead, Healthy Living, Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 1RF, no later than April 30.
For more information, log on to www.killmrsa.com
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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