9 Excuses People Make for Insufficient Sleep

Jan 20, 12 8:22 PM

According to National Sleep Foundation, we need 7-8 hours of sleep to function at peak and enjoy our life to the fullest. But, my overworked colleagues, unaware of the above recommendation and the research behind it, continue to argue against sufficient sleep. Here, is a list of arguments made by skeptics of sufficient sleep and my responses:

  1. I don’t need eight hours of sleep. Studies have shown that restricting sleep to four or six hours (compared to eight hours) for fourteen days causes a dose-dependent decline in neurocognitive performance.
  2. I only need five hours of sleep. The short-sleeper gene, a rare mutation, is present in only 3 percent of the population (Ying-Hui Fu, University of California, San Francisco). The majority of working people get less than six hours of sleep, certainly during a major opportunity or catastrophe. Remember, there is a 97% chance that you are not a short-sleeper.
  3. I can fight sleep deprivation with strong motivation. Motivation improves attention but not creativity, flexibility, mood, perception, and information management.
  4. I have achieved a lot by sleeping less. You could achieve even more by sleeping more and working smarter.
  5. I don’t perceive the deficit in my performance. Sleep deprivation adversely affects prefrontal cortex (the executive center), which is essential for successful self-evaluation. This adverse effect makes us unaware of our deficit.
  6. I am highly productive. You have increased your output as a worker/manager, at the expense of your executive output.
  7. The stakes are so high that sleep has to be on the back burner. This is exactly the reason you should be giving sleep a top priority.
  8. I don’t want to sleep away a third of my life. Investment in sleep will enrich your life qualitatively, both at home and at work.
  9. I will sleep when I am dead. Unfortunately, studies have shown increased mortality associated with insufficient sleep. You must sleep eight hours every night if you want a successful career that can span five to six decades.

Sleep is a process of the brain, for the brain, and by the brain.

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Sleep Doc’s 6 Tips for Sound Sleep during Menopause

Jan 14, 12 3:40 PM

It is possible to sleep well even with hot flashes!

The following tips will help you sleep better even during menopause.

  1. Avoid foods that are spicy or acidic because these may trigger hot flashes. Try foods rich in soy because they might minimize hot flashes.
  2. Avoid nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol, especially before bedtime. These will make your hot flashes worse.
  3. Dress in lightweight clothes to improve sleep efficiency. Avoid heavy, insulating blankets, and consider using a fan or air-conditioner to cool the air and increase circulation. If your spouse is shivering, have a small, portable heater next to his side of the bed.
  4. Reduce stress and worry as much as possible. Try relaxation techniques, massage, and exercise. Talk to a behavioral health professional if you are depressed, anxious, or having problems.
  5. It is vital that you follow sleep hygiene and insomnia instructions discussed in an earlier blog.
  6. Try consolidating your sleep by going to bed thirty minutes later than your usual bedtime. As we age, we spend more time in bed, but we sleep less.

During the transition phase leading to menopause, over several years, a woman’s ovaries gradually decrease production of estrogen and progesterone. One year after menstrual periods have stopped, a woman reaches menopause, usually around the age of fifty. Menopause is a time of major hormonal, physical, and psychological change. Natural changes in sleep also occur, characterized by longer time to sleep onset, frequent awakenings, decreased amount of deep sleep, and poor sleep architecture. From perimenopause to post menopause, women report hot flashes, mood disorders, insomnia, and sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep problems are often accompanied by depression and anxiety, which make insomnia worse. This is the reason post-menopausal women are not satisfied with their sleep. As many as 61 percent report insomnia symptoms. Snoring and sleep apnea have also been found to be more common and more severe in post-menopausal women as their upper airway dilator muscles become flabby with aging.

Changing and decreasing levels of estrogen cause many menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, which are unexpected feelings of heat all over the body accompanied by sweating. They usually begin around the face and spread to the chest, affecting 75 to 85 percent of women around menopause. On average, hot flashes last three minutes and lead to reduced sleep efficiency. Most women experience these for one year, but about 25 percent have hot flashes for five years. Hot flashes interrupt sleep and reduce the amount of deep sleep, leading to suboptimal alertness and suboptimal leadership the following day.

Talk to your doctor about estrogen (estrogen replacement therapy or ERT) or estrogen and progesterone (hormone replacement therapy or HRT), nutritional products, and medications such as calcium supplements, vitamin D, and bisphosphonates for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones). Also, talk about estrogen creams and rings for vaginal dryness. Also, discuss alternative treatment for menopausal symptoms such as soy products (tofu, soybeans, and soy milk). They contain phytoestrogen, a plant hormone similar to estrogen. Soy products may lessen hot flashes. Phytoestrogens is also available in over-the-counter nutritional supplements (ginseng, extract of red clover, or black cohosh). The FDA does not regulate these supplements. Their proper doses, safety, and long-term effects and risks are not yet known.

Typically, a leader’s career spans five to six decades. And toward the later part of your career, because of your vast experience, lifelong network of experts, and wisdom that comes only with age, you are worth more than you ever were. This makes it imperative that you take good care of your sleep so that you can continue to contribute to the welfare of the human race.

Share this freely with your friends and family.

Sleep Well, Lead Well.

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8 Reasons Why We are Grumpy When Sleepy

Jan 13, 12 2:50 PM

English: Managing emotions - Identifying feelings

Image via Wikipedia

The following list summarizes the deleterious effects of poor sleep on emotional intelligence:

  1. When sleep deprived, we are unable to accurately recognize emotions. To make matter worse, negative emotions are more readily recognized than positive ones.
  2. Studies have shown decreased subjective rating of happiness by sleep-deprived people.
  3. Our overactive fear center (Amygdala) exaggerates our fear and anger when sleep deprived.
  4. Sleep deprivation impairs our social interaction and learning because of perception fatigue.
  5. A study from the Neuroscience Lab in Singapore showed that when sleep deprived, we are reactive and not proactive.
  6. Nervousness, irritability, and grumpiness hurt our teamwork.
  7. Impaired self-evaluation resulting from sleep deprivation makes us unaware of our deficits.
  8. Studies have also shown reduced motivation, increased risk taking, and indecisiveness when faced with an ethical dilemma.

Hence, make sure you get 7-8 hours of sound sleep every night. And when you cannot get sound sleep because of unavoidable factors, please beware of these deleterious effects. Smile often, pause before responding, listen more than you talk, and you will be fine.

Sleep Well, Lead Well. God bless you.

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10 Tips for Sound Sleep Despite Interpersonal Conflicts

Jan 8, 12 6:36 PM

Interpersonal Conflict Insomnia

One of the most common causes of insomnia in the workplace or in the family is interpersonal conflict. Interpersonal conflict is defined as an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals. There are several causes of conflict. The most common ones are differences between people, needs, power, perceptions, principles and values, emotions and feelings, and internal problems and conflicts within a person.

Interpersonal conflict is everywhere today: conflicts between workers and supervisors, manufacturers and suppliers, two different departments, yourself and the CEO, mother and daughter, husband and wife, and so forth. The cost of all this interpersonal conflict, while difficult to measure, is nevertheless incredibly high. Interpersonal conflict is at the heart of war, for example. It is at the heart of domestic violence, road rage, and hate crimes.

In the business world, interpersonal conflict has a tremendous negative impact on productivity, morale, employee turnover, and workplace violence. In schools, interpersonal conflict often erupts into violence and even death. Medical researchers have found direct links between interpersonal conflict and disease; psychologists have found similar links between interpersonal conflict and mental health.

Insomnia is a common symptom of interpersonal conflict. So what can we do? Given the fact that the world in which we live is literally filled with interpersonal conflict, it’s obvious we can’t always avoid it. How then do we manage it? When it comes to interpersonal conflict, here are some options you may want to consider: flight, fight, or unite. The choice is yours.

Flight means you can walk away. Interpersonal conflict can’t occur if only one person is involved. It always takes two. To walk away is to ignore the conflict, even if someone is being physically threatening to you. Walking away sends a strong message that you simply want to avoid the conflict, at least for the present. The other individual may interpret your action in a variety of ways, however, and this may actually escalate the conflict.

Choosing to fight is rarely the wisest choice. Even the simplest interpersonal conflict will escalate if you choose to psychologically or physically back your opponent into a corner and act threatening. And violence always escalates into more violence.

The best way to deal with interpersonal conflict is by uniting with those who want to engage in conflict in order to solve differences cooperatively. Talking through differences using respectful language and unthreatening body language can resolve most any conflict.

While major conflicts may require professional third-party intervention, the parties involved can resolve most interpersonal conflicts. Make it a point to resolve them. You’ll feel better, and you’ll sleep better.

Workplace stress is one of the commonest causes of insomnia. The following are a few tips on managing stress successfully:

  1. Learn how to manage your time. Many people are stressed because they have trouble completing tasks on time. Look at your schedule and set your priorities.
  2. Learn how to deal with conflicts. When handling a difficult situation, keep your cool. When tensions are elevated, stress results.
  3. Learn to fit exercise into your daily routine. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, so make sure you find time to get moving.
  4. Learn to eat healthy. Stop eating junk food for meals and snacks, and start eating healthy foods. Your body will cope with stress a lot easier. Reach for a piece of fruit instead of that bag of chips.
  5. Learn how to express your emotions. Talking to a friend or co-worker about your feelings is a great way to combat stress. Don’t keep your feelings bottled up.
  6. Before retiring to bed, write down how you are going to deal with the conflict, then close the notebook and stop thinking about that person. I have found this immensely helpful.
  7. Read a religious book. Pray before putting your head on the pillow.
  8. Learn and practice mindfulness meditation. I found this instructional video by Jim Malloy immensely helpful.

  9. Learn progressive muscle relaxation. Try this 10 minute video by CoolKarma.

  10. Count your blessings and go to bed.
Sleep Well, Lead Well
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5 Tips to Help Keep Your Bedroom Dark

Jan 2, 12 6:37 PM

English: By Ruth Lawson. Otago Polytechnic.

Image via Wikipedia

 

Pineal gland, a tiny structure located at the base of the brain secrets melatonin, a powerful sleep-promoting agent. Based on our internal rhythm, this secretion starts in the evening approximately two hours prior to sleep onset and peaks 2 hours prior to wakefulness. This whole process leading to melatonin secretion is extremely sensitive to bright light. Light emanating from even a tiny phone screen can reduce this secretion and prevent you from falling asleep and getting enough deep sleep. Here, are a few tips to help you maximize your internal melatonin secretion.

 

  • Choose dark drapes or blinds for the bedroom windows. You can also apply black film over glass windows to block out light completely.

 

  • Turn the alarm clock away and keep the brightness to a minimum. My personal preference is not to keep the clock in the bedroom at all.

 

  • Completely turn off all the electronic devices including stereo, satellite boxes, TV, laptop, iPad, and others. Again my preference as we have discussed before is not to have these devices in the bedroom at all. If you use them in the evening, please use them outside the bedroom and with lowest possible brightness to minimize melatonin suppression.

 

  • If your spouse needs nightlight please use one with the lowest brightness. I also suggest you try dark and comfortable eyeshades. These eyeshades come in handy when trying to sleep in those not-so-dark hotel rooms.

 

  • Sport those cool looking designer sunglasses while driving home in the evening or during outdoor activities in the backyard. Your Pineal gland would love you for that.

Remember that melatonin is an ally, while light is an enemy of deep sleep.

Excerpted from my upcoming book, “Sleep Doc’s 101 Pearls for Deeper Sleep”

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