Sleepy Times

Do you sleep well? Sleep is strange. When we sleep we put ourselves into an unconscious state, temporarily losing command over everything we know and understand. When we awaken we resume life.  Adults need about eight hours of sleep each 24 hours, so if you fit in that category, congratulations. As one who is sleep deprived and has been most of my life, I envy people who get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of many serious health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression, heart attacks and strokes, as well as premature death and reduced quality of life and productivity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I sleep about five hours each night, and feel tired often. Years ago I had my first sleep study, which showed I have sleep apnea and will have it all my life. It seems the structure of my breathing is not suitable to normal sleeping and all attempts I have made to correct it  (two surgeries,  a failed attempt to use a breathing machine at night, bandages on the nose to open nasal passages, etc. have failed. Physicians have told me that there is nothing left to try and I must live with the problem. It's certainly a much less severe health issue than most, but still (I am yawning as I type here.....) I am tired.

The Center for Disease Control says its data show that 28% of U.S. adults report sleeping six hours or less each night, and that's just not enough for most people. It's no wonder in these fast paced times that the insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic. No doubt that the pace of life today also lessens sleep time for most people. Sleep is so critical to good health that it is as important to good health as is nutrition and exercise. And yet my health has been excellent al my life. I guess good genetics can help negate some of the effects of insufficient sleep.

With so many people suffering from sleep problems, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, shift work sleep disorder or narcolepsy, as well as sleep disturbances associated with many diseases, mental illnesses and addictions, it's amazing the society functions as well as it does. Too, people just don't make sleep a priority. Many people think taking the time to get sufficient sleep is being lazy and a waste of time even though they could be performing so much better if they were well rested. Daily sleep needs vary by ages and individuals  Looking at the daily recommended sleep guides makes me think that only the very young are getting enough sleep.

Here they are:
Newborns (up to 2 months), 12-18 hours  
Infants (3-11 months), 14-15 hours
Toddlers (1-3 years), 12-14 hours
Preschoolers (3-5 years), 11-13 hours
School-age children (5-10 years), 10-11 hours
Teens (11-17 years) 8.5-9.5 hours
Adults (18 and older), 7-9 hours

So, are you sleep deprived or not? Do you feel tired often, and if so, does it affect your mental and physical functioning?  Ah, sleeping is so confounding. As the poet Byron once wrote, “Death, so called, is a thing which makes men weep, And yet a third of life is passed in sleep.”