Sleep and wellness

Posted by Pam Arnsberger on Sep 08, 2016
 
Announcements and Reminders
Rotarian of the week was Pam Goodman.
Dr. Art will begin to offer flu shots next week.
John Fisher passed out pledge cards for the foundation. They need to be in by November 3rd.
Pam Goodman announced that there are baskets to raffle for the benefit of the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk which will be on September 24th.
Rich announced beach clean-up will be September 17th at Beer Can Beach. Meet there at 9:00.
 
      Dr. Aaron Morse, Medical Director of Sleep Health MD, was our speaker today. He spoke on Sleep and Wellness. He has been in Santa Cruz since 1981, practicing pulmonary and critical care medicine. He began by stressing that sleep is a detoxifying process that purges us of neurochemicals that build up during  the day.
Sleep duration recommendations  go down over time. Adults need 7-9 hrs and the elderly may need a bit less. The risks of insufficient sleep are major. It doubles the risk for breast cancer and heart disease. In addition, weight gain and obesity are both correlated with less sleep. It is also a mortality risk. An increase in one hr of sleep per day is associated with a 14 lb weight loss per year. Sleep deprivation is of concern because we are all getting on average an hour less sleep than we were around 50 yrs ago (in the 70’s).
 
 
    
 
 
Two opposing forces contribute to sleep and wakefulness .  Circadian rhythms help us to stay awake. Then a switch occurs around bedtime where circadian rhythms start to decrease. Other chemical make us sleep. Circadian rhythm disorders can be affected by light, food and social interaction. 
Of interest was the role of light in sleep disorders. Delayed sleep syndrome (teenagers often have it) can be ameliorated by exposure to early morning bright light can sometime shift the circadian rhythm. Older people with bright light administered in the early evening can shift the clock later.
Stages of sleep go from awake to REM sleep to deepest stages of sleep….which occur soon after going to sleep. REM is not deep. REM  sleep paralyzes us to keep us from acting out our dreams and our temperature floats and men have spontaneous erections .  Erectile dysfunction is also associated with sleep disorders. Leptin resistance which can affect appetite and metabolism is associated with sleep disorders as are reduced reaction time  and depression.
Three common sleep disorders include:  (1) Psychophysiological insomnia which can go on forever but can be treated with CBT (2) Obstructive sleep apnea which affects 10-20 % of the population. Snoring is one sign. It stimulates inflammation. Obesity predisposes  a person to sleep apnea. Apnea predicts  hypertension and strokes and even mortality.  C PAP is tx of choice. (3) Restless leg syndrome which is the urge to move the legs at time of rest. Movement makes it better. There are several medications which can help .
Other problems include sleepwalking (parasomnias), abnormal circadian rhythms, shift work, depression and anxiety, pain related sleep disorder, cats.
Proper sleep hygiene includes keeping a regular awake schedule (get up at he same time every day);  no caffeine after 2:00; reduce exposure to electronic devices; go to bed only when you’re sleepy; room dark and cool; wind down routine in evening; skip tobacco; avoid alcohol 2-4 hrs before going to bed; no TV or books in bed;  don’t problem solve in the middle of the night ( worry time in the middle of the day)
The take away message is insomnia is treatable and the best sleep is organic sleep.  Healthy sleep is a need not a luxury.