World Class Athletes Owe Their Success to Quality Sleep

We all know that professional athletes owe much of their success to a number of things such as rigorous training, determination and natural talent. But do you also know that the way they sleep also plays a big part in their success? Whether its golf, tennis, basketball, cycling, running, swimming or any other high endurance sport, it is a known fact that the well-rested athlete has better chances of securing victory.

Researchers have found that athletes who extend their sleeping time from the normal 8 hours to 10 hours performed better on the field. They determined that the extra hours of sleep improved the athlete’s brain functions, thus reducing stress and releasing more growth hormones that promote the healing of bones and muscles.

It’s no wonder that many world-class athletes take sleep very seriously. Take for instance Michael Phelps, the American swimmer who is the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 22 models to his name, 18 of them being gold. He appeared on the show “60 Minutes” with Anderson Cooper revealing that he slept in a specially designed sleeping chamber in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics. He used the sleeping chamber as a training tool to prepare his body for the task ahead. He tweeted a photo of his sleeping chamber which is posted here. Needless to say, his insistence on good quality sleep helped him win another gold medal in the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay.

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican track and field star who is reportedly the world’s fastest man, also takes sleep very seriously. He also took measures to ensure success in the 2012 Olympics. Bolt reportedly slept in a custom made orthopaedic bed prior to the Olympics to make sure that he would not suffer from any back problems which could disrupt his training and preparations. His bespoke bed contained a 7ft mattress made especially for him. The quality sleep surely worked in his favour as he won a total of three gold medals in the Olympics.

The same importance world class athletes put on the quality of their sleep are useful for us regular folks too. In simple terms, good sleep equals better health. It’s the same for everyone – athlete or not.

 

 

 

How a Good Night’s Sleep Promotes Healthy, Youthful Skin

We all know that our body rejuvenates itself when we sleep. Uninterrupted sleep of at least 8 hours lets our body complete all the phases it needs for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of important growth regulating hormones. Quality sleep also repairs cell damage which is necessary if we want to have clear and beautiful skin. Many experts agree that the best anti-aging secret weapon is actually getting a good night’s sleep.

Notice how your skin looks lackluster and dull after a night without much sleep? The main reason for this is that our skin produces collagen when we sleep. Lack of sleep inhibits collagen production. Collagen is our skin’s “scaffolding.”  It plays a significant part in maintaining firmness and suppleness in our skin where it traps in essential moisture and protects against UV damage. Thus, some people who are quite young may actually look a decade older due to chronic lack of sleep.

Sleep loss can also cause the bane of all teenagers – acne. However, adults get acne too. Not getting enough sleep causes an inflammation of acne, especially if you are already prone to it. Some studies reveal that pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood are dramatically increased when we lack sleep. This inflammation is the cause of acne flare-ups. Needless to say, getting rid of acne requires getting more sleep.

On a more serious note, sleep deprivation leads to insulin resistance, which affects the body’s ability to take in glucose. It only takes one night of sleep deprivation to induce insulin resistance and affect metabolic regulation. This results in impaired glucose tolerance, which in turn causes glucose to stagnate and become a feeding area for bacteria. The end result is unwanted acne and an unhealthy body.

The benefits of having a good night’s sleep on your total well-being is immense. As we age, the importance of sleep becomes even greater. Although skin aging is inevitable, quality sleep can give you more years of youthful skin.

 

Sleep Apnea and Pregnancy

Women who have sleep apnea face a greater risk of health problems during pregnancy. New studies have emerged linking sleep apnea with various health problems such as preeclampsia, a very dangerous condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Women who experience preeclampsia will more likely give birth by ceasarian section rather than normally. In a new study led by author Dr. Judette Louis, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of South Florida, the risk for preeclampsia reportedly doubles for women who are obese. The research team gave a portable home-sleep testing device to 175 obese pregnant women. The device showed that 15% of the women had sleep apnea, and that these women were more overweight and had chronic high blood pressure as compared to those who tested negative for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea puts not only the mother’s life at risk, but also that of her baby. The same study analyzed more than 150 live births by women with sleep apnea and found that babies born to these mothers were more likely to be admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit due to respiratory distress.

Another scary health problem which can arise during pregnancy is gestational diabetes. Research shows that women who have sleep apnea face a greater risk for gestational diabetes and the risk doubles when the woman is obese.

Aside from obesity, another reason pregnant women may be at risk for sleep apnea is due to the many hormonal changes that the body undergoes during pregnancy. Weight gain and hormonal imbalance may all contribute to difficulty in breathing.

With all this information at hand, it has become more important than ever to screen pregnant women for sleep apnea to protect mother and baby. 

FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH SLEEP APNEA Part 2

Although sleep apnea is a disease with serious repercussions on a person’s health, there is still not much awareness about it. Some celebrities have already come out with their stories of their struggle with sleep apnea. This is a very positive turn in our campaign to create awareness about this disease. Last April, we published a post about Shaquille O’Neal & Jerry Garcia — two famous people who suffered from the disease. You can read our story by clicking the link below:

https://sleepbusiness.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/famous-people-with-sleep-apnea/

Lately, more celebrities have come out with their own stories of sleep apnea. Here are a couple of famous faces who suffered from the disease:

1. Rosie O’Donnell – Sleep apnea increases a person’s risk for a heart attack and it is no wonder that Rosie O’Donnell has already had a near fatal one last July 2012. After being diagnosed with sleep apnea, O’Donnell is keen to spread the word, especially among women. She has stated that her sleep study report showed that she woke up 200 times in one night and has stopped breathing for as long as 40 seconds. She has claimed that using her prescribed CPAP has made her feel 100% better.

2. Randy Jackson – The popular “American Idol” judge was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes along with sleep apnea in 2003. Not surprisingly, there is strong connection between diabetes and sleep apnea. According to a study published by the Sharp Diabetes Treatment & Research Center in San Diego, about 40% of all men who have type-2 diabetes also have sleep apnea. For men older than 65, the proportion goes up to 61%. Jackson had gastric bypass surgery to control his weight and is now sleeping better, owing much to his successful CPAP use.

3. Roseanne Barr – The outspoken comedian went a step further in creating awareness about sleep apnea. In an episode of her reality show “Roseanne’s Nuts” called Life’s A Snore, Barr addressed her snoring problem by going to a sleep clinic where she is diagnosed as having sleep apnea. Aside from losing weight, she has also undergone rhinoplasty to correct her sleep apnea.

4. Princess Letizia of Spain – Considered one of the most beautiful women in royalty today, Letizia of Spain drew a lot of criticism after undergoing rhinoplasty to “correct a deviated septum” which caused her to suffer from sleep apnea. Many royal watchers are wondering, though, if it was merely a beautification process. A deviated septum occurs when the bone and cartilage separating the nasal passage, called the nasal septum, is out of place or “deviated.” A deviated septum can cause or increase the severity of sleep apnea by blocking the passage of air.

Other celebrities who have suffered from sleep apnea are comedian John Candy, novelist Anne Rice and host Regis Philbin.

 

 

New Year’s Resolutions for Better Sleep

The coming New Year gives rise to a host of new resolutions. Losing weight, getting a salary raise, finding the perfect match, and the list goes on. But getting better sleep? This one is fairly uncommon, but very essential. Sleep is vital in having overall good health. In fact, sleeping disorders can trigger some of the most life-threatening diseases such as hypertension and heart problems. As important as sleep is, most Americans report that they rarely get a good night’s sleep, and most have some sort of sleeping problem they have not yet addressed. 

How can we get better sleep for 2013? One way is to limit your use of gadgets during bedtime. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 95 percent of Americans use some sort of gadget an hour before bedtime. Laptops, smart phones and even TV can disrupt your body’s natural preparation for sleep and cause alertness. Some people cannot resist the urge to check the email that might be waiting to be opened, or that new comment on Facebook. What’s worse, some people even sleep next to their cell phones! A good way to combat this bad habit is to set a “curfew” and turn off all electronic gadgets at least an hour before bedtime. Put your cellphone on your desk where it belongs, and be sure to mute it if you cannot turn it off. Try reading a good book, meditate, or even write on a personal journal—anything that won’t be disruptive to your sleeping patterns.

Another good way to sleep better is to avoid what is known as “social jetlag” in which your sleeping hours during the weekdays are different from those on the weekends. People tend to sleep late on Saturday nights and sleep till noon the next day to make up for lost hours of sleep. Researchers have linked social jetlag to diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Combat this unhealthy habit by setting a routine sleep schedule for everyday, 7 days a week.

Having healthier eating habits is also a great way to welcome the New Year. Not only will you be sleeping better, you’ll also be losing weight! Research shows that eating fatty foods close to bedtime can cause acid reflux and indigestion which can disrupt sleep. Staying clear of caffeine a few hours before bedtime also ensures better sleep. And we’re not just talking about coffee! This also includes sodas and soft drinks which can wreak havoc on your diet.

Most New Year’s resolutions tend to fail, but making a conscious effort for overall health and wellness is key to achieving success. Let’s make a commitment for better sleep this 2013!

 

 

Teens & Sleep Disorders

The scariest thing about sleep disorders could be that so many victims go undiagnosed. Parents, we just want the best for our children, right? Well, listen up because this could be your teen that we’re talking about. If your teenager has a hard time falling asleep at night, if it’s a battle to get them out of bed every morning, or if they’re sleepy throughout the day, they could be displaying a pattern of disturbed sleep. Your teen could be diagnosed with sleep disorders like narcolepsy, insomnia, restless leg syndrome (RLS), sleep apnea, and nocturnal enuresis, or bed wetting. The significance of this lies in the fact that this pattern of disturbed sleep could be an early warning sign of even greater problems to come.

Not to mention all of the complications that go hand-in-hand with a lack of sleep! A sleepy teenager is more likely to experience problems with cognitive function. This could lead to greater problems in the future such as the development of learning disabilities, memory impairment, personality changes and depression, daytime sleepiness, mood swings, drowsy driving, poor grades, and even weight gain. In other words, if your teenager isn’t getting enough sleep because of sleep disorders that should be treated but aren’t, fighting to get them out of bed in the morning could be the least of your worries. A lack of sleep is a problem in itself, but the consequences of sleep deprivation tend to permeate into other aspects of life outside of the bedroom like school, relationships, and even health.

There are several things that you should be on the lookout for in your teens. Most common sleep disorders among teenagers include nocturnal enuresis, otherwise known as bed-wetting, sleep terror, rhythmic disorder (moving in sleep), insomnia (a lack of sleep or a disturbed sleep), teeth grinding (oftentimes due to stress), sleep walking, and sleep talking. If your teen displays any of these common sleep disorders, be sure to get the proper treatment for your loved ones before you start to see the chain reaction of consequences reach outside aspects like grades!

There are even things that you can do to prevent the development of sleep disorders and to get a good night of sleep for your kids. For example, cutting down their consumption of soft drinks, cold coffee, and nighttime snacking of chocolates will encourage a healthy sleep schedule for your teens. In addition, relieving or even reducing stress related to their studies will make getting to sleep a lot easier for them. Make sure that the television and video games are turned off at night too!

When it comes down to it, parents should stay aware and pay attention. Make it a habit to sleep at a proper time, and your children will be more likely to follow your example. Activities like listening to soft music and reading books encourages a healthy sleep pattern a lot more than violent video games and late night sitcoms. We know how important sleep is for a growing body and mind. We also know how much you love your children. We all want what’s best for the next generation!

Poor Sleep & Special Ed Needs

Sleep is very important for a growing child. Parents who have undergone the wrath of a sleep-deprived and cranky kid know the importance and necessity of sleep all too well. However, a recent study now tells us that grouchiness and whining aren’t the only things that parents should be worried about when it comes to a sleep-deprived child.

It turns out that if your young child is experiencing sleep problems, there’s a higher chance that they could develop special education needs by the time that they’re eight years old. A recent study took a look at a number of children, eight percent of which had the worst sleep problems. Researchers discovered that those eight percent of children had the highest risk of having special education needs at age eight—even when statistics were adjusted so that factors like IQ were irrelevant in the results.

It should be noted that only an association between poor sleep and special education needs has been discovered. Researchers have yet to find a cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, this phenomenon could be explained by something other than sleep. Researchers also included that this information is limited because all of the subjects were children from England, and ninety-eight percent of them were white. More conclusive data would’ve come from a more diverse pool of subjects. Nonetheless, the information that we have gotten out of this study brings us one step closer to a healthier world.

In another analysis, 13,024 children were studied. One thousand eight hundred and twenty five of them had special education needs. Out of these 1,825 kids, seventy-one percent of them had suffered from earlier sleep problems. In other words, children who dealt with sleep problems like sleep apnea and snoring in their infant, toddler, and preschool years were more likely to need special education services for things such as speech and behavioral problems a few years later.

Again, no definitive cause-and-effect relationship has been established, but we do know that previous research has given us information that shows how sleep problems affect the brain. For example, sleep deprivation inhibits the brain from making memories. Researchers noted that it’s possible that genetics could explain both sleep problems and disabilities. Ultimately, as loving parents, we are responsible to make sure that our children are getting the proper sleep that they need every night. It could save them from needing special education services later down the road!

How Technology Contributes to Lack of Sleep

Technology is great. It brings people from all over the world closer to one another. Jobs and other tasks are made easier. And the economy is stimulated from all of the new developments that regularly come out of the realm of technology. While the benefits seem endless, there is such a thing as too much technology. And this applies in the bedroom.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than ninety percent of Americans are regularly on the computer or some other kind of electronic device within the hour before we go to sleep. We know it’s tempting to check your newsfeed on Facebook or send a few emails and text messages during the downtime right before bed, but doing so can hurt your healthy sleep cycle. Here’s why: Electronic devices are known to stimulate brain activity, and not surprisingly, disrupt your ability to fall asleep. In addition, the artificial light that comes from the screen of some devices may mess around with the brain chemicals that promote sleep.

A recent study from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute investigated how exposure to light from certain electronic devices affects our hormones tied to sleep. The subjects were studied as they read, played games, and watched movies on an iPad, iPad 2, or PC tablet for various amounts of time. While they were doing these various activities, researchers were measuring the amount of light the subjects’ eyes received.

The results were unmistakable. Researchers found that exposure to light from computer tablets significantly reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our internal clocks and plays a significant role in our sleep cycles. They determined that just two hours of exposure to a bright tablet screen at night reduced melatonin levels by about twenty-two percent. This is scarily important because the suppression of melatonin can mean all kinds of bad things health-wise, such as sleep disturbances, and even raising the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other disorders.

We know that it can be hard to cut down your use of electronics, but if you find yourself tossing and turning at night trying to fall asleep, then it’s worth a try to turn off the TV earlier and set down your phone long before you sleep. Other things you can do include limiting your computer use before bed—Facebook will be there in the morning. At the very least, you should at least dim the screen as much as possible so that the contrast between the screen and the dark isn’t so striking. When it comes down to it, studies have shown that using your electronic devices before sleep can greatly contribute to a lack of sleep by altering your hormones and reducing melatonin levels.

Good Sleep, Happy Aussies!

I think it’s safe to say that we can all agree on one thing: A good night of sleep can make for a happy person. A recent survey in Australia proves just that. This survey, dealing with 2000 Australians, found that a good night’s sleep makes a happier life so much more likely. In other words, sleep and wellbeing go hand in hand.

To back up this claim, the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index states that those with lower wellbeing levels are the people who sleep less than six hours a night (compared to those who sleep seven to nine hours a night). However, it’s interesting to note that when people sleep for more than ten hours a night, their levels of satisfaction noticeably drop off. Australia’s Deakin University came out with a report on such results, The Wellbeing of Australians – Quantity and Quality of Sleep. The report covered a study in which thirty percent of the subjects slept for seven hours a night while the other  two-thirds got between seven and nine hours of sleep. The study found that people who tend to sleep for more than ten hours a night usually find themselves struggling with a lack of purpose in their lives. On the contrary, people who can only get at most seven hours of sleep a night are usually stressed out.

Here’s why: Sleeping six hours a night—in other words, not getting enough sleep—can significantly reduce levels of satisfaction when it comes to health and safety. This may lead to higher levels of anxiety, which can all be traced back to a lack of sleep. At the same time, sleeping for too long could be an indicator of depression or sleep apnea. We find that the takeaway message here is that although sleep and wellbeing go hand in hand, it’s important to add moderation to the mix. For the sake of your health and wellbeing, it’s important to find that sweet spot in sleep—don’t sleep too much, but at the same time, don’t sleep too little!

 

How Diet & Fitness Help You Sleep

If you’ve been keeping up with our blog, or if you’ve been paying attention to the latest health articles on the Web, you know how important sleep is—how almost everything can be linked back to sleep. You can imagine how bummed out we are to hear that according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, otherwise known as the CDC, thirty percent of us are sleeping a sad average of no more than six hours a night. That’s 40.6 million Americans not getting enough sleep! The National Sleep Foundation tells us that the recommended amount of sleep is seven to nine hours a night. Apparently, anything less than that opens the door to an increased risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, substance abuse, and even an increase in appetite and the risk for future weight gain or obesity. At a recent meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a new and unpublished study shared that a lack of sleep could impact diet by boosting our cravings for less healthy foods and by hindering our decision-making ability when it counts—like when we’re up against fatty and calorie-filled snacks.

As alarming as all of this may be, we’re actually here to give you some good news that will most likely help! There are several things that you can do to help you get the sleep you need. And to avoid all of those nasty complications that come with sleep deprivation. All of these tips tie back to eating well and staying active.

Exercise keeps your muscles, bones, and heart strong and in shape to conquer the day. It may also help you sleep! Previous studies have shown that participating in an exercise training program has moderately positive effects on sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults. So for all you parents and grandparents out there, stay active for a good night’s sleep! We recommend that you exercise earlier in the day. After your workout, your body needs a few hours to cool down. A cool body sleeps better, so be sure to give your body enough time to cool down so that you can get the sleep you need.

If you’re dieting, you might be staying away from carbs. But carbohydrate-rich foods, in moderation, give you the energy you need during the day and hit your sleep sweet spot at night. Tryptophan, an amino acid found in lots of carbohydrate-rich foods, creates serotonin in your body. This is the neurotransmitter that helps you wind down after a long day. Try a steady dose of carbs like oatmeal and other whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. These options will not only help you get to sleep, but they’re healthy for you too! Remember to keep you dinners and bedtime snacks small. Large, late meals can adversely affect sleep!

Be cautious with caffeine! This stimulant of the central nervous system is notorious for delaying sleepiness and is known to cause sleep disturbances for those of you who do manage to doze off after a cup of coffee. This is because caffeine inhibits some sleep-promoting hormones in your body. Caffeine also stays in the body for several hours, so you should steer clear of the coffee at least several hours before bedtime.

Another beverage to keep an eye on is alcohol. Alcoholic beverages not only encourage binging on food, but it promotes a restless sleep and boosts daytime fatigue. And we don’t even have to discuss the likelihood of hangovers.

The bottom line is that eating healthy and staying active could help you with any sleep problems you may be experiencing at night. We think it’s worth a try. At the very least, you’ll be living a healthy lifestyle!