Sleep

Sleep

   Ahh those precious moments when you plop down onto your pillow, your feet and body almost yelling at you and thanking you at the same time, those brief seconds when you shuffle into position, not quite there, not quite there, ahh there, and then...blank.  You're out, asleep, left to your REM sleep and a period of high activity now going on in your brain, your body recharging in a sense, neurons firing away in what few hours they have to catch-up and to process all that you have encountered while awake.  That is, if you're lucky.

   In a recent article in Time, what happens when we sleep was put this way:  ...when the lights go out, our brains start working--but in an altogether different way than when we're awake.  At night, a legion of neurons springs into action, and like any well-trained platoon, the cells work in perfect synchrony, pulsing with electrical signals that wash over the brain with a soothing, hypnotic flow.  Meanwhile, data processors sort through the reams of information that flooded the brain all day at a pace too overwhelming to handle in real time.  The brain also runs checks on itself to ensure that the exquisite balance of hormones, enzymes and proteins isn't too far off-kilter.  And all the while, cleaners follow in close pursuit to sweep out the toxic detritus that the brain doesn't need and which can cause all kinds of problems if it builds up.

   By now, you've read or heard of the term, the "science" of sleep;  and indeed, studying sleep has come a long ways from wires attached to sleeping subjects.  For one, while pills can help us get to sleep, scientists are finding that the benefits from natural sleep just aren't there, thus our groggy reaction when we awaken, sometimes feeling less rested than the clock would indicate.  Estimates are that this lack of proper sleep is affecting over 20% of our population in the U.S. (about 70 million by some estimates) and close to half of our teen population.  In addition, some key functions seem to happen primarily as we sleep, including muscle repair, bone building and the additional breakdown of sugar in our pancreas.  The cardiovascular system also gets a break during sleep. Researchers have found that people with normal or high blood pressure experience a 20 to 30% reduction in blood pressure and 10 to 20% reduction in heart rate, that according to the site, SleepDex (which is quite fascinating in general).

   The site WebMD put it even more bluntly when talking about what sleep deprivation might lead to: High blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, obesity, psychiatric problems (including depression and other mood disorders), attention deficit disorder (ADD), mental impairment, fetal and childhood growth retardation, injury from accidents.  Yikes!
 
   And it would appear that today's lifestyle, that of being "on" throughout the day and night (cellphones, computers, jobs and schooling to name a few) is indeed diminishing our sleep.  Average sleep times seem to have dropped an hour or more in the past two decades.  More and more, sleeping like a baby is something we're coming to view as a distant dream.  Catching a few winks, sleeping on planes, taking quick naps all seem like luxuries to be enjoyed if only we could successfully find the formula.

   Here's where the pharmaceutical companies are more than happy to help, each variant trying to target a different part of your sleep trigger.  Ambien shuts down the "conversation-chatter" part of your brain allowing you quiet time so your fatigue can actually kick in to lead you to sleep.  Other brand names such as Lunesta or Sonata (not the car) or Halcion hit entirely different regions (on the natural side, I've found Valerian root --and indeed, be sure the bottle says "root"-- to be quite effective, not actually making you sleepy, but once you do fall asleep, putting you into a deep sleep much quicker thus allowing a rested feeling despite shorter hours of sleep...the ancient Greeks used to use comfrey as a poultice and some now use it as a sleep aid in tea, a practice which is controversial due to possible reactions when taken internally).  The entire spectrum of pills, especially prescription ones, can be daunting and your doctor should be explaining what might be the right choice for you (or if you even need a sleeping pill) but the Mayo Clinic's guide can give you a quick preview.  As you'll see, the side effects and warnings are not for the faint of heart.

   None of this is to make light of what we all desire, a good night's sleep.  For many, medical problems such as sleep apnea or insomnia are very real, and recommendations to change lifestyles in diet or exercise or meditation are all valid but sometimes ineffective.  For these people, a good night's sleep is indeed a luxury.  As sleep researcher and professor of medicine, Sigrid Veasey, told Time, "We now know that there is a lasting price to pay for sleep loss.  We used to think that if you don't sleep enough, you can sleep more and you'll be fine tomorrow...we now know that if you push the system enough, that's simply not true."

   Sweet dreams might slowly be turning into just that...dreams.