Bright Lights Bring Poor Sleep

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and wandered to the bathroom to find yourself blinded when flipping on the light? People respond negatively to too much light when the body wants sleep. Light and dark have major influence on hormone production, body temperature regulation and the circadian rhythm.

Light affects our circadian rhythm or biological clock in accordance with light and dark. Darkness also affects our pineal gland’s production of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that helps induce sleep. Light signals your body to produce less melatonin. If you are working a night shift in artificial lighting, your body is likely producing too little melatonin. ¹

This effect is readily seen in those suffering from jetlag. Once exposed to a new light-dark cycle in a different time zone, it takes the body a few days to adjust the circadian rhythm to the new schedule. ² Jet lag is commonly combated through the use of melatonin supplements to compensate for slowed natural melatonin production.

Many Americans use television or other electronic devices to help them wind down and coax them to sleep. This idea is incorrect. In the National Sleep Foundation’s Annual American Sleep Poll in 2011, 95 percent of individuals surveyed between 13 to 63 years old reported going to sleep with the television on. ³

How to Keep Your Biological Clock Ticking:

• Make sure to get out in the sunlight at least once a day. Natural light allows your body to understand it is awake.
• Do not use a computer, tablet or watch television too close to bedtime. These activities can be too alerting for the mind and may reduce melatonin production. ¹
• Do not sleep with the television on before bed. The brightness from the T.V. will slow melatonin production making it difficult to get to sleep.
• Use dim night lights in the bedroom and bathroom so as to not blind yourself if you must get up in the middle of the night.
• Keep the lights in your home dim or use only lamps for a few hours before bed to increase melatonin production and signal to your body that it is time for bed.
• Purchase “black-out” or extremely dark curtains or drapes to prevent morning light from pouring in your window and potentially disrupting sleep.

Knowing that light affects the body’s ability to sleep is vital to getting a good night’s sleep. It is important to give the body the sleep it needs and make getting to sleep as easy as possible. Simple efforts to avoid light late in the day and regulate your circadian rhythm can help to avoid self-inflicted insomnia.

Bibliography:

1. National Sleep Foundation—Lights Out for a Good Night’s Sleep; http://www.sleepfoundation.org/alert/lights-out-good-nights-sleep

2. Carskadon, Mary A. Encyclopedia of Sleep and Dreaming. New York: Macmillan Pub., 1993.

3. National Sleep Foundation—Annual American Sleep Survey (2011); http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/press-release/annual-sleep-america-poll-exploring-connections-communications-technology-use-

Driving Drowsy

One in 20 Americans has caused and accident by driving drowsy. ¹ Drowsy driving is the second leading cause of automobile accidents. The first is drunkenness. ¹ Driving drowsy slows reaction times and reduces alertness.

Driving without the adequate amount of sleep is not only extremely dangerous to yourself, but you also put all other drivers on the road in jeopardy.

Truck drivers are amongst some of the most sleep deprived shift workers. The legal limit for driving time for commercial drivers is 10 hours at a time. ² Because of the high stress level and irregular schedule of the profession, commercial drivers should make an effort to get a good night’s sleep on a comfortable mattress for a decent amount of time.

Risk Factors

• Alcohol is a major risk factor in driving. One drink on six hours of sleep is the equivalent to six drinks on eight hours of sleep. ¹
• Driving alone is dangerous because it puts all driving on one person and makes car rides more monotonous.
• Monotonous roads make it difficult to stay engaged in driving and can “hypnotize” the driver.
• Excessive work hours can cause individuals to be extremely deprived of sleep, making driving a very dangerous task.
• Untreated sleep disorders such as sleep apnea can cause fragmented sleep and daytime drowsiness. Avoid driving long periods of time while sleep deprived. Sleep apnea can increase the chances of falling asleep at the wheel 300 to 700 percent. ³
• Medication that causes drowsiness such as cold or allergy medication can impair alertness and make driving very difficult.

Combating Drowsy Driving

• Regardless of your destination, getting somewhere in a hurry is not worth your or someone else’s life. If feeling drowsy pull off the road at a rest stop or gas station and take a nap. A 15 to 20 minute nap at a well lit buys gas station or rest area is safest, especially if traveling at night.
• Once you have rested your eyes, get some caffeine such as coffee or an energy drink and engage in physical activity such as a brief walk.
• Do not start driving again until you feel refreshed.

Preventing Drowsy Driving

• Get a good night’s sleep the night before you begin a long road trip.
• Do not begin a road trip during the “midday slump” or in the evening.
• Do not plan to drive for more than 10 hours.
• Plan to stay overnight if your trip requires you to drive at night time.
• Plan for traffic and unpredictable delays by allowing extra time for your trip.
• Plan to stop every 100 miles or so at a gas station or rest stop. Be sure to stretch your legs and move around. Be sure to get snacks or drinks at stops to keep energized.
• Plan to drive with someone else. Sharing the driving can take a lot of the stress off the driver and make the drive less monotonous.
• Drive during times you are usually awake. Darkness triggers melatonin production in the brain which can cause drowsiness.
• Make the car environment somewhat uncomfortable. Keep the air cool and the music louder and more upbeat. Soft music can lull you to sleep.
• Do not drive if you have untreated sleep disorders.

Most people underestimate the power sleep deprivation can have on their ability to drive and attempt to simply drive through or speed up to get to our destination quicker. (I know I’m guilty of this). With driving being as unpredictable as it is because of other drivers, weather and car functions, any lack in alertness can contribute to potentially fatal accidents.

Driving drowsy is a very serious problem in America resulting in an estimated 100,000 police-reported crashes, 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and more than $1.2 billion in monetary losses. ²

Bibliography:

1. Maas, Dr. James B., Megan L. Wherry, David J Axelrod, Barbara R. Hogan, and Jennifer A. Blumin. Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance. New York : Villard, 1998.

2. The American Automobile Association’s Foundation for Traffic Safety—Drowsy Driving FAQ’s; http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=drowsyfaq

3. National Sleep Foundation—Drowsy Driving Prevention Video; http://www.sleepfoundation.org/video/heads-the-wheel-drowsy-driving-prevention

Behind the Yawn

A “yawn” as defined by Dictionary.com is said to be “to open the mouth somewhat involuntarily with a prolonged, deep inhalation and sighing or heavy exhalation, as from drowsiness or boredom.” The word yawn is derived from the Old English word meaning to gape or open wide. The average human yawns 240,000 times in a lifetime and the average yawn lasts about six seconds. ¹

Many believe that a yawn is in response to excess carbon dioxide or shortage of oxygen in the lungs. This notion is false and probably assumed because of the gasp that takes place at the end of yawns.

While yawns are typically seen as a comical occurrence, it is now known that excessive yawning can signify a brain tumor, hemorrhages, opiate withdrawal, chorea, encephalitis and other internal issues. ²

Stretching is usually accompanied by a yawn; however, they are not dependent on each other. Also, the face that is formed when yawning stretches the face and is possibly one of the reasons that yawns are so satisfying. On a scale from one to 10 (10 being most satisfying), the average rating was 8.5. ²

All vertebrate animals yawn in the same fashion as humans. Also, yawning is not exclusive to mammals. Crocodiles, sharks, snakes and birds all yawn. ¹ The purpose of their yawning is unknown as well.

Reading about yawning stimulates yawns, similarly to seeing someone yawn makes you have to desire to yawn. (I’ve yawned about 30 times while writing this). The yawn alone is not what is contagious. In fact, the entire facial stretch that accompanies the yawn causes others to feel the need to replicate the face. Therefore, even when you cover your mouth, the “yawn face” is still present in the eyes and can cause others to yawn. Contagious yawning is thought to be an ancient way of communicating bedtime. ²

Recent studies have shown that yawning may not be linked to sleepiness or boredom whatsoever, and may be needed in order to cool the brain. ³ This theory is generated from medical observations such as epileptics yawning excessively before a seizure. Now yawning can be used as a signal to greater problems, especially with diseases or disorders that affect the brain’s temperature. Additionally, some animals that do not sweat such as dogs and pigs may use yawning to cool their bodies, even if just by a fraction of a degree. ²

While most aspects of yawning are still a mystery, it is clear that if you are yawning very often you are likely not getting enough sleep or extremely bored. Though many theories are continuously being developed, no proven function has been identified.

Bibliography

1. WebMD—What’s in a Yawn? http://blogs.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/2010/09/whats-in-a-yawn.html

2. Maas, Dr. James B., Megan L. Wherry, David J Axelrod, Barbara R. Hogan, and Jennifer A. Blumin. Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance. New York : Villard, 1998.

3. USA Today—Yawning may cool brain when needed; http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/medical/health/medical/story/2011-11-26/Yawning-may-cool-brain-when-needed/51409498/1