sleep habits Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Don’t Lose Sleep Over Daylight Saving Time

AHA Publisher — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 07:00:17 +0000

Houston Methodist via Newswise – The return to daylight saving time each spring affects the sleep patterns of millions of Americans and can wreak havoc on the many people already affected by sleep problems, but a few simple sleep habits can make all the difference when we spring forward March 13. To better prepare ourselves for daylight saving time, Houston Methodist sleep expert Aparajitha Verma, M.D., says people need to make sure they are well rested before the time change. “One way to do that is to start changing your sleep habits days before the time change. You can get up an hour earlier and go to sleep an hour earlier,” Verma said. “You can also take a nap in the afternoon on Sunday if you need it, but not within a few hours of your regular bedtime. Napping too close to bedtime can disrupt nighttime sleep.” Circadian rhythms, or our internal body clocks, are the patterns of repeated activity associated with the environmental cycles of day and night. Verma says people who have trouble sleeping may have an internal clock that has become out of sync with the day-night cycle. “If you’re well rested and your circadian rhythm is working with your schedule, some people don’t even need an alarm clock to get up in the morning.” However, Verma says if you cannot fall asleep within 30 minutes of lying down, if you have excessive daytime sleepiness, or if you’re still sleeping for seven or more hours and waking up tired, you may have a more serious sleeping disorder. She recommends people with these symptoms consider an overnight sleep study at a center accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine or ask their doctor about a take-home test option, which is now available for certain patients who qualify. “Daylight saving time gives us the opportunity, at least twice a year, to practice good sleep habits we should try to use year-round,” Verma said. Verma suggests the following tips for a good night’s sleep, before and after the time change: Sleep in a quiet, dark environment and set the thermostat at a slightly cooler temperature; Don’t allow pets in the bed; No reading, eating or watching TV in bed; Don’t watch the clock; Set a “wind down” time prior to going to bed; Don’t take over-the-counter sleep aids and avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol close to bedtime, as these can disrupt sleep. Try drinking warm tea or milk to increase your body temperature, which helps induce and sustain sleep; Exercise is good for sleep, but not within two hours of going to sleep. Houston Methodist is one of only nine centers in Houston accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Our team of specialists includes doctors who are board certified in sleep medicine by the American Board of Medical Specialties and sleep technicians who are registered by the Board of Polysomnographic Technicians. For more information on Houston Methodist Sleep Services, visit https://www.houstonmethodist.org/neurology/sleep-disorders/. To read the original article click here.

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Good Mental Health and Better Sleep for the Physically Active

AHA Publisher — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 07:00:26 +0000

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) via Newswise – In the middle of the pandemic this spring, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) conducted a survey among members of Kondis, a Norwegian fitness training organization. Since this survey was sent out in the middle of the lockdown in Norway, participants were asked whether they had changed their exercise habits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of these initial analyses was to map mental health and sleep problems, and to investigate whether changes in exercise habits had consequences for sleep. “Not surprisingly, we found that the incidence of anxiety and depression was significantly lower in this relatively fit sample than among other people. And this was the case despite the fact that we conducted the survey in the middle of the toughest part of the COVID time,” says associate professor Linda Ernstsen from NTNU’s Department of Public Health and Nursing. These findings come as little surprise to the researchers. The connection between physical and mental health has been known for a long time, not least through the 240 000 people who have participated in a series of health studies starting in 1984 called the HUNT Surveys. But the new study still offers some surprises, especially related to the fact that a lot of people changed their exercise habits this spring. Ernstsen carried out the study together with project manager and associate professor Audun Havnen from NTNU’s Department of Psychology. “It was surprising that so many people increased their amount of exercise during the coronavirus pandemic. Since people were encouraged to avoid public spaces and stay home, the fact that so many used the extra time they had to move more was a positive effect,” says Havnen. This survey is the first of three to be conducted among Kondis members. The overall goal of the questionnaires is to study the relationship between different aspects of physical activity, mental health and quality of life in a sample assumed to be fit, and how this changes over time. Although active people generally suffer less depression and anxiety than others, some of them still do get depressed and anxious. When COVID-19 struck this spring, many Kondis members modified their training habits, regardless of whether they were struggling with mental health problems or not. You would think that this change would affect their quality of sleep as well. But that didn’t happen. “We thought the connection between mental health and sleep problems would be more pronounced in people who changed how much they exercised. But we found no differences,” says Ernstsen. The two groups were thus affected in exactly the same way, regardless of changes in their exercise habits. This doesn’t mean that there is no connection between mental health and sleep, even in this active group. “We found a connection between anxiety symptoms and sleep problems and a connection between depressive symptoms and sleep problems,” Ernstsen says. People with depression and anxiety consistently sleep less well than others. This is true for the most physically fit among us as well. “Since all the participants answered the questions at the same time this spring, so far we only know that there’s a connection between physical activity, mental health and sleep. To investigate what leads to what, we’ve invited the participants to take the survey again after six and twelve months to study changes over time,” says Havnen. To read the original article click here.

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Past Your Bedtime? Inconsistency May Increase Risk to Cardiovascular Health

AHA Publisher — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 07:00:55 +0000

University of Notre Dame via EurekAlert – Despite increasing awareness of how critical sleep is to our health, getting a good night’s rest remains increasingly difficult in a world that’s always “on” — responding to emails at all hours, news cycles that change with every tweet and staring endlessly into the blue light of cell phone, tablet and computers screens. Scientists have stressed the importance of healthy sleep habits, recommending at least seven hours each night, and have linked lack of sleep to an increased risk in numerous health conditions, including diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Now a new study shows whether or not you go to bed on time could also have an effect on your health. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame studied the correlation between bedtime regularity and resting heart rate (RHR) and found that individuals going to bed even 30 minutes later than their usual bedtime presented a significantly higher resting heart rate that lasted into the following day. “We already know an increase in resting heart rate means an increased risk to cardiovascular health,” said Nitesh Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame, director of the Center for Network and Data Science and a lead author of the study. “Through our study, we found that even if you get seven hours of sleep a night, if you’re not going to bed at the same time each night, not only does your resting heart rate increase while you sleep, it carries over into the next day.” Chawla and his team analyzed data collected via Fitbit from 557 college students over the course of four years. They recorded 255,736 sleep sessions — measuring bedtimes, sleep and resting heart rate. Significant increases in RHR were observed when individuals went to bed anywhere between one and 30 minutes later than their normal bedtime. Normal bedtime was defined as the one-hour interval surrounding a person’s median bedtime. The later they went to bed, the higher the increase in RHR. Rates remained elevated into the following day. Surprisingly, going to bed earlier than one’s standard bedtime also showed signs of increasing RHR, though it depended on just how early. Going to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual appeared to have little effect, while going to bed more than a half hour earlier significantly increased RHR. In cases of earlier bedtimes, however, RHR leveled out during the sleep session. Circadian rhythms, medications and lifestyle factors all come into play when it comes to healthy sleep habits, but Chawla said it’s vital to consider consistency as well. “For some, it may be a matter of maintaining their regular ‘work week’ bedtime through the weekend,” said Chawla. “For shift workers and those who travel frequently, getting to bed at the same time each night is a challenge. Establishing a healthy bedtime routine — as best you can — is obviously step number one. But sticking to it is just as important.” To read the original article click here.

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