Results from new Sleep Survey shows many Americans have problems falling and staying asleep.

From October 20 - 22 2014, the popular NBC television show "Today" conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of 1,092 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, using a questionnaire focused on self-reported behavior and attitudes toward sleep. The study was fielded by Survey Sampling International, an independent research company based in Connecticut.
The study found that  61 percent of the survey participants reporting problems falling and staying asleep, and eighty percent of people who don’t get adequate sleep report experiencing more stress about finances with 74 percent becoming more worried about their health.

Among other issues, the study found that 32 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds say work makes them fret throughout the night, with 31 percent reporting that their children cause sleepless nights. Overall, 42 percent of people with a child under 18 reported inadequate sleep.

Modern electronic devices can have a serious impact on sleep quality, for multiple reasons. Physically, the blue light emitted by the screens of devices such as mobile phones and tablets mimics daylight and can interrupt our circadian rhythms; it's also known to suppress production of a brain chemical called melatonin, which helps us sleep. But more importantly, using the internet or texting before trying to sleep overstimulates the brain. Nonetheless, the survey reported that people still regularly watch TV and keep their phones at hand when they should be trying to fall asleep:

• 51 percent of people have TV remote within reach
• 50 percent of people have their smartphones within reach
• 23 percent of people have a computer within reach
• 21 percent of people have a tablet within reach

Seventy-seven percent of participants 35-49 said they watched TV right before bed, with almost two-thirds of 18-34-year-olds using their smartphones before sleep: only 1 in 5 adults claimed to sleep without any of these devices within reach.

The reported issues related to sleep problems included:

• Overall 29 percent had difficulty concentrating; among 18 to 34-year-olds that number increased to 39 percent
• 23 percent had difficulty performing daily chores
• 19 percent had lost interest in hobbies or leisure activities
• 16 percent reported falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day
• 16 percent experienced short tempers or inappropriate behavior with children or partners, with 13 percent reporting short tempers or inappropriate behavior at work.

Healthy sleep is vital to our well-being. For more information on how you can get a better night's rest, see our sleep hygiene recommendations or contact us if you're having serious problems with sleep.

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Source:
Why can't we sleep? TODAY 'Snooze or Lose' survey results may surprise you; Meghan Holohan, November 09 2014

How the Daylight Savings Time Change Affects Sleep.

On Sunday, November 2, 2014 Daylight Savings Time ends for most Americans, a few days after Europe sets its clocks back an hour.
The modern idea of "daylight saving" was first proposed in 1895 by George Vernon Hudson of New Zealand, with Germany and Austria-Hungary organizing the first national implementation in 1916. Since then the concept has garnered its share of both advocates and critics from around the world; changing our clocks benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that are happy to exploit the extra hours of sunlight. Of course it can also disrupt meetings, travel and record keeping and cause multiple other scheduling issues.

On a personal level, moving our clocks in either direction changes our principal time cue -morning sunlight- which controls our 24-hour circadian rhythm track. This means that our internal clock falls out of sync with our current day-night cycle. Our ability to adapt to this depends on several things.

 Generally, "losing" an hour in the spring is more difficult to adjust to than "gaining" an hour in the fall. This is similar to the "flight lag" experienced in airplane travel; an earlier bedtime may cause difficulty falling asleep and increased wakefulness during the early part of the night. Conversely, setting the clocks back means we may fall asleep easily but can have a difficult time waking.

Our external time cues are called "zeitgeibers", and they include light, temperature, exercise and food/drink intake. It can take several days for our internal biological clock to re-synchronize with any new schedule, whether it's a clock change or a timezone difference. For some people, this can lead to disrupted sleep and feeling tired during the day (EDS).
Even if the actual time change doesn't affect your sleep, the change in seasons can; the lack of sunlight affects many people's moods despite a one hour change in time not being particularly important. For those who do feel affected, either physically or emotionally,  this misalignment between external cues and our internal body clock can also have more serious consequences.

For example, statistics have long shown that the risk of heart attacks spikes on Monday mornings. This is thought to be due to a combination of stress brought on through the anticipation of a new working week, and the sudden changes in our sleep-wake cycle. A recent study published in the AAC journal Open Heart looked at the rates of heart attacks before and after our clock changes over 4 years, and found a 25% increase on the Monday following the shift to daylight saving time; conversely, there was a 21% decrease in heart attacks when the clocks were rolled back in the Autumn.

One of the best sleep practices for the winter months is avoiding bright light exposure at night, which can delay the body's internal clock. This includes computers, tv's, cellphones and tablets - so they shouldn't be in the bedroom.
Routine is key for maintaining a consistent drive to sleep each evening. In the winter, with fewer hours of daylight overall, it’s important to seek out exposure to morning light if you can. Light is a strong cue for your  internal clock, and daylight ensures it remains synchronized to a 24-hour day even when your schedule changes slightly. Lack of light exposure during the day can result in a drift of the internal body clock to a longer than 24-hour rhythm, making it harder to get up in the morning in the winter. Here are some tips on how to make a smooth transition to the winter months:

•  Start getting in sync early; try to eat, sleep, wake to the new time so that your circadian rhythm has a chance to adjust.
• Exercise earlier in the day to keep your energy levels high and to ensure you’re tired enough to get to sleep ‘earlier’, but be sure to avoid the over-stimulation effect of evening exercise.
• Get as much natural sunlight as possible: this will help adjust the body’s circadian rhythm. Dim lights in evening can help to induce sleepiness.
•  Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evenings and go for sleep-inducing foods and drinks.
• Nap wisely: avoid taking naps after 4pm and try to keep naps to no more than 10 - 20 minutes.

For more information on healthy sleep habits or to get help for a sleep related problem, visit our website at www.HoustonSleep.net.

New Gallup Poll Data Suggests 40% of Americans Don't Get Enough Sleep

A new Gallup poll shows that 40% of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night- a figure largely unchanged from the 1990s and 2000s.
The poll is based on telephone interviews conducted Dec. 5-8, 2013, with a random sample of 1,031 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

56% of Americans say they get as much sleep as needed, while 43% say they would feel better if they got more sleep. The percentage who say they get sufficient sleep has been in the mid-50% range since 2001, but was much higher in 1990. Americans aged 65 and older report getting the most sleep, with 67% getting seven or more hours per night. Each younger age group gets less sleep, down to 54% of 18- to 29-year-olds who report getting seven or more hours. Nearly half of 18- to 29-year-olds get less than the recommended amount of sleep.

Medical studies have related a lack of sleep to health problems and cognitive impairment: experts typically recommend seven to nine hours sleep for adults.

The indirect cost of sleep disorders is estimated at 41 billion dollars per year from lost productivity, 17 to 27 billion dollars per year from motor vehicle accidents, 7 billion dollars per year in work-related accidents and 2 to 4 billion dollars per year in home and public accidents (Stoller MK Clin Ther 1994:16 873-897). These figures do not even take into account the added morbidity caused by the physiologic impact from sleep disorders. Unfortunately, Sleep, a process which consumes about one third of our life and which has a spectrum of abnormalities which can hinder our daily living, has received so little attention in our medical education system. 
For more information on the importance of proper sleep hygiene, The Societal Sleep Problem and sleep related illness please visit the HoustonSleep.Net.

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References:
Gallup.com: In U.S., 40% Get Less Than Recommended Amount of Sleep
Methodology, full question results and trend data

New Study Shows That Changes in Your Sleep Schedule May Help You Lose Weight

A study led by Bruce Bailey, professor of exercise science at Brigham Young, followed 300 female college students ages 19 to 26 who were given activity trackers to monitor their movements and activities including waking and sleeping times. The participants were assessed for body composition before and after the one-week study period. Although previous research has shown that not sleeping enough can have an effect on weight, the new study found that consistency in sleeping times can influence body fat.
Researchers found that:

• Less than 6.5 hours of sleep or more than 8.5 hours of sleep was linked to higher body fat
• High quality sleep was associated with lower body fat, while poor sleep correlated with higher body fat
• Consistent wake times and going to sleep at the same time every day (particularly the consistent wake time) were most strongly linked with lower body fat

The study also suggested that "better" sleep - periods of sleep characterized by efficiency, consistency and duration - is associated with more routine physical activity. Katz cautioned, however, that this study did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between sleep and weight.

 The difference in body weight was greater with more variation in sleep pattern. Women whose sleep patterns varied by 90 minutes a night had higher body fat than those whose sleep varied by 60 minutes or less on average. Body fat also varied with sleep quantity; women who slept between 8 and 8.5 hours a night had the lowest body fat. The greatest effect was seen in women who woke up at the same time every morning seven days a week.

Although this was a small, short duration study with study participants selected from a limited pool (only young, only college educated, etc.) and was not blinded or controlled, other studies have shown that sleep has an effect on physical activity, appetite, and the hormones that control appetite and metabolism. According to those studies skimping on sleep boosts production of ghrelin, (a hormone that controls food cravings) and decreases production of leptin, (a hormone that helps prevent over-eating). A body of research conducted over the last few years that ties quality and quantity of sleep to weight loss and better weight control included a randomized trial published in the journal Obesity which found that among overweight and obese women ages 35 to 55 engaged in a weight loss programs, getting an adequate amount of good quality sleep increased the chance of weight loss success by 33 percent.

While  researchers don’t know exactly how sleep schedules affect body mass and fat, consistent sleep patterns are part of good sleep hygiene. Click here to learn more about improving your sleep and the importance of sleep hygiene.

The report was published online in the November issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

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References:
Forbes;Change Your Sleep Schedule To Lose Weight, Study Shows; Melanie Haiken,11/21/2013
Steady Sleep Schedule May Help Keep Weight Off; Philly.com; Steven Reinberg, 11/21/2013