SLEEP DEPRIVATION LEADS TO TROUBLE FAST

Losing Just 2 Hours of Nightly Sleep Hinders Thinking, Memory

     If you think you're getting enough sleep on fewer than six hours a night, you're probably experiencing the latest documented effect of sleep deprivation: the inability to realize just how tired you really are. Even missing out on the recommend eight hours of nightly sleep for two weeks -- a fate regularly experienced by millions of Americans -- can accumulate to a "sleep dept" equal to total sleep deprivation of two full nights, find a new study. Average only four hours a night in that time and your brain reacts as though you haven't slept at all for three consecutive nights.

Harvard researchers found that regularly getting too little sleep boosts heart disease risk, while previous research linked consistent sleep loss with higher risk of diabetes and obesity. "The take home message is this: Don't rely on your own sense of whether or not you're getting enough sleep. You may very well be chronically sleep-deprived and consider that normal. In some ways, it's similar to people in chronic pain -- they don't realize how much pain they have until it's relieved".

This self-denial may play a key role in many of the 100,000 car crashes each year in the U.S. that result from sleep deprivation. "Another study showed that 50% of the people who caused car crashes did not perceive that they were sleepy immediately prior to the crash," says Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center and a spokesman for the National Sleep Foundation. "So if you talk to people who are sleep-deprived, half of the time they will be driving impaired but do not perceive themselves to be.

How many people are sleep-deprived?  Just about everybody. Anyone who uses an alarm clock to wake up is sleep-deprived by definition. Their brains would have awakened spontaneously if they have accumulated the amount of sleep they need.  While some people can function fine on fewer than eight hours of sleep, most need to average that amount over time to keep mind and body healthy. While it's best to try to get eight hours or more a night, every night, if you can't, try to build a couple of days every now and then to sleep longer.

The Power of Napping-  Napping is a proven way to clear out the cobwebs and pave the way for a more productive afternoon -- whether it's Wednesday or the weekend. In fact, in today's hectic world, as our lives get busier and the amount of sleep we get at night gets shorter, counting sheep come midafternoon can be an important way to recharge your battery. "Since most people can't rearrange their lives to get more sleep -- with two jobs, child care, elder care, long commutes, whatever it happens to be -- we recommend they learn how to nap" says Bill Anthony, PhD, author of The Art of Napping.

Gather Your 'Napnomic' Devices- As infants and toddlers we had teddy bears, bottles, pacifiers, crib sheets -- all these things to help you nap. We do this as an adult, as well, although it might be a favorite blanket, or opening a window, putting on music, various things that get you in a napping mood. Dr. Anthony who is director of psychiatric rehabilitation at Boston University explains, that in addition to your own napnomic devices, napping is an individual unconscious activity. You should nap according to what works for you. Some people need to eat before they nap; others do it on an empty stomach. Some people need background noise, others prefer dead silence. How you nap should center around your napping style.

Sleep Inertia-  Sleep inertia, is that groggy and disoriented feeling some people get when you wake up from a nap. " The trick is to find out what nap period works best for you that doesn't produce that feeling," says Anthony. For some, 10 minutes is just right for a nap, while for others, 20 minutes hits the spot. Whatever you nap number, if sleep inertia does set in, you can easily spring back into your afternoon. Splash water on your face, have a glass of water, go for a walk -- something quick to wake yourself up.  Nappers beware, however, that you can overdose on the afternoon snooze. When your nap starts creeping upward toward 25 minutes or 30 minutes and beyond and you fall into deeper stages of sleep, you can hinder your ability to fall asleep when it counts: at night. Set your alarm clock.

Nappus Interruptus-  Also important when you hit the hay midday is to do it uninterrupted. "You need to have control over your napping environment and make sure you have privacy," says Dr. Anthony. "We call it 'nappus interruptus': if you are going to get interrupted from your nap it's not going to be a good nap."

Stay Regular-  "Just as you should have a regular sleep-wake schedule at the same time every day from Monday to Monday, including the weekends, your napping should be regular as well," says James Maas, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Cornell University. While napping once or twice might feel good, it can throw your internal clock -- what experts refer to as circadian rhythm -- out of whack. "You shouldn't just nap once or twice a week; you have to do it on a regular basis or you'll screw up your circadian rhythm," says Maas. "It's like playing ping-pong with your sleep habits."

Enjoy Your Nap Time-  "Revel in your nap," says Dr. Anthony "You are unconscious, but you should be enjoying it.  Tell yourself or your colleagues that napping is good for you and it's going to help your mood and productivity -- and that's a fact. So remind yourself of that and get over the guilt and enjoy it."     

(Source: Article Taken From WebMD)