A Large Study of the Effects of Sleep on Health: A Data-Driven and Self-Reported Study, and an Associate Professor of Health Sciences

Unlike other studies, the new one did not find that those who slept longer than nine hours had health problems, but few people in the study slept that much, and that may have affected the results.

There was a higher risk for diseases that included Diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidneys disease, depression, dementia, mental disorders, Parkinson’s and arthritis.

The study has some additional limitations. White men were the majority of the subjects. The researchers say the civil servants also tend to be a little healthier than the general population. And the study relied on self-reported data, which is considered less reliable than if people were in a sleep study in which scientists could directly observe how the person was sleeping.

It is important that health-care providers take sleep into account when evaluating someone, according to the director of prelicensure nursing programs.

Adam Knowlden is an associate professor of health science who is working on a large sleep study and is not involved in the new research.

Sex drive, blood pressure and heart rate, metabolism, and body temperature are all regulated by hormones. If the body doesn’t produce adequate hormones due to a lack of sleep, that is thought to lead to chronic health problems in addition to things like fatigue, body aches and problems with blood pressure.

Make sure your sleeping environment is optimal — cooler and darker is better — and block noise or try a sound machine. Avoid booze before bed — it may seem like you’re falling asleep more easily, but when your liver finishes metabolizing the alcohol at 3 a.m., your body will wake up, experts say.

How much sleep do you need? A doctor’s advice on how to get the most out of the day, and how to take extra care of yourself

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the country, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Someone in the US dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds.

The items that will be done are to stop tobacco, eat better, exercise more, get active, control blood pressure, cholesterol, and have healthy sleep.

The participants took part in detailed sleep research. They filled out sleep surveys, wore a device that measured their sleep for seven days, and had an overnight study to observe the way they slept.

The study says that poor sleep habits are common among Americans. More than half of them slept less than seven hours a night, and 30% slept less than six hours. An adult needs between seven and 9 hours of sleep a night, according to the CDC.

He said the changes in hormones caused by fat andCarbohydrates can promote the feel good hormones of Serotonin.

She hopes future studies will provide additional evidence of a connection between good health and good sleep and prompt more providers to ask questions.

It is the worst thing that the advice is wrong. There is a myth that there is one way to get good sleep, thanks to the misinterpretation of scientific findings, poor methodologies, and the need for a good story to sell to the public.

“No one ever says, ‘I was awake in the middle of the night, and I was only thinking of good things,’” Dr. Prather said. Our minds can get very loud at night if we try to let our minds pause without distraction, according to Dr. Prather.

To beat back nightime rumination and anxiety, Dr. Prather recommended in an interview devoting part of your day to worry. Block out 10 to 20 minutes to write down what you’re anxious about, or just think about it, without searching for a solution. He said that if you did that consistently, it would prevent your worries from bothering you into the night, and that you could remind yourself to address them the next day.

She said that if you can protect your sleep time, you may be able to enjoy the holidays more and get more done.

A sleep specialist said that short sleep can have short term effects on your health and wellbeing.

Eating large, heavy meals causes the body to work harder to digest the foods, which can contribute to fatigue, said Steven Malin, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and health at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Dr. Raj Das Gupta is a clinical medicine professor at the University of Southern California and a sleep specialist.

“I know this seems cruel especially when a delicious meal is right in front of you, but this tip can help reduce your feelings of sleepiness,” he said.

Try replacing the sugary and fatty foods on your holiday plate with more unprocessed, fiber-rich foods. These changes slow digestion that people feel full longer.

A different approach is looking at water intake. Consuming enough water prior to eating will help extend the stomach and make you feel full.

Why do we need to eat all day? A doctor’s advice on how to avoid eating all day and not to take a nap

Exercise can counteract feelings of sluggishness. Even standing and moving can help reset the switch.

And don’t keep eating and eating until the wee hours. Knutson said that indigestion can occur when we sleep and it may wake us up.

“Ideally, we should stop eating 2 or more hours before we want to go to sleep. A light snack is okay if you are hungry before bed. She said in email that heavy, rich food should be avoided.

All those holiday sweets, especially if consumed on an empty stomach while waiting for the meal, can cause swings in blood glucose, or blood sugar. Keeping your blood steady throughout the day is best for the body.

Drops in bloodglucose can promote the “crash feelings” in bodily cells. At the same time, consuming sugar based foods later in the evening can promote bursts of energy that shift sleep back, making it harder to fall asleep,” he said via email.

“Remember, alcohol can make you fall asleep faster and sleep heavier during the first portion of the night. However, alcohol can disrupt your sleep during the second half of the night,” he said.

In fact, you’d have to eat about 8 pounds for turkey to have an effect, Malin said. Instead, it’s the rich, processed foods, such as candied sweet potatoes or pecan pie, that are making you feel tired.

“In general, it’s never a good idea to lay down right after a big meal especially if you have heartburn. Also, if you are someone who dealing with insomnia, I would not recommend taking a nap,” he said.

“But if you are sleep deprived from the long travel, didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before, and it’s not too late in the day, a 15 to 20 minute nap is OK,” he added via email. Don’t blame the turkey for the nap – just don’t!

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/23/health/holiday-sleep-problems-wellness/index.html

How do you wake up? How to look for ways to reduce stress and depression in children with insomnia using cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBTi)

If you suffer from anxiety, depression or seasonal affective disorder (a condition that causes sadness when there’s less daylight), watching your sleep is key, experts said.

Calming strategies can include a relaxing transition before going to sleep in which you could take a bath, meditate or listen to soothing music, she said.

“I also recommend keeping a notebook next to the bed,” Freeman said. When people wake up in the morning, it’s good to write down their thoughts. It could be they heard a bird or they had to pee or they had some stressor on their mind. It may be a focus when they are doing something with their minds.

“Studies have shown that exercise enables individuals with insomnia to fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and enjoy better sleep quality,” he said. “Exercise is also great way to relieve stress and depression that have been common issues for people during the holidays.”

It takes less time to fall asleep and less time to be awake when you exercise, which is great for sleep.

Sleep has recently become another thing that causes stress in our lives. We want the perfect night’s sleep. As a consequence, many of us are now afflicted by sleep anxiety, a condition in which people worry about not falling asleep or staying asleep. This type of anxiety can be caused by a cycle of increased stress called hyperarousal that results in poorer sleep.

Consider, for instance, the advice that we must at all costs avoid light from screens before sleep. Individuals were exposed to four hours of use on its bright light setting prior to sleep on five nights in a row. The delay in sleep onset was two minutes a day. The biological impact was meaningless despite the results being statistically significant.

In the meantime, a number of studies in the field of neuroscience show an alternative perspective: Rather than being one-size-fits-all, healthy sleep patterns are based on individual needs. This was clearly shown in a study that my group did with adolescents between the ages of 14 and 15. In that group, the average level of insomnia was in the normal range, and we gave participants cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBTi) to reduce stress and improve their sleep. The results show that, on average, this intervention had no impact. The data showed that 20 percent of the group had insomnia and that CBTi substantially improved their sleep. That insight would have been completely missed had we only analyzed the average data.

12 Weeks to a Sharper You: A Guided Program. How do you prevent Alzheimer’s? An advice column from Dr. Gupta

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Gupta is the author of a book called 12 weeks to a sharper you: A guided program.

As of 2022, scientists have documented a total of about 75 genes connected to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but carrying these genes is not a one-way ticket to decline. Your daily habits may affect the expression of those genes. Remember that a disease like Alzheimer’s is multifactorial, made up of different pathological features. Individualized prevention and treatments include parameters from cholesterol levels to blood pressure to a person’s oral health and gut microbiota. It is helpful to keep your numbers in check. If you have cholesterol or blood pressure, let it run amok. Same goes for vision and hearing. Hearing and vision problems have been added to the list of risk factors for cognitive decline.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/health/12-weeks-to-a-sharper-you-sanjay-gupta-wellness/index.html

How to hydrate smartly: 12 weeks to a save you a healthy you, and a plan for the improvement of your mental health

You can skip the crash diet if you follow the S.h.A.R.P. protocol: Slash the sugar and salt; Hydrate; add more Omega 3 fat from sources; Reduce portions; and plan ahead. The S.H.A.R.P. protocol is the easiest way to gravitate toward healthier foods in general and minimize the amount of processed, brain-busting junk. Start with the sugar, if you need just one thing to focus on. The average American consumes nearly 20 liters of added sugar daily, most of which is derived from high-fructose corn syrup. My guess is that a lot of this sugar intake comes in the form of a liquid – soda, energy drinks, juices and flavored teas. Swap sugar-laden drinks with water and you’ll take on two steps. That’s how to hydrate smartly.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/health/12-weeks-to-a-sharper-you-sanjay-gupta-wellness/index.html

Getting a Better Sleep: How to Get More Sharp and Sharper Your Brain by Practising a Deep Breathing Exercise Every Day

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most extreme, how would you rate your stress level? What if I told you that stress is now considered a trigger for silent neurodegeneration, which occurs years before symptoms develop? Scores of well-designed studies routinely show that chronic stress can impair your ability to learn and adapt to new situations, and subtly erode your cognition. More specifically, stress destroys cells in the hippocampus, the brain site responsible for memory storage and retrieval. Reducing stress helps preserve cells vital to memory. You can also improve concentration and productivity. Don’t let toxic stress get in the way of keeping sharp. Take breaks during the day to engage in an activity that’s peaceful, meditative and stress-reducing. It can be accomplished in a short amount of time, just like walking in nature, journal writing, or even spending time with a pet. Download an app today that will give you a guided tour through a deep breathing exercise you can practice daily. I have a routine that calms me down in 90 seconds or less. I simply close my eyes, pay attention to my breath, and think of the bubbles in front of me that float away.

Are you getting restorative sleep? Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not a state of neural idleness. It is a critical phase during which the body is in a state of replenishibility that affects every system from the brain, to the heart, to the immune system. Sleep can be thought of as your brain’s rinse cycle for clearing junk that could contribute to decline and disease. If it were up to me I would prioritize sleep over anything else. Begin with your routine at night. When you have a good night’s sleep, make sure you don’t look at your phone or screen until an hour before bed. I bumped my pre-sleep prep time from 30 minutes to an hour and it has made all the difference in my energy and productivity the next day.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/health/12-weeks-to-a-sharper-you-sanjay-gupta-wellness/index.html

What Kinds of Brains are You? How to Get More Cognitive Reserve Before You Think You Have to Embrace the Age of Aging

Are you learning something new every day that’s cognitively stimulating? Studies show that people who retire when they are 65 have a reduced risk of developing dementia compared to those who retire when they are 60. Retire late or never at all. Choose different routes to familiar destinations. Use the non-dominant hand to brush your teeth. Skip the solitary games and crossword puzzles and pick up a new hobby that involves other people. Which brings me to the final key …

We are social creatures who need social connection to thrive. A friend is needed today. Invite a neighbor over for dinner. Go for a walk with a buddy and talk about your problems. Cherish those relationships. Our connections with others can make a difference in the health of our bodies and brains. Good relationships help us. They are a secret sauce to a long, sharp life.

Scientists call it brain resilience, which is something that is called cognitive reserve. You can lower your risk of neurodegenerative issues if you have more cognitive reserve. It’s like having a backup set of networks in your brain when one fails or, worse, dies and is no longer functional. In many aspects of life, the more backup plans we have, the more chances for success, right? The same is true for our brain. And perhaps the most important key to establishing that reserve is to do so over time – years or even decades – before your risk for decline increases with advanced age.

Always remember, cognitive decline is not always inevitable. Research suggests you can help protect your brain health by following healthy habits. Think of health as a “top-down” project. Everything else will follow if you focus on your brain. Happy New Year!

Dr. Abhinav Singh, medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center and a sleep professor at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, likes to answer this question with an analogy. He said to think of your ability to sleep as if it were a car. As it ages and clocks more miles, it begins to fall apart; it needs more repairs, and its ride becomes less smooth.

It is thought that men and women are more likely to report a poorer quality of sleep. And sleep begins to elude them earlier in life, usually starting around the menopausal transition (or the years leading up to menopause), which typically begins between 45 and 55, according to the National Institute on Aging.

An Empirical Study of Sleep Habits Related to Heart Attacks and Atherosclerosis, with a Center for Chronic Diseases and Diagnosis

The American Heart Association says arteriosclerosis is the build up of plaque in arteries. This plaque is made up of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin, a clotting agent in the blood. As plaque accumulates, blood vessel walls thicken, which reduces blood flow and therefore diminishes the amount of oxygen and other nutrients reaching the rest of the body. Heart attack, strokes, and peripheral artery disease are all caused by arteriosclerosis.

Since sleep quality and atherosclerosis were measured at the same time, researchers weren’t able to assess or prove whether irregular sleep caused the condition — they found only an association between the two.

Changing sleep hours can have a negative effect on the heart, according to National Jewish Health in Denver. Freeman wasn’t involved in the research.

catecholamines, which are released when disrupted sleep isrupts, can do a lot if it is a chronic problem. Sleep interruptions can also be a sign of increased stress or anxiety, he added.

A sleep specialist at the University of Southern California said it was not just the quantity and quality of sleep that was important. He wasn’t part of the study.

Each of the five sleep habits was assigned a number. People were scored on how many of the five habits they had.

About four years later, researchers compared those scores with National Death Index records to see if their sleep behaviors contributed to an early death from certain diseases or any cause.

The team then factored out other potential causes for a higher risk of dying, such as alcohol consumption, lower socioeconomic status and existing medical conditions.

The Role of Sleep Apnea in Women’s Health: What Are They Telling Us About Its Epidemics, and Where Are They Wrong?

The classic symptoms of sleep apnea can be missed by women if they aren’t diagnosed, so they get underdiagnosed. Maybe we need to ask different questions, or maybe there is something we’re missing here.