Sleep News

What Really Makes Women Happy? Sleep!

A study in this issue of Science, reported that sleep quality has a greater influence on the ability to enjoy one's day than household income and even marital status. Researchers used the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) to analyze how 909 women actually spend their time and how they experience their various activities. DRM works by having participants reconstruct their activities and experiences of the preceding day in a way that reduces the recall biases. They found that positive affect and enjoyment are strongly influenced by temperament and character and that general circumstances, like income and education, had little impact on the enjoyment of a regular day.

Dr. Norbert Schwarz, professor of psychology at University of Michigan and author of the study explained, "The study showed that an extra hour of sleep had more of an impact on how the participants felt throughout the day than earning more money a year."

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Smoking Really is a Snore

A new study by the Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital in Sweden presents another reason to finally quit smoking. The results of 15,555 men and women ages 25-54 from Iceland, Estonia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden suggested that habitual snoring (loud and disturbing snoring at least three nights per week) was more prevalent among current smokers (24%) and ex-smokers (20.3%) than in never-smokers (13.7%). The frequency of habitual snoring increased with the amount of tobacco smoked. To make matters worse, snoring proved to be more prevalent in never-smokers exposed to passive smoking at home on a daily basis (19.8) than in never-smokers without this exposure (13.3%).

The NSF 1999 Sleep in America poll found that 28% of the adults smoked in the past month and of those, the majority (77%) smoked daily. 18% of smokers report having pauses in their breathing (a symptom of sleep apnea) a few nights a week or more, compared to 10% of nonsmokers.

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Exercise can be a boon for good sleep

The next place to look for the cause of a sleep problem is your exercise routine. Exercise can be a boon for good sleep, especially when done regularly in the afternoon and not too close to bedtime. If you don't exercise regularly, add good sleep to a long list of reasons why you should take up the practice.

Why not try an afternoon brisk walk, run or bicycle ride instead of a coffee break? Consider combining aerobic (activity that increases the heart rate) exercise with a weight-bearing or resistance workout. (Be sure to check with your physician before beginning any exercise routine.) Research suggests that exercise at this time can help deepen your sleep, which means that you spend more time in deeper stages of sleep. During the lighter stages of sleep, awakenings are more common. Also, people who exercise may take less time to fall asleep than people who don't.

When you exercise, whether you are physically fit and a regular or occasional exerciser, the type of exercise you select, and your age or sex may all affect sleep. Some studies suggest that exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime can keep sleep at bay.

Traditionally, sleep experts have cautioned people to avoid strenuous exercise right before sleep and even up to three hours before bedtime. That's because exercise has an alerting effect and raises your body temperature. This rise leads to a corresponding fall in temperature five to six hours later, which makes sleep easier then. That's why late afternoon may be the perfect time for your exercise. If you've been exercising close to bedtime and having trouble falling or staying asleep, try to arrange your workout earlier in the day.

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Right temperature for a good night sleep

Finding and maintaining the right temperature for sleep sounds easy...but it isn't. Even sleep researchers fail to agree on the ideal temperature. In general, most sleep scientists believe that a slightly cool room contributes to good sleep. That's because it matches what occurs deep inside the body, when the body's internal temperature drops during the night to its lowest level. (For good sleepers, this occurs about four hours after they begin sleeping.)

But how cool should the bedroom be? And what should couple do who share a bed but disagree about the desired sleep temperature? Turning the thermostat down at night in cold weather saves on fuel bills and sets the stage for sleep. Blankets or comforters can lock in heat without feeling too heavy or confining. An electric blanket may help. Or the heat-seeking partner might dress in warmer bedclothes (even socks!), while the warmer partner might shun sleep clothes or bed covering.

In summer, a room that's too hot can also be disruptive. In fact, research suggests that a hot sleeping environment leads to more wake time and light sleep at night, while awakenings multiply. An air conditioner or fan can help.

Remember the common summer complaint: It's not the heat, it's the humidity? If excess humidity is a problem, consider a dehumidifier. If too dry an environment is your problem, consider a humidifier. Clues like awakening with a sore throat, dryness in your nose, or even a nose bleed are signs of too little humidity. Note: Be sure to change the water daily.