Is sleep that important?

I’ve just had a recent run of obscure work times which has left me in a similar position to being jetlagged. It’s 2:46am…. and I’m wide awake!

After working well into the night for several days in succession, followed by a return to morning work, I’m now well and truly in a pattern of poor sleep habits. Returning to a normal routine is not an easy thing to do, and I’ve often wondered about the effects it has on my body.

In my current situation, my lack of sleep is partly self-inflicted: I choose to work in my profession after all! The structure of hospitals and shift work is also partly to blame – how to you keep a hospital staffed 24 hours a day and be considerate to the sleep needs of staff??

Regardless… I’ve struggled with maintaining good sleep patterns for many years. Sometimes I’m at work feeling half dead on my feet with eyes bulging out, and other times (like right now) I’m at home and should be sleeping, but instead feel wide awake! I have been addressing this issue, however (see below!), and am pleased to report I have had some success with repairing old habits & sleep patterns!

Is sleep really that important?

When I hit a stage with work etc. where I’ve been severely lacking in sleep, I have found that looking at reasons why sleep is so important can be a good incentive to help me stay on track and force myself to get more sleep! Knowing about the positive effects it has on the body has helped me to make better choices with my sleep patterns.

From the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute (and what I’ve suspected all along!):

Inadequate sleep can cause decreases in:
- Performance
- Concentration
- Reaction Times
- Consolidation of Information Learning

How to get more sleep:

According to leading sleep researchers, some of the best techniques to combat common sleep problems are:

• Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule
• Don’t drink or eat caffeine 4 – 6 hours before bed, minimize through the day
• Don’t smoke, especially near bedtime or if you awake in the night
• Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before sleep
• Get regular exercise
• Minimize noise, light and excessive hot and cold temperatures where you sleep
• Develop a regular bed time and go to bed at the same time each night
• Try and wake up without an alarm clock
• Attempt to go to bed earlier every night for certain period; this will ensure that you’re getting enough sleep

Things I’ve tried recently that have really helped with my sleep patterns are reducing my caffeine and alcohol intake, exercising more and sleeping in a darker room. Things that haven’t helped my sleep patterns are: SHIFT WORK! Fortunately, netWellness have provided the following:

Sleep tips for shift workers:

- Obtain adequate hours of sleep. Shift workers usually obtain less sleep than day workers, but they need to make sleep a priority.

- If it’s impossible to get the generally recommended seven to eight consecutive hours of sleep, it’s better to take a nap prior to going to work than to skip sleep altogether.

- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Ask friends and family to avoid phone calls and visits during regularly scheduled sleep hours.

- Keep the bedroom quiet, comfortable and as dark as possible; light can affect sleep and make it less refreshing.

- Keep the work environment as bright as possible; this will promote alertness and help the body adjust to the shift work schedule. However, avoid bright light on the way home from work; even consider wearing sunglasses on the drive home.

- Consider a brief planned nap during the shift, if possible. These timed naps should last only 10 to 20 minutes, as longer naps may cause a prolonged groggy feeling after awakening.

- If sleep or job alertness problems are persistent and severe, visit a primary care provider or a sleep specialist for an evaluation of an underlying sleep disorder that complicates the effects of shift work.

- In very severe cases, some health care providers consider the temporary use of a short-acting sleeping pill, or a wake-promoting medication. In general you should avoid over-the-counter medicines because many contain long-acting substances that can cause drowsiness to persist during work hours.

What works for you?