How much sleep do humans really need? Is there a way to make up for lost sleep? Is snoring bad for you? We all have questions about that elusive mystery we call sleep. We’ll cover the most popular assumptions about sleep and what the research actually shows.
#1: People need less sleep as they age.
Myth
While it's true that infants need and usually get at least 10 to 12 hours of sleep a day, the elderly rarely seem to sleep that much. The aged do have the same sleep requirements they had as adults, yet many find it difficult to sleep for long periods of time. The elderly are likely to make up for some of this lost night-time sleep with naps throughout the day.
It may be dangerous to assume that the elderly need less sleep because treatable sleep disorders may not be diagnosed. Better sleep leads to better health no matter what a person’s age.
#2: Some People Do Well on Very Little Sleep
Yes and No
Most people who claim they need only a few hours of sleep may not be in touch with how their sleeping habits affect them in waking life. There are very few people who can get less than 4 hours of sleep and function during the day. People who tend to get six hours or less are called “short sleepers.”
Sleep lab trials on those who claim to sleep very little but function well, show their brains are shut down but they may not be aware that they are asleep. If someone is functioning well and says they only sleep one or two hours, they are probably sleeping more than that but are unaware of it.
Overwhelming evidence shows that those who are functioning “normally” on only a few hours of sleep would still benefit in a variety of factors if they got more sleep.
What happens is that people who routinely get that little sleep begin to experience problems down the line. Sleep deprivation can impair glucose tolerance, leading to diabetes. Short sleep has also been associated with hypertension, obesity, and stroke.
#3: Everyone Needs 8 Hours of Sleep a Night
Myth
The amount of sleep a person needs is highly individual. One person may need 7 hours of sleep and another person may need 10.
A common way to determine how much sleep you need is to see how much you sleep on vacation or when you don’t have to get up for anything. The problem with this experiment is that most people, when allowed to wake naturally, are actually sleeping more than they need on average to make up sleep.
Trial and error can help you discover the best bedtime and wake time for yourself.
#4: Naps Can Help You Catch Up On Your Sleep
True
While there is no substitute for a good night’s sleep, naps provide a solution to daytime sleepiness if taken properly.
To help one feel refreshed without interfering with the sleep cycle, power naps of 15 to 20 minutes between 1pm and 3pm will help a sleepy person feel more refreshed.
Naps that exceed 45 minutes can have the opposite effect, allowing one to get into a very deep sleep, awakening groggy and confused.
Napping too late in the day can lead to insomnia that night and the start of a vicious cycle of sleep disruption.
#5: If You Are Deprived Of Sleep During the Week You Can Catch Up By Sleeping Late On Weekends.
Fact
The weekends can be used to catch up on lost sleep. The catching up, however, needs to be done the right way so as not to disrupt the sleep cycle.
One of the cornerstones of good sleep is a regular pattern.
If one develops a pattern of sleeping in a couple hours more on the weekend to catch up on sleep, it can be beneficial, assuming one isn’t too far behind on sleep already. One should plan to go to bed at the same time and wake up a little later for this plan to work.
#6: Exercise Before Bed Helps You Sleep
Yes and No
This is an individual matter as well. Exercise in general helps people sleep better, and is generally beneficial for sleep. However, the time of day one exercises is important.
Exercise naturally increases body temperature and keeps it elevated for several hours after. The problem is that the body sends the signal that it's time to sleep by slightly lowering body temperature. It is difficult to get body temperature low enough to signal sleep right after exercise.
Exercise in the morning, getting plenty of light, tends to help most people sleep better. There are some insomniacs, however, that swear by vigorous exercise before attempting sleep.
This is an individual matter that trial and error can help solve.
#7: Sex Before Bed Will Keep You Awake
Unclear
There are limited studies that address this issue, and again, it may be an individual thing. Some people respond to sex before bed as a good tension release, others as if they had been out jogging. Women are especially prone to have more difficulty falling asleep after sex than men and there are obvious biological differences working here. Individual timing is of importance.
#8: Eating A Big Meal Before Bed Will Cause Nightmares
Myth
While no foods have ever been linked with bad dreams, ingesting a large meal before bed is not a good idea. Blood that would flow to the brain during sleep is diverted by a large meal to the intestines. Since the brain is highly active during sleep, it makes sense to give it all the blood flow it can get at this time.
#9: If You Wake Up In The Middle Of The Night, A Glass of Warm Milk Can Help You Get Back to Sleep
Maybe
Warm milk and turkey are popular natural remedies for sleep because they both contain the amino acid tryptophan, a potentially sleep- inducing chemical.
Even in pill form, however, tryptophan may not be as sleep inducing as Benadryl, a common over- the- counter antihistamine used as a sleep aid.
What researchers do know is that alcohol, smoking, and caffeine all have disruptive effects on sleep patterns.
10: Nightmares Can Kill You By Causing a Heart Attack
Myth based on Fact
Some people have a genetic heart condition called Brugada syndrome that can result in a heart attack during REM sleep.
REM sleep occurs when people dream and their brain is highly active and the heart is less stable. Some people with severe cardiac disease are more at risk during highly active REM sleep than they would be if awake. It’s not the dream itself that causes the attack, it’s the highly active nature of REM sleep.
Sleep apnea is related to REM heart attack so it's important to get apnea treated as soon as possible.
One of the biggest myths is that sleep is a benign restful state, with very little happening. We now know a lot more is going on than meets the eye.
If you are having trouble sleeping, keep the truths you've learned here in mind. You should be on your way to a better night's sleep soon!
If you are having trouble sleeping, keep the truths you've learned here in mind. You should be on your way to a better night's sleep soon!
By Rodney Allen Cole
