In this blog I often talk about misconception and sometimes about sleep. It is only natural at some point to deal with popular sleep misconceptions. For further information I suggest reading here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
What is a microsleep?
A good sleep lasts for several hours, maybe seven hours is a good number. A good nap lasts around half an hour. A microsleep does not last seconds, and it is the worst kind of sleep.
With over 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries occurring annually in the United States alone as a result of drowsy driving, sleep loss has become a public health problem.When experiencing microsleeps while driving an automobile, from the perspective of the driver, he or she drives a car, and then suddenly realizes that several seconds have passed by unnoticed. It is not obvious to the driver that he or she was asleep during those missing seconds, although this is in fact what happened. The sleeping driver is at very high risk for having a collision during a microsleep episode…44% of drivers during late-night driving become dangerously sleepy…Extremely fatiguing work protocols increase accident probability from near 0% to 35%.
One of the reasons productivity related or insomnia related fatigue is so dangerous, is because you do not even notice falling asleep. And if you fall asleep, you may kill yourself or someone else.
When we do not sleep enough it is called sleep debt. USA Today reported in 2007 that most adults in the USA get about an hour less than the average sleep time 40 years ago. While an hour on average might be not that much, some people get significantly less sleep than they need. This lack of sleep builds up. As you work harder you may become a danger to yourself and others.
An inner clock
We have a big inner clock in our head, connected to how our eyes perceive blue light, and also capable of tracking shorter periods of time. This clock is much more accurate than we usually assume and very old. Neurons are not very suitable for time tracking, so the inner clock can be easily confused by blue screens, boring events, and caffeine. Just how this clock works?
Circadian rhythms are found in all kingdoms of life, and they depend on things called zeitgebers to keep the individual’s circadian rhythm beating in time with the world around it. Scientists from several American colleges now report that they’ve used a neurotoxin to confuse the SCN so that they could watch it recover, and in so doing, create a wiring diagram for the human circadian clock…. There are more than 20,000 neurons in the SCN, each of which not only generates their own autonomous circadian oscillations but also communicates with other neurons to maintain stable phase lengths and relationships.
Most people think of themselves as either morning “larks” or night owls, but there are many more gradations. Some people can sleep any time of the day, while others suffer from insomnia. Taking a flight over the ocean and suffering a jetlag we do not usually change who we are. It is assumed that below 3 hours difference there is no jetlag, however, even something as boring as day savings time increases the rate of male suicide.
Fighting lost sleep
Many people assume that weekend sleep can partially close the sleep debt. In fact, this is probably a misconception. Here is a short article dedicated to this subject. A weekend sleep may upset our inner clock by two hours, causing a jet lag which is anything but good.
Even worse if you set up snooze in your alarm clock, you may end up feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day. Here is a whole article written by people fighting the snooze button.
There is a small print under this cautious tale: if you go to sleep earlier instead of waking up later or if you can catch a couple of naps during the weekend, you might actually close some of the sleep debt.
The best naps are 20 min long. After 30 min nap, we may feel a light hangover. An hour nap may be good for the long-term memory. And 90 min is a full sleep cycle. So if you get a 90 min nap over the weekend, it may be a good way to offset the sleep debt.
Why can’t I sleep right?
There may be many reasons. Your diet, stress, or an underlying medical problem could be the cause. Even allergies or the medications you’re taking could zap your energy.
The quantity of sleep may also matter. Everybody needs 7-8 hours of sleep. People who sleep 9 hours get a special luxury feeling and report being happier the next day. Getting more than 9 hours a sleep for a grownup often results in poor quality of sleep. Kids need more sleep. Interestingly, about 2% of people can get by with very little sleep. If you are in this group, you are probably satisfied by a couple of short naps every day and I somewhat envy you.
Insomnia is a complex sleep disorder. Difficulty falling asleep is just one of its four symptoms. The others, according to the National Sleep Foundation are waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep, waking often, and waking up feeling unrefreshed.
Watching TV or mobile device before the sleep might make us less likely to sleep due to blue light exposure. If you cannot go to sleep, try visualizing a relaxing scene. In some tests, participants fell asleep an average of 20 minutes sooner using visualization compared to counting sheep or doing nothing.
Drinking alcohol may make easier falling asleep, but also may increase the chances you wake up during the night, which is bad. If you wake up during the night, try to fall asleep immediately afterward. If this does not happen, you are better off getting out of bed and doing something occupying the body and brain but not overstimulating them.
Weight and age increase the chances of sleep apnea. Snoring is a huge problem for sleepers and their families. Snoring happens when airflow in the nose or throat is interrupted, and there are many reasons that people snore from allergies and sinusitis to sleep apnea, narrow nasal passages, alcohol, medications and others. There is a chance will help you stop snoring. There is no guarantee though.
What can I do if I am desperate?
There are several controversial choices for desperate people.
Sleeping pills may work great for some, for others they may cause some sort of night amnesia and dependence. The intelligent use of melatonin, one of the most popular supplements around the globe, can help with reduced dangers.
Hypnosis has been very successful for many people that suffer from hyperarousal. You do not need to pay thousands of dollars to a great therapist if you master meditation and relaxing visualization.
Quite honestly, if you cannot sleep you may consider changing something in your life. Sports, nature, meditation help. Flight, obsession, stress are bad for you. A good coach may help you make the right changes.
