SLEEP BETTER
Sleep difficulties among Canadians have increased from 36 per cent before the COVID-19 outbreak to 51 per cent during the pandemic, according to a recent survey of 5,525 people. This is problematic because adults over the age of 45 who are dissatisfied with sleep quality have higher odds of multiple long-term conditions (including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and lung disease) as reported in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which consisted of more than 30,000 participants. As well, a United Kingdom Biobank study of 37- to 73-year-olds shows that those with healthy sleep patterns had a 42 per cent lower risk of heart failure compared to those with unhealthy sleep patterns.
Humans spend about 30 per cent of our lives sleeping, which is composed of several cycles throughout the night. One sleep cycle takes approximately 90 to 120 minutes and each cycle is comprised of the following four stages) (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/stages-of-sleep)
Sleep is regulated by certain neurochemicals in the brain responsible for producing different aspects of alertness and sleep. Our internal ”clock,” also known as our circadian rhythm, determines when we feel the desire to sleep as well as our susceptibility to sleep disorders. The circadian rhythm is the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that governs many physiological processes including production of sleep hormones, gene expression and body temperature.
Two common types of problems with sleep are insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing.
Advice and guidance on how to sleep better is included in our book on how to Increase Your Brainability and Reduce your Risk of Dementia
Sleep difficulties among Canadians have increased from 36 per cent before the COVID-19 outbreak to 51 per cent during the pandemic, according to a recent survey of 5,525 people. This is problematic because adults over the age of 45 who are dissatisfied with sleep quality have higher odds of multiple long-term conditions (including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and lung disease) as reported in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which consisted of more than 30,000 participants. As well, a United Kingdom Biobank study of 37- to 73-year-olds shows that those with healthy sleep patterns had a 42 per cent lower risk of heart failure compared to those with unhealthy sleep patterns.
Humans spend about 30 per cent of our lives sleeping, which is composed of several cycles throughout the night. One sleep cycle takes approximately 90 to 120 minutes and each cycle is comprised of the following four stages) (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/stages-of-sleep)
- Stage 1: Light sleep, slowed muscle activity and occasional muscle twitching (1-5 minutes).
- Stage 2: Body enters a more subdued state including a drop in temperature, relaxed muscles, and slowed breathing and heart rate (10-60 minutes)
- Stage 3: Very deep sleep characterized by rhythmic breathing, limited muscle activity, delta waves and cleaning of the brain of toxins https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/373(20-40 minutes)
- Stage 4: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep where brainwaves speed up, dreaming occurs, muscles relax, heart rate increases, and breathing becomes rapid and shallow (10-60 minutes)
Sleep is regulated by certain neurochemicals in the brain responsible for producing different aspects of alertness and sleep. Our internal ”clock,” also known as our circadian rhythm, determines when we feel the desire to sleep as well as our susceptibility to sleep disorders. The circadian rhythm is the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that governs many physiological processes including production of sleep hormones, gene expression and body temperature.
Two common types of problems with sleep are insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing.
- Insomnia, in which people have difficulty falling or staying asleep, is related to another existing health problem more than 90 per cent of the time. Some common causes of insomnia are depression, arthritis, chronic pain, chronic obstructive lung disease, stressful life events, grief and medications. This is especially relevant during COVID-19, when there is additional financial, psychological and social stress. Insomnia in older adults is associated with falls, poor quality of life, deterioration in balance and ambulation, slower reaction or reflex time and slower wound healing.
- Sleep-disordered breathing increases with age. It is connected with snoring and feeling tired even after a full night’s sleep caused by fragmented and/or disturbed sleep cycles. Sleep disordered breathing is often under-diagnosed and under-treated, which can be dangerous because it increases risks of multiple long-term conditions. In addition, insomnia, heart disease, stroke, sedative drugs, alcohol, smoking and being overweight increase the risk of sleep-disordered breathing.
Advice and guidance on how to sleep better is included in our book on how to Increase Your Brainability and Reduce your Risk of Dementia
