Health is Wealth
Sleep experts say we should get at least seven hours of slumber each night. But as many as one in three Americans routinely sleeps for less than six hours—a trend that can have serious health ramifications.
A single night of poor sleep can leave you feeling cranky and unmotivated. You may be too tired to work efficiently, to exercise, or to eat healthfully. And over time, continued sleep deprivation raises the risk for a number of chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Insufficient sleep can also leave you more vulnerable to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. There’s even some evidence that insufficient sleep makes your more prone to the common cold if you’re exposed to the cold virus.
In rare cases, insufficient sleep can even more dangerous. A sleep shortfall can lead to daytime drowsiness and “microsleeps.” Microsleeps are brief bouts of sleep that occur during the day that usually last just a few seconds. If you’ve ever briefly nodded off while sitting through a lecture, you’ve experienced a microsleep. They usually last just a few seconds but can go on for 10 or 15 seconds—and pose a grave danger if they happen while you’re driving.
During a microsleep, your brain does not respond to noise or other sensory inputs, and you don’t react to things happening around you. Because people are poor judges of when microsleeps will occur (and are equally poor at preventing them), they’re a major factor in many motor vehicle accidents. One in 24 American drivers admitted to falling asleep while driving at least once in the previous month, according to a government report. The National Department of Transportation estimates that each year, drowsy driving is responsible for 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries in the United States.
So how do you combat insuficient sleep? The best solution is to figure out how many hours of sleep are right for you and then stick with it—even on weekends, holidays, and vacations. Basic lifestyle changes that promote sleep can also help. Exercise, avoiding caffeine, and practicing good sleep hygiene are some of the ways to get your best rest.
– By Julie Corliss
Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
You can read more about sleep problems—and how to treat them—in the Harvard Special Health Report, Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night’s rest.
Wearing no clothes could lead to cooler skin temperatures that put ZZZs within reach
Many people believe they were born with the only pajamas needed for a good night’s sleep, but here’s the naked truth: No research directly confirms that sleeping in the buff leads to better slumber.
There is, however, some validity behind the idea of sleeping naked — namely regarding how a cooler skin temperature improves sleep quality.
So, should you consider stripping down at bedtime before sliding under the sheets? Let’s look at the potential benefits (and risks) with behavioral sleep disorders specialist Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM.
There are some possible perks to nude sleeping … so, maybe? Here are a few reasons why you might want to slip off your clothes before slipping off to sleep.
Your body naturally works to lower its thermostat to doze off at night through its circadian rhythm, which regulates your sleep/wake cycle. The faster you cool off, the faster you typically catch some ZZZs, says Dr. Drerup.
That’s also one of the reasons why sleep experts recommended that you keep your bedroom temperature between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius to 19.44 degrees Celsius) for optimal snoozing.
Ever toss and turn in bed because you’re too hot? Sleeping naked certainly removes any possibility of pajama-induced overheating interfering with a good night’s rest. It’s the absolute final move in shedding layers to stay cool.
“There’s no question that cooler is better than warmer for overall sleeping,” says Dr. Drerup.
And getting enough rest is key to … well, just about everything in day-to-day life. Waking up refreshed can help you manage stress more effectively, improve focus, boost performance and make you a more pleasant person.
Tight-fitting underwear can trap heat and moisture between your legs. What makes a yeast infection thrive? Yep — heat and moisture.
Sleeping naked (or even in loose-fitting cotton bottoms) allows for some air circulation around your vagina. Keeping the area cooler and drier may help reduce your chances of getting a yeast infection, too.
Heat isn’t a friend of male fertility. Regular exposure to higher temperatures for your testicles can cause sperm counts to drop. Wearing underwear that keeps things packed tight doesn’t exactly offer a cooling effect.
Studies show that men who wear boxers have a higher sperm count than their buddies in briefs. So if loose-fitting boxes help that much, imagine what 8 hours of no clothing might do.
Sleepwalkers may want to give the idea some extra thought to going au natural to avoid any potential awkward encounters, notes Dr. Drerup.
And if you’re not a fan of doing laundry, consider this: Your washing schedule for bedding may need to increase with more skin-to-sheet contact. (Gross fact: The skin cells you shed in a day can feed 1 million dust mites. You don’t want to turn your bed into their buffet.)
Going to bed “nearly” naked while wearing lightweight and loose-fitting garments can bring you similar quality sleep results as taking everything off. “Tank tops and boxer-style briefs don’t possess a ton of warming qualities,” says Dr. Drerup.
And while being cool is desirable for sleep, you also don’t want to be cold. There’s even evidence that wearing socks to bed to warm your tootsies can help you drift off to sleep.
Ultimately, what you wear to sleep is a personal choice. “There’s no proven benefit or harm to sleeping naked,” says Dr. Drerup. “Just do what feels right and then rest easy with your decision.”
Sleep experts say we should get at least seven hours of slumber each night. But as many as one in three Americans routinely sleeps for less than six hours—a trend that can have serious health ramifications.
A single night of poor sleep can leave you feeling cranky and unmotivated. You may be too tired to work efficiently, to exercise, or to eat healthfully. And over time, continued sleep deprivation raises the risk for a number of chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Insufficient sleep can also leave you more vulnerable to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. There’s even some evidence that insufficient sleep makes your more prone to the common cold if you’re exposed to the cold virus.
In rare cases, insufficient sleep can even more dangerous. A sleep shortfall can lead to daytime drowsiness and “microsleeps.” Microsleeps are brief bouts of sleep that occur during the day that usually last just a few seconds. If you’ve ever briefly nodded off while sitting through a lecture, you’ve experienced a microsleep. They usually last just a few seconds but can go on for 10 or 15 seconds—and pose a grave danger if they happen while you’re driving.
During a microsleep, your brain does not respond to noise or other sensory inputs, and you don’t react to things happening around you. Because people are poor judges of when microsleeps will occur (and are equally poor at preventing them), they’re a major factor in many motor vehicle accidents. One in 24 American drivers admitted to falling asleep while driving at least once in the previous month, according to a government report. The National Department of Transportation estimates that each year, drowsy driving is responsible for 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries in the United States.
So how do you combat insuficient sleep? The best solution is to figure out how many hours of sleep are right for you and then stick with it—even on weekends, holidays, and vacations. Basic lifestyle changes that promote sleep can also help. Exercise, avoiding caffeine, and practicing good sleep hygiene are some of the ways to get your best rest.
– By Julie Corliss
Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
You can read more about sleep problems—and how to treat them—in the Harvard Special Health Report, Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night’s rest.
Sleep experts say we should get at least seven hours of slumber each night. But as many as one in three Americans routinely sleeps for less than six hours—a trend that can have serious health ramifications.
A single night of poor sleep can leave you feeling cranky and unmotivated. You may be too tired to work efficiently, to exercise, or to eat healthfully. And over time, continued sleep deprivation raises the risk for a number of chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Insufficient sleep can also leave you more vulnerable to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. There’s even some evidence that insufficient sleep makes your more prone to the common cold if you’re exposed to the cold virus.
In rare cases, insufficient sleep can even more dangerous. A sleep shortfall can lead to daytime drowsiness and “microsleeps.” Microsleeps are brief bouts of sleep that occur during the day that usually last just a few seconds. If you’ve ever briefly nodded off while sitting through a lecture, you’ve experienced a microsleep. They usually last just a few seconds but can go on for 10 or 15 seconds—and pose a grave danger if they happen while you’re driving.
During a microsleep, your brain does not respond to noise or other sensory inputs, and you don’t react to things happening around you. Because people are poor judges of when microsleeps will occur (and are equally poor at preventing them), they’re a major factor in many motor vehicle accidents. One in 24 American drivers admitted to falling asleep while driving at least once in the previous month, according to a government report. The National Department of Transportation estimates that each year, drowsy driving is responsible for 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries in the United States.
So how do you combat insuficient sleep? The best solution is to figure out how many hours of sleep are right for you and then stick with it—even on weekends, holidays, and vacations. Basic lifestyle changes that promote sleep can also help. Exercise, avoiding caffeine, and practicing good sleep hygiene are some of the ways to get your best rest.
– By Julie Corliss
Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
You can read more about sleep problems—and how to treat them—in the Harvard Special Health Report, Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night’s rest.
In the never-ending quest for better health, many people are adding “sobriety” to their repertoire — giving up alcohol entirely, whether or not they have an addiction problem. They call it “sober curious” and tout the health benefits of their new way of life.
“Being sober curious is a new variation on an old theme,” says chemical dependency counselor Rudy Kump. “Decades ago, brewers created nonalcoholic beers to cater to people who sought a healthier lifestyle. The idea of cutting out alcohol in the name of good health is having a resurgence.”
Sober living is the comeback kid that’s good for your health.
Avoiding alcohol as part of a healthy lifestyle is a good thing. The sober curious movement is helping people become aware of the consequences of what they put in their bodies.
And there are many health consequences of alcohol consumption, including:
Dehydration. Alcohol is an astringent. It works by dehydration. When it comes into contact with a living cell, everything inside the cell has a tendency to exit the cell. That’s why it’s effective for injections in a hospital; it dehydrates and kills germs creating a sterile injection site.
Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning it causes your body to eliminate fluids from the stomach and digestive track. It also decreases a hormone that causes the body to retain water, leaving you dehydrated.
Poor sleep. “Back in the day, doctors would often recommend a “nightcap” to help you fall asleep,” Kump says. “While alcohol does help you fall asleep, it interferes with deep and restful sleep.”
Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, so it can make you feel lethargic. It slows respiration and lowers heart rate and blood pressure. Once ingested, the liver goes to work metabolizing the alcohol from the body. As a result of this withdrawal, bodily processes that were slowed down, speed up, which can then cause agitation and decrease your ability to achieve deep sleep.
Weight gain. Alcohol, particularly beer, is high in calories. It’s also an appetite stimulant, causing you to eat more. And, due to alcohol impairing your judgment, you’re more likely to make less healthy food choices.
Increased cancer risk. “Anyone who drinks over a long period of time is at higher risk of developing cancers due to the caustic nature of alcohol — from point of entry to point of exit,” Kump says. “Rates of throat, esophagus, stomach and colon cancer are higher for people who are long-term drinkers of alcohol.”
Cancer risk increases when the body breaks alcohol down to a chemical that not only damages DNA but prevents the body from repairing the damage. Out-of-control cell growth can result, causing a cancerous tumor.
“The lines blur between chronic and occasional alcohol use. Many people are curious about whether their drinking is considered social, normal, problematic or abusive,” Kump says. “The truth is, anyone who drinks is at risk of developing alcoholism.”
Among social drinkers, 1 in 10 will develop alcoholism. The odds increase to 5 in 10 for people who have a parent or grandparent with alcoholism.
The definition of alcoholism is being unable to stop drinking despite negative consequences. That could mean consuming one drink a night or one drink a week. If someone’s reaction to missing a drink is to become agitated, depressed or frustrated, it could indicate the onset of a drinking problem.
“I hope the sober curious trend continues and helps people live healthier lives, maybe even prevent alcoholism in people who are at risk,” Kump says. “At a minimum, sober living has the potential to elevate healthy habits and improve well-being.”
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