SECRETS TO KNOW TO SLEEP

WELL EVERY NIGHT

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An extra hour in bed this Sunday might sound like a godsend to some, but it’s one more factor in today’s world that contributes to the problem of sleep deprivation, says Dr. John Fleetham, co-director of the UBC Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Program. “It’s resetting your routine and the brain loves routine,” says Fleetham about the switch back to Standard Time. And it can throw people off their game. “It’s been clearly shown that there are more accidents immediately after a time change.”

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT POOR SLEEP 1. It impairs your disease-fighting powers There’s plenty of evidence that poor sleep limits the body’s ability to react to infections. Even having a crummy rest the night before a flu shot can reduce its effectiveness, says Fleetham. “The secret to a long and healthy life are three things: good diet, good exercise and good sleep. We focus on the first two, but we don’t focus on the last one.”

2. It’s bad for the brain “There’s increasing evidence that if you have sleep apnea, which is a very common condition, it predisposes you to the development of dementia,” says Fleetham, who specializes in treating the condition that causes the sleeper to stop breathing for short periods. A number of studies from the U.S. and Europe have concluded that sleep helps break down the accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain that are linked to declining function.

3. It can make you fat Sleep deprivation and obesity are caught in a mutually perpetuating cycle. “It works both ways. If you put on weight, it makes you more likely to have sleep apnea because as your neck gets bigger, it gets smaller inside (the throat),” says Fleetham. “It’s also been shown that poor sleep works the other way; it predisposes you to put on weight. ”

ADVICE FROM SLEEP EXPERTS

• Ban distraction and blue light from electronic devices — laptops, tablets, phones — in the bedroom.

• Make sure it’s dark and quiet. • Clear worries from your mind at bedtime. • Don’t nap. • Turn the clock so you can’t see the time. • Reserve the bedroom for sleep and sex. • Avoid caffeine after noon and exercising at night.

• Sleep on an empty stomach. • Alcohol-induced sleep is not restful.

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Original Blog Post: http://content.cpaptotalcare.com/secrets-to-know-to-sleep-well-every-night/Original Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/secrets+sound+sleep/11472701/story.html?__lsa=2ac6-be6d