Sleep Deprived Article

Maria Hetem, the 47-year-old owner of a dog grooming salon based in Lebanon, N.J., noticed changes in the way she was sleeping over a decade ago but never thought to talk to a doctor about it.

Instead, she sought out medical advice pertaining to her frequent headaches but doctors were never able to determine the cause. Hetem attributed the fact that she never felt well rested and was frequently waking up at night to the growth of her business and her age.

Eventually, thanks to the suggestion of a friend, Hetem got a sleep test and found she had sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that disrupts breathing and can cause headaches. She guesses she’s had the condition, which causes sleep deprivation, most of her adult life.

“You just start to think, ‘This is normal,’ until somebody points out that it isn’t,” she says.

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Hetem’s situation is an all-too common one for millions worldwide. In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that one in 10 adults struggle with chronic insomnia, not to mention the one in three who occasionally deal with the condition and those who suffer from other sleep disorders.

In recent years, though, thanks to media attention and educational campaigns, there’s been a growing awareness about the importance of sleep and its impact on our health and productivity.

But experts say many people still have no idea what is keeping them up at night.

That’s because those who’ve been dealing with sleep difficulties for long periods of time often forget the initial catalyst or don’t realize the extent of the problem, says Dr. Ana Krieger, director of the NYU School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center and co-leader of the extended-stay chain AKA’s Sleep School seminars.

Making Matters Worse
Beyond not recognizing what’s wrong, many people also unknowingly learn self-perpetuating behaviors or come up with solutions that hurt more than help.

“When you look at people who are having problems sleeping, a lot of the logical things they are doing to fix the situation actually end up making it worse,” says Philip Gehrman, an assistant professor of psychology at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia who treats people with insomnia.

That list includes taking naps, going to bed early and staying in bed when you can’t get to sleep. While it makes sense to take a nap if you’re sleep deprived, Gehrman says the practice interferes with your overall sleep drive and makes it harder for you to fall asleep at night. Going to bed early may seem like a way to get some extra sleep, but not if your new bedtime goes against your circadian rhythm, which prevents you from being able to sleep equally well at all times of the day. Likewise, staying in bed when sleep eludes you tends to only increase your performance anxiety, making it harder for you to get the rest you need.

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New research shows that a few other factors might be having more of an effect on your ability to sleep well than you realize. A collaborative study by researchers at the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Brooklyn-based Long Island University found that women who worry about cancer, none of whom had a history of the disease, have a nearly 50% greater chance of having trouble sleeping. A new study out of the University of Pittsburgh also shows that there’s a link between the quality of a couple’s marriage and a woman’s risk of having sleep problems. The unhappier the marriage, the higher the risk, says author and University of Pittsburgh psychologist Wendy Troxel.

You can’t discount the impact of the tanking economy, either, says Dr. Carol Ash, a board-certified sleep and pulmonary specialist and medical director of the New Jersey-based Somerset Medical Center’s Sleep for Life Center. In the past six months, Ash says she’s seen a jump in the number of patients visiting her practice who find themselves awake at night due to worries about their companies downsizing.

They’re not the only ones bringing their work to bed with them at night. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2008 Sleep In America Poll, a national survey of 1,000 working adults, found that nearly one-quarter of respondents did work relating to their job within an hour of going to bed a few nights a week. The habit, experts say, doesn’t give you a chance to unwind and ease into sleep mode. Even computers need a little time to shut down.

Of course, not all causes of sleep problems can be fixed by rearranging your schedule or revamping your diet. Many insomniacs need cognitive behavioral therapy, a treatment requiring multiple sessions that aims to change the way you feel and behave when it comes to sleep. A tendency to be a light sleeper and being a new parent can be hard challenges to overcome too, unless you like white noise machines or can afford a great night nurse.

Experts say that’s OK–we’re all bound to encounter sleep disruptions from time to time throughout our lives. Just make sure you don’t let the problem go on for too long.

“There will be periods in life where you have to give up sleep so you can accomplish something big,” Krieger says. “Just know that you can only do that for a certain period of time or there will be long-term consequences.”