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Sleep is so important. Sleep is so important.
We need it
to
live.
We need it to live.
And when we can't sleep, we're desperate
for
help.
And when we can't sleep, we're desperate for help.
[Body Stuff
with
Dr. Jen Gunter]
[Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter]
But lately, our fascination
with
sleep feels as if it's taken on an urgency.
But lately, our
fascination
with sleep feels as if it's taken on an
urgency
.
Do a quick internet search
for
sleep and you'll find a slew
of
articles
Do a quick internet search for sleep and you'll find a
slew
of articles
about
how
to
make your sleep perfect.
about how to make your sleep perfect.
New gadgets, fancy alarm clocks, New
gadgets
, fancy alarm clocks,
stay away
from
blue light.
stay away from blue light .
There are lots
of
services, products and advice columns
There are lots of services, products and advice columns
that tell us we're sleeping wrong. that tell us we're sleeping wrong.
Not enough, Not enough,
no quality sleep, wrong position. no quality sleep, wrong position.
Even worse, you might find scary messaging Even worse, you might find scary messaging
claiming that if you're not sleeping right claiming that if you're not sleeping right
your life is going
to
be shorter
your life is going to be shorter
you're going
to
get all kinds
of
diseases.
you're going to get all kinds of diseases.
One
of
the biggest worries we have
about
our sleep
One of the biggest worries we have about our sleep
is that we're not getting enough is that we're not getting enough
and that anything less
than
seven hours a night
and that anything less than seven hours a night
means that we’re doomed
to
bad health
means that we’re
doomed
to bad health
everything
from
high blood pressure
to
Alzheimer’s disease
everything from high blood pressure to Alzheimer’s disease
But there are two flaws
with
this kind
of
messaging.
But there are two
flaws
with this kind of messaging.
The first flaw is that it's not completely accurate. The first flaw is that it's not completely accurate.
Seven
to
eight hours
of
sleep,
Seven to eight hours of sleep,
while recommended
for
adults, is just an average
while recommended for adults, is just an average
And while messages have
to
be simplified
for
health communication
to
the public,
And while messages have to be simplified for health communication to the public,
sometimes important nuances get lost. sometimes important nuances get lost.
So yes, it's true that not getting enough sleep in the long term So yes, it's true that not getting enough sleep in the long term
is associated
with
health problems
like
cardiovascular disease,
is associated with health problems like cardiovascular disease,
diabetes and depression. diabetes and depression.
But fixating solely
on
seven
to
eight hours
But
fixating
solely on seven to eight hours
ignores the fact that there's a range
of
sleep that people need.
ignores the fact that there's a range of sleep that people need.
The duration
of
a good night's sleep can be different
for
different people.
The duration of a good night's sleep can be different for different people.
Some adults need eight,
but
some are just fine
on
six.
Some adults need eight, but some are just fine on six.
The second flaw
with
this kind
of
doomsday messaging
The second flaw with this kind of
doomsday
messaging
is that it can be counterproductive, is that it can be
counterproductive
,
especially
for
people who do have trouble sleeping.
especially for people who do have trouble sleeping.
For instance, in 2019 For instance, in 2019
it was estimated that 21 percent
of
adults
in
the US
it was estimated that 21 percent of adults in the US
were wearing sleep tracking devices. were wearing sleep tracking devices.
And that number is probably growing. And that number is probably growing.
And I get it. And I get it.
It's fascinating
to
see how much sleep you've gotten each night
It's
fascinating
to see how much sleep you've gotten each night
and
to
know what part
of
your night was spent in deep sleep or dreaming.
and to know what part of your night was spent in deep sleep or dreaming.
But having all
of
that sleep data
But having all of that sleep data
is causing some people
to
become obsessed
with
it
is causing some people to become
obsessed
with it
so much so that it’s leading
to
a condition some call orthosomnia:
so much so that it’s leading to a condition some call orthosomnia:
a preoccupation
with
the constant need
to
achieve perfect sleep.
a preoccupation with the constant need to achieve perfect sleep.
And this condition, ironically, is causing more sleep problems! And this condition,
ironically
, is causing more sleep problems!
Now orthosomnia might be an extreme example Now orthosomnia might be an extreme example
but
the anxiety
of
not getting enough sleep
but the anxiety of not getting enough sleep
is keeping some
of
us
up
at
night.
is keeping some of us up at night.
So here's what some experts are saying. So here's what some experts are saying.
Stop fixating
on
the number
Stop
fixating
on the number
because that can lead
to
unrealistic expectations
of
sleep.
because that can lead to unrealistic expectations of sleep.
According
to
Dr. Colleen Carney
According to Dr. Colleen Carney
a psychologist and the head
of
the Ryerson University Sleep Lab
a psychologist and the head of the Ryerson University Sleep Lab
the basic questions you should ask yourself are: the basic questions you should ask yourself are:
Do I feel reasonably well-rested
during
the day?
Do I feel reasonably well-rested during the day?
Do I generally sleep
through
the night
without
disturbances?
Do I generally sleep through the night without
disturbances
?
Or, if I wake, do I fall back asleep easily? Or, if I wake, do I fall back asleep easily?
Can I stay awake
through
the day
without
involuntarily falling asleep?
Can I stay awake through the day without
involuntarily
falling asleep?
If your answers are yes
to
all three,
If your answers are yes to all three,
you probably don't need
to
worry
about
your sleep.
you probably don't need to worry about your sleep.
And if you're struggling
with
your sleep,
And if you're struggling with your sleep,
instead
of
buying expensive blue light filters
instead of buying expensive blue light filters
or fancy sleep trackers, or fancy sleep trackers,
try talking
with
your doctor to make sure there aren't any medical conditions
try talking with your doctor to make sure there aren't any medical conditions
that need
to
be explored first.
that need to be explored first.
Then try evidence-based recommendations Then try
evidence-based
recommendations
laid out
by
the American Academy
of
Sleep Medicine.
laid out by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
What's really cool is that there's a highly effective therapy What's really cool is that there's a highly effective therapy
called cognitive behavioral therapy
for
insomnia, or CBT-I,
called cognitive behavioral therapy for
insomnia
, or CBT-I ,
It doesn’t have any medications involved. It doesn’t have any
medications
involved.
And it has a really low failure rate. And it has a really low failure rate.

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