Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Wakes Up to the Importance of Sleep

According to the Huffington Post, Gwyneth Paltrow is spreading an important message to friends, family and fans: We need to get more sleep!

In her GOOP newsletter, Paltrow touches on the negative cumulative effects of sleep deprivation. They range from issues with performance and memory to association with other medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

How do you know if you are sleep deprived? The AASM reports that individual sleep needs vary. But most adults need about seven to eight hours of nightly sleep.

Common symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation include:

·Daytime sleepiness
·Irritability/ symptoms of depression
·Lack of motivation
·Shortened attention span
·Impaired judgment

Last month, the Sleep Education blog reported that getting even one extra hour of sleep can improve your health and quality of life.

According to Dr. Oz, you can improve your sleep and recapture your youth by making small changes to your bedroom and nighttime routine.

Visit an AASM-accredited sleep center for help with sleep problems that continue after you have taken steps to improve your sleep hygiene.

Image courtesy of The Huffington Post

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Daylight Saving Time: Spring Forward Tonight

Remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour tonight. For most of the U.S. daylight saving time officially begins late tonight at 2 a.m.

The AASM recommends that you set your clocks ahead one hour in the early evening. Then go to sleep at your normal bedtime. This will help prevent the loss of an hour of sleep.

Why did we ever implement daylight saving time in the first place? Last year author David Prerau shared the story of daylight saving time on NPR’s All Things Considered. He traces its roots to World War I.



Earlier this week Katie Couric reminded viewers of one benefit of daylight saving time.



The longer hours of daylight in the spring reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. SAD is common during winter because there is much less sunlight than in the summer months.

Light plays an important role as a visual timing cue for your body. Sunlight signals to your brain that it is time for your body to be awake and alert.

Your brain responds by adjusting your body temperature and certain hormone levels. In general, the dark months of winter throw off your body’s timing. As a result, you are more likely to be sleepy and sluggish during daytime hours.

Regardless of the season or the time, do you struggle with an ongoing sleep problem? Get help at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

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New PTSD Sleep Clinic Opens in New Mexico

A new PTSD Sleep Clinic is opening today in Albuquerque, N.M. The clinic will target the sleep problems that plague people who have post-traumatic stress disorder.

The clinic is directed by AASM member Dr. Barry Krakow. He is the founder of the Maimonides International Nightmare Treatment Center.

Krakow notes that antidepressant medications may not be the best option for people who have PTSD. And many people with PTSD also have obstructive sleep apnea. This can make their PTSD symptoms even worse.



The AASM reports that recurring nightmares tend to be most disturbing aspect of PTSD. In these dreams the event may be relived in a way that seems shockingly real.

Krakow says that treating sleep problems can greatly reduce PTSD symptoms. Daytime fatigue and sleepiness decrease, and energy levels increase. This provides a boost for the coping skills and motivation needed to tackle the problems related to PTSD.

His clinic uses a variety of techniques to treat PTSD. These include cognitive behavioral therapy, imagery rehearsal therapy and sleep-related emotion-focused therapy.

Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that imagery rehearsal therapy is helping some people change their nightmares. Yoga also is being used to help soldiers who have PTSD. And a recent study showed that old fear memories can be “updated” to prevent the return of fear.

Read more about PTSD and nightmares.

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World Kidney Day: Sleep & Kidney Disease

Today is World Kidney Day to focus attention on chronic kidney disease.

The NIDDK reports that chronic kidney disease affects about 23 million adults in the U.S. Damaged kidneys fail to properly remove waste and extra water from the blood. The most advanced stage of the disease is kidney failure. This also is called end-stage renal disease.

Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. High blood pressure is the second-leading cause.

Chronic kidney disease also runs in families. Your risk is higher if a family member has it. And the risk is much higher in African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics.

Kidney disease also is a “silent” disease. You are unlikely to notice any symptoms in the early stages. But your doctor can detect it with a blood or urine test.



Research has found many links between sleep problems and kidney disease.

A study published last month indicated that self-reported "poor" sleep quality was common in people with chronic kidney disease. Poor sleep also was linked to lower quality of life scores.

In January a study reported that impaired sleep quality, mood and alertness were associated with advanced chronic kidney disease. They also were linked to dialysis dependency. The dialysis population demonstrated the highest day-to-day variability in these scores.

Last September a study found that nearly 40 percent of children with chronic kidney disease had a sleep disorder. Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements were most common.

In August a study found that people with kidney failure had frequent periodic limb movements during sleep. These movements caused almost 15 arousals per hour of sleep.

Previous research also has found that obstructive sleep apnea is very common in people with kidney failure. One review estimated that the rate of sleep apnea in people with kidney failure is 10 times greater than in the general population.

Treating kidney failure by dialysis can be exhausting. Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that some dialysis clinics now offer to perform the treatment while you sleep.

Get help for a sleep disorder at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

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Daylight Saving Time: Spring Forward Before March 14

It may not feel like spring is on the way. Much of the South is still shivering after one of the coldest months in recorded history.

And people in the Northeast are recovering from winter storms that battered them with record snowfall. In fact Hawaii was the only state in the U.S. that had no trace of snow Feb. 13.

But the March 14 change to daylight saving time is almost here. It’s an early sign that spring is coming before the official first day of spring, which is March 20.

The time change can cause you to lose an hour of sleep this Saturday night. Research shows that this disruption can have a lasting effect on your sleep.

One way to reduce the negative impact of the time change is to plan ahead. You can go to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night for the rest of this week. This will give your body more time to adjust.

On SleepEducation.com you can learn more from the AASM about planning ahead for daylight saving time.

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Dr. Oz: One Minute of Sleep Apnea Advice

Dr. Oz recently gave advice for obstructive sleep apnea in a segment called “1 Minute to Better Health.”

First he outlined some of the ways that OSA can have a negative effect on your health and performance. It can cause daytime fatigue, poor mood, memory loss, heart disease, stroke and even death.



Then he described who is most likely to have sleep apnea. It often occurs when extra fatty tissue in the throat keeps air from flowing freely as you sleep.

“People with sleep apnea are usually overweight,” he said.

What can be done about sleep apnea?

He said that becoming a side sleeper may help. But he recommended weight loss as a better option.

According to Dr. Oz, most people tend to lose weight in their face and neck first. This means that dropping some extra weight could possibly cure sleep apnea.

“So remember, if you want to get rid of that extra sleep apnea problem you’ve got, just lose a little bit of weight,” he said.

If only it were that easy. Studies show that weight loss often reduces the severity of sleep apnea. But it rarely solves the problem.

One recent study found that a very low-energy, liquid diet cured sleep apnea in 17 percent of participants. Another study found that participants still had moderate OSA after a 16-week diet and exercise program.

The AASM recommends dietary weight loss as one treatment strategy for people who are obese and have sleep apnea. But weight loss should be combined with another treatment such as CPAP or an oral appliance.

Why? As Dr. Oz pointed out, sleep apnea can have a severe effect on your health. It requires immediate and effective treatment.

But weight loss takes a long time, and it may not be enough to cure the problem. Weight loss also is difficult to maintain. Excess weight often returns over time.

And it is important to point out that OSA also occurs in people who maintain a healthy weight. A study presented at SLEEP 2009 found a high rate of sleep apnea in non-obese adults.

You should talk to your doctor to develop a healthy weight-loss plan that is right for you. For help with sleep apnea you should contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center in your area.

Read more about obstructive sleep apnea and weight loss and OSA.

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Sleep & Race in America

Author Studs Terkel called race “the American obsession.” In the U.S. race colors almost everything we do – even sleep.

Today the National Sleep Foundation released the results of the 2010 Sleep in America Poll. It focused on the relationship between sleep and race.

Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,007 adults between the ages of 25 and 60. The sample was equally divided among four groups: Asians, blacks, Hispanics and whites.

Results show that the average reported nightly sleep time on workdays or weekdays was less than seven hours in each group. Blacks had the lowest average of 6.2 hours, and whites had the highest average of 6.9 hours.

About 60 percent of blacks were “short sleepers” who reported sleeping less than seven hours per night during the week. Fifty percent of Hispanics, 41 percent of Asians and 34 percent of whites also were short sleepers.

The AASM reports that individual sleep needs vary from one person to another. But most adults need about seven to eight hours of nightly sleep.

Other surveys also have found that self-reported sleep durations differ by race. A recent analysis of time-use surveys found that African-Americans had higher odds of short sleep. Asians and Hispanics were less likely to be short sleepers. Survey data released by the CDC last year suggested that Hispanics were more likely to be sound sleepers.

Research also has been linking short sleep with health problems such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Habitual sleep duration may help explain why the rates of these problems can vary widely by race.

The CDC reports that blacks are 51 percent more likely to be obese than whites. Hispanics are 21 percent more likely to be obese than whites.

And last year a study found that blacks had a 78 percent increased risk of obesity related to short sleep. The risk of obesity related to short sleep in whites was increased by 43 percent.

So where do you fit in these statistics? Regardless of your race, are you getting enough sleep?

Maybe you need to make it a priority to get more sleep. Perhaps you can turn off the TV or the computer 30 minutes earlier at night.

Or maybe you have a problem that prevents you from sleeping well. Insomnia. Sleep apnea. Restless legs. Or one of the many other sleep disorders. In this case it may be time for you to contact an AASM-accredited sleep center for help.

Getting enough sleep – and sleeping well – will help you feel, think and perform your best. Maybe sleep should become the new American obsession.

Read about other recent sleep surveys and learn more about sleep and race.

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