Sleep Loss Has Profound Effects on Health By J. Erika Dworkin, Certifi ed Lifestyle Educator
Insomnia is one of the most common complaints seen by physicians... Approximately 12.5% of the adult population uses a prescribed anxiolytic or sedative hypnotic in the course of a year… All of these drugs are associated with signifi cant risks. Most of them are highly addictive and very poor candidates for long-term use.
- Michael Murray, ND, & Joseph Pizzorno, ND,
The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine 3rd Edition (2012)
If you have one of the 90 distinct sleep disorders, including insomnia, it quite pos- sibly has already negatively impacted your health and longevity, or will in the future if ignored or addressed only with high-risk prescription drugs.
A Sleep Disorders Defi ned
The body’s genetically controlled biological clock regulates its circadian rhythms, physical, mental, and behav- ioral changes that follow a daily cycle in response primarily to light and darkness. Circadian rhythms manage multiple im- portant bodily functions, including natural sleep cycles, hormone release, eating habits and digestion, and body temperature. As detailed below, chronic disruption of regu- lar rhythms resulting from sleep deprivation is cause for great concern.
In 2015, the National Sleep Founda- tion recommended these numbers of daily sleep hours for adults: (1) teenagers/8-10; (2) adults & young adults/ 7-9; (3) older adults/7-8. Most sleep disorders are charac- terized by at least one of these symptoms: (1) excessive daytime sleepiness; (2) dif- fi culty initiating or maintaining sleep; or (3) sleep-time abnormal movements, behav- iors, and/or sensations. The most common
34 Natural Nutmeg - January/February 2018
re you one of the estimated 50-to- 70 million Americans who suffer from a chronic sleep problem?
harmful sleep conditions include restless legs syndrome (RLS)/nocturnal cramping, sleep apnea (causes brief breathing inter- ruptions and brain oxygen deprivation; obesity is its biggest risk factor), chronic insomnia (sleeplessness occurs most nights and lasts at least one month), narcolepsy, sleep-related psychiatric, neurological, and medical disorders, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
Causes of Sleep Loss
The causes of sleep deprivation fall into multiple categories. Physical causes include: systemic overgrowth of yeast (can- didiasis), hormonal imbalances, hyperthy- roidism, heart, lung and digestive disorders, allergies, arthritis, cancer, fi bromyalgia, prostate problems, nocturnal fast-onset hypoglycemia, and the sleep conditions noted above. Underlying psychological issues include stress, depression (including seasonal affective disorder), anxiety, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.
The drugs that may cause sleep problems include those prescribed for depression, hypertension, birth control, water retention, hypothyroidism (if overpre- scribed), and asthma, allergies and other upper-respiratory conditions. Recreational substances and stimulants, including alco- hol, marijuana, cigarettes, and excess caf- feine (coffee, tea, chocolate, colas, energy drinks), can disrupt sleep.
Finally, numerous environmental fac- tors can underlie sleep disorders, includ- ing toxic overload and electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) that emanate from wireless/electrical devices (often referred to as radiation).
Health Risks of Chronic Sleep Deprivation
According to Michael Murray, ND, “adequate sleep is absolutely necessary for long-term health and regeneration.” Sleep infl uences the function of the immune, hormonal, and nervous systems. A growing
number of studies have thus linked inad- equate sleep, or even sleeping at odd hours, with increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure/heart disease, and cancer. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to neuronal damage and acceler- ated brain aging, prevalence of emotional and psychological problems, and increased hospitalizations and mortality.
The combination of sleep deprivation
with chronic stress sets the stage for dis- ease. The resulting adrenal gland produc- tion of excess cortisol can cause functional deterioration of various organ systems as they constantly attempt to rebalance. For example, stress from sleep deprivation may slow down thyroid function.
Risks of Prescription Sleep Aids Most sleeping pills (e.g., Xanax®, Lib-
rium®, Valium®, Ambien®, Lunesta®, and Halcion®) are actually “sedative hypnotics” that are widely prescribed to treat stress and anxiety. They commonly cause dizziness, drowsiness, and signifi cantly decreased coordination and memory.
In October 2015, Daniel F. Kripke,
MD, an internationally recognized sleep researcher and professor of psychiatry emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, petitioned the FDA to consider mandating a new black box warning for sleeping pills. His petition was based on an analysis of 50 sleeping pill studies pub- lished from 2012 to 2015 and his assertion of a growing United States overdose epi- demic. Dr. Kripke maintained that the most important risks of hypnotics include excess mortality, infections, cancer, depression and suicide, automobile crashes, falls and other accidents, and hypnotic-withdrawal insom- nia. He emphasized that: (1) they are usual- ly prescribed without approved indication, and most often with specifi c contraindica- tions; and (2) even when indicated, there is little or no benefi t (recommended doses increase sleep little if at all, and daytime
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