I've talked before about my difficulty sleeping.
I've tried some of the tricks--stopping caffeine early and cutting back on alcohol. I don't eat heavy meals before going to bed. I use Ambien pretty often, if I try to sleep and it just isn't happening. It helps me get to sleep, but if I have stuff on my mind, I'll wake up two or three hours later.
New reports remind us of the negative health effects of insomnia.
Men who work on rotating shifts are four times more likely to develop prostate cancer than men who work regular shifts. I'm not going to get prostate cancer, but I do work unpredictable hours, and I think this insomnia problem is going to remain with me as long as that is the case.
Another shows that poor sleep habits could contribute to worse blood sugar control in African-Americans with type 2 diabetes. Since sleep cycle is related to blood cortisol levels, and cortisol is related to blood sugar levels, this is hardly a surprise.
Cortisol levels follow a 24-hour cycle, peaking in daylight hours and dropping at night. During sleep, our bodies repair themselves, and the immune system fends off invaders.
Stress and sleeplessness can increase levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin, leading to hypertension and blood sugar elevations. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, curbs functions that are non-essential in a fight-or-flight situation, increases the level of blood sugar available to the cells, and makes it available to the brain and muscles, while suppressing digestive, reproductive and growth processes. The stress hormones also communicate with regions of the brain associated with mood, motivation and fear.
Another study showed a link between sleep-related breathing disorders and depression. People with these problems had twice the risk of depression of those with no sleep problems.
I don't know what I can do about my schedule, but if I ever again find myself looking for a job, one of the first things I will ask is what the schedule is. The more we know about the toll of sleep deprivation, the more obvious its impact becomes.
It's probably even enough to undo all the good I do by drinking coffee and red wine.
[Salvador Dali: Sleep 1937]
Comments