Touch

A great night's sleep can depend

on the comfort you feel
in your bedroom environment

MATTRESS
93% of Americans say a comfortable mattress is important to a good nights sleep.
Learn more

PILLOWS
62% of Americans rate their own pillows as better than a quality hotels.
Learn more

BEDDING
91% of Americans change their sheets at least every other week.
Learn more
MORE RESEARCH
More information on napping
More information on sleeping with a problem sleeper
What temperature should your bedroom be?
Many sleep experts say that a cool room, somewhere around 65 degrees, makes for
the best sleep, and research backs this notion.
During the course of a normal day, your body temperature rises and falls slightly.
This pattern is tied to your sleep cycle. As you become drowsy, your temperature
goes down, reaches its lowest level around 5:00 a.m., and climbs slightly as
morning begins. This is why the air in your room can affect the quality of your sleep:
if it's too hot, it may interfere with your body's natural dip and make you more
restless through the night. In fact, studies indicate that some forms of insomnia are

associated with an improper regulation in body temperature. Of course each of us

has a slightly different optimal temperature for sleep, so experiment with keeping
your room cool and find what makes you most comfortable.
SUPPORTING RESEARCH
The relationship between insomnia and body temperature
Prevention and treatment of sleep disorders
The sleep-evoked decrease of body temperature
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Shivering and sweating at night
During the night, your body uses its own heating and cooling mechanisms to keep
your temperature in a healthy range. But the sensations that come with this natural
"thermoregulation" can make it hard to sleep peacefully. More
How bed surfaces affect your sleep
The feel of your mattress, pillows, sheets, and pajamas affects the quality of your
sleep. Your mattress should be comfortable and supportive so that you wake up
feeling rested, not achy or stiff.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not necessarily better to sleep on an extra firm
mattress, so use your body as a guide for what feels best through the night. The
same applies to pillows: soft or firm is a matter of preference, but think about
replacing pillows when they become lumpy or shapeless. The type and number of
pillows you use depends in part on your sleeping position.
Temperature plays a big role in quality sleep. Mattress materials, as well as the
fabrics on your bed and your body, deal with heat differently. For example, many
people find memory foam comfortable, but some materials can trap heat and make
it more difficult to sleep in warmer months. For pajamas and sheets, it may help to
choose a breathable cotton fabric so that you don't overheat. There are newer
fabrics available that also have the ability to wick away moistureespecially helpful
if you sweat when you sleep.
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When to buy new mattresses and pillows
There is no strict rule about when to replace your mattress, but most have a
lifespan of around eight years. Some experts say this timeframe is shorter if you're
over 40, because your body may need a better foundation for sleep. More
Make your bed for better sleep

We tend to think of making our beds as a routine morning chore, but it turns out the
ritual may be more meaningful than that. The results of a recent Bedroom Poll by
the National Sleep Foundation found that many people believe clean, neat and
comfortable elements of the bedroom environment are important to getting a good
night's sleep.
Not surprisingly, over 90 percent of people said a comfortable mattress and pillows
are important to the sleep experience. But more than three quarters of people also
believe that the comfortable feel of sheets and bedding are important to a good
night's rest, and 62 percent said that a clean bedroom makes the difference.
People who reported making their bed in the morning were 19 percent more likely to
get a good night's sleep every night. It's not clear why this is, but perhaps there is a
connection between feeling good about where you sleep and your tendency to sleep
through the night.
SUPPORTING RESEARCH
National Sleep Foundation Bedroom Poll
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Pregnancy, postpartum, menopause and sleep
Pregnancy brings fluctuating hormones with body temperature changes, nausea,
the increased urgency to urinate, and trouble getting comfortable at night.
If you find yourself overheating or sweating while you sleep, wear light cotton
pajamas and keep a spare set next to you at night, along with a glass of ice water. A
good set of pillows will be your friend during pregnancy, especially as your belly
grows. Lie on your left side if you can (best for your circulation), and experiment
with putting a pillow or two between your legs, behind your back, or even a thin one
under your abdomen. You can find long body pillows that also support your upper
body while you sleep. Remember that light can send alerting signals to your brain,
so leave a nightlight in the bathroom or hallway for nighttime trips instead of
turning on overhead lights.
Hot flashes are very common for women in menopause and can make sleep difficult
as well. Many scientists believe that dropping estrogen levels and other altered
hormones trick the hypothalamus (the brain's temperature regulating region) into
thinking the body is overheating. To get rid of excess heat, blood vessels dilate and
blood flow increases to the skin, causing a flushed and sweaty feeling. Wear light
cotton pajamas or those designed to wick away moisture, and consider keeping an
extra set near your bed. If you sweat a lot at night, keep an extra pillowcase, a
towel, or even a spare set of sheets near the bed as well. Have a cold facecloth and
a glass of ice water on hand and follow tips for keeping your room cool. If symptoms
persist, consider consulting with your gynecologist.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
Circadian rhythms, sleep, and the menstrual cycle
Sleep in women across the life cycle
Predictors of sleep quality
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How to dress your child for sleep
For safety reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies sleep
without any loose blankets, so at night it's best to choose an outfit that keeps your
baby comfortable without extra layers. More
How to cool the room in the summer
For cooler summer sleeping, prepare during the day by avoiding heat buildup in
your house. More

DID YOU KNOW?

93% of Americans rated a comfortable mattress, 91% rated comfortable pillows and
86% rated a comfortable feel of sheets and bedding as important to good sleep in
the National Sleep Foundations 2012 Bedroom Poll.

Hear
Listen. Are noiseskeeping

you awake?

SOUND CONTROL

5% of Americans report using a sound conditioner in their bedrooms .

Learn more

NOISE BARRIERS

74% of Americans say a quiet bedroom is important to a good nights sleep.

Learn more

MORE RESEARCH
More information on shift work and sleep
More information on snoring
More information on sleeping with a problem sleeper
More information on helping your baby sleep

How noise affects your sleep

While you sleep, your brain continues to register and process sounds on a basic level. Noise can jostle
your slumbercausing you to wake, move, shift between stages of sleep, or experience a change in
heart rate and blood pressureso briefly that you don't remember the next morning. Whether sounds
disturb your sleep depends on factors such as the stage of sleep you're in, the time of night, and even
your feelings about the sounds themselves.
Noises are more likely to wake you from a light sleep (stages 1 and 2), than from a deep sleep (stages 3
and 4), and tend to be more disruptive in the second half of the night. If you share a bed with someone,

you know that there is individual variation in sensitivity to noise. In fact, a recent study found that "sound
sleepers" have characteristic brain activity that may make them more impervious to noise.
Interestingly, whether or not a sound bothers your sleep depends in part on that sound's personal
meaning: researchers have seen that people are more likely to wake when a sound is relevant or
emotionally charged. This is why, for example, a parent could sleep soundly through her partner's snores
but wake fully when her baby fusses.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

Auditory alerting threshold in REM and NREM sleep stages

Auditory processing across the sleep-wake cycle

Spontaneous brain rhythms predict sleep stability in the face of noise

Autonomic arousals related to traffic noise during sleep

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What is white noise?

White noise works by reducing the difference between background sounds and a "peak" sound, like a
door slamming, giving you a better chance to sleep through it undisturbed. If you have difficulty falling
asleep or staying asleep, creating a constant ambient sound could help mask activity from inside and
outside the house.
In your bedroom, white noise can be created by a sound conditioner, a fan or an air purifier, anything that
is a consistent and soothing backdrop throughout the night. You might want to experiment with the volume
and type to find the white noise that works best for you, or if you have a sleeping partner, the sound that
works for both of you.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
The influence of white noise on sleep in subject exposed to ICU noise

o
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Television and your sleep

Whether or not you realize it the next day, sounds can alert your brain and disturb the continuity of your
sleep. So creating a quiet bedroom environment is key to a full, healthy night's rest. If you feel as though
you've slept 7-9 hours but are still drowsy the next day, sound is a possible culprit.
Ideally, the sounds to which you drift off at night should be the ones that stay with you until morning.
Falling asleep with the television on, for example, could interrupt your sleep because, unlike white noise,
TV sounds are constantly changing in tone, volume, and so forth. TV can be especially bothersome if you
need to wake up to turn it off and resettle into bed. For a better night's sleep, keep the television out of
your bedroom and turn it off before you start your bedtime routine. Use white noise for background
sounds instead.
If you need a morning alarm, consider one that is loud and distinct enough to arouse you, but doesn't
shock you awake you want to start your day alert but not anxious.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

National Sleep Foundation 2011 Sleep in America Poll

Media use and child sleep

Close

How to manage noise pollution

Especially if you live in a city or a busy neighborhood, outside noise is a fact of life. Some people grow
accustomed to environmental noise if it's constant enough. But for many of us, sudden or periodic noises
outside our bedroom windows can jostle us awake, even if just briefly.
Airport noise, a vigilant neighborhood dog, or the otherwise pleasant sound of chirping morning birds can
break the continuity of your sleep. Not only can "noise pollution" steal your slumber and make you feel
drowsy the next day, there is some evidence that sounds such as those from constant, loud urban traffic
or close proximity to an airport may have a negative effect on health. For example, some studies have
suggested that long-term exposure to intense noise pollution could be associated with hypertension.
Most of us don't live under a flight path or next to railway tracks, but masking noise is still important to
quality sleep. The solution: use a white noise machine, fan, or air purifier to create a background hum and
block unwanted outside noise. Earplugs also work well for many people.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

Noise pollution: a ubiquitous unrecognized disrupter of sleep?

Autonomic arousals related to traffic noise during sleep

Single and combined effects of air, road, and rail traffic noise on sleep and

o
recuperation

Hypertension and exposure to noise near airports: the HYENA study

o
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Family noise
The sounds of a busy, happy family are a delight. But in a bustling house, with varying schedules and
needs, how do you create an environment that helps everyone get optimal sleep?
An early bedtime is important for kids (between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. works best for most), so at least
30 minutes before bed create a soothing, quiet atmosphere in the house. Put on soft music or even
lullabies while you start your kids' bath to signal wind-down time. Keep television out of your child's room
and try not to watch it in at least the hour before bedtime, as this can be stimulating. After bedtime, white
noise helps block sounds from the adults who are still awake in the house, as well as neighborhood
noises. White noise can be particularly helpful for soothing babies.
Parents also need a quiet environment to sleep, but with little children in the houseand the nightmares,
requests for sips of water, or standard potty tripsthis can be challenging. If you stir at the slightest peep
from your kids, see if you can turn the baby monitor down (or off completely if they are nearby). You
should be able to hear when your kids need you, but not hear all the normal noises they make while
sleeping. If one parent's work schedule requires her to sleep later, use white noise and earplugs to block
sounds as the rest of the family starts the day.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

Media use and child sleep

White noise and sleep induction

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DID YOU KNOW?

74% of Americans rated a quiet room as important to getting a good nights sleep in theNational Sleep
Foundations 2012 Bedroom Poll.

Smell
What you breathewhile
feel the next day

you sleepcan affect how you

ALLERGY
BARRIERS

63% of Americans say fresh air free of allergens is important to a getting a good
nights sleep.
Learn more

AIR
QUALITY

78% of Americans say they are more excited to go to bed if their sheets have a
fresh scent.
Learn more

MORE RESEARCH
More information on seasonal allergies
More information on snoring
More information on sleep disordered breathing
More information on asthma and sleep

How smell affects your sleep

While you're designing a bedroom for better rest, don't leave your nose out of the picture. Interestingly,
there is some evidence that certain smells may have an effect on your sleep. For example, lavender has
been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, potentially putting you in a more relaxed state. In
one study, researchers monitored the brain waves of subjects at night and found that those who sniffed
lavender before bed had more deep sleep and felt more vigorous in the morning. Another study of infants
found that they cried less and slept more deeply after a bath with lavender scented oils. Of course,
lavender is not a cure for insomnia, but having oils, candles, or sachets in your room could be a calming
part of your bedtime routine.
Surrounding yourself with the scent you like could help you drift off and, in fact, one study found that
smells (both good and bad) influence our dreams. Most importantly, keep your room clean and use
laundry detergents and other scented products with a pleasing smell, or no smell at all if that is your
preference.

See
A great night's sleep can dependon

the visual

conditionsin your bedroom environment

CURTAINS &
SHADES

35% of Americans say they dont use bedroom curtains or shades.

Learn more

LIGHTING

73% of Americans say a dark bedroom is important to getting a good nights sleep.
Learn more

MORE RESEARCH
More information on your circadian rhythm
More information about electronics use before bed
More information on dreaming
More information on jet lag
More information on melatonin

How light affects sleep

Have you ever woken up just minutes before your alarm goes off and marveled at your body's sense of
time? Humans (and most living creatures) have an internal clock that mirrors nature's cycles of day and
night.
Nestled deep in an area of the brain called the hypothalamus, this timekeeper regulates many of our
body's functions, such as sleep, energy, and hunger.
Sunlight detected by cells in the retina of the eye sends messages to the brain that keep us in a roughly
24-hour pattern. These light cues trigger all kinds of chemical events in the body, causing changes in our
physiology and behavior. For example, as evening approaches and the light in our environment dwindles,
the hormone melatonin begins to rise and body temperature fallsboth of which help us to become less
alert and more likely to welcome sleep. With the help of morning light, melatonin levels are low, body
temperature begins to rise, and other chemical shifts, such as an uptick in the activating hormone cortisol,
occur to help us feel alert and ready for the day.
Stephan FK, Zucker I. Circadian rhythms in drinking behavior and locomotor activity of rats are eliminated by hypothalamic
lesions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1972; 68(6):1583-1586.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
Light, sleep, and circadian rhythms: together again

o
o

Transition from dim to bright light in the morning induces an immediate elevation
in cortisol levels
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Making your room dark

Light and darkness are powerful cues that tell your body it's time to rest, or get you ready for a productive
day. So it's no surprise that light in the bedroom (as well as light peeking in from outside) has an impact
on the quality of your sleep.
Artificial light after dark can send wake-up messages to the brain, suppressing the production of the
sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. In fact, a recent
study showed that even bright room light could have this chemical effect. And early sunrays begin to
activate the body and can cause some of us to rise before we're ready.
With a little thought and creativity, though, you can use the body's light sensitivity to your advantage.
Consider low-wattage, incandescent lamps at your bedside to help you wind down in the hours before
sleep. Survey your room for any other sources of artificial light, for example, streetlamps or porch lights,
or even the glow from the power buttons of electronics like TV's or bright alarm clocks. Consider blocking
these to make the room completely dark while you sleep. If you go to the bathroom during the night, do so
by nightlight, instead of turning on stronger overhead lights.
If you can wake up rested with the sun after 7-9 hours of sleep, then by all means welcome the early
morning rays. If not, use darkening curtains or shades to keep your body in sleep mode until it's time to
wake up and start the day.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset

Non-visual effects of light on melatonin, alertness and cognitive performance

Limiting the Impact of light pollution on human health

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How electronics affect sleep

Our world is full of gadgets. For both work and entertainment, technology use is increasingly popular, and
the evening hours are no exception. For example, a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation found
that 95% of people use some type of computer, video game, or cell phone at least a few nights a week
within the hour before bed.
But scientists are now finding that light from electronics has the potential to disrupt sleep, because it
sends alerting signals to the brain. The circadian rhythm seems to be especially sensitive to light with
short wavelengthsin particular, blue light in the 460-nanometer range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
This light, which is given off by electronics like computers and cell phones, and also by energy-efficient
bulbs, has been shown to delay the release of melatonin. In other words, electronics could keep you
feeling charged past bedtime.
If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, consider keeping electronics out of the bedroom and
turning them offespecially those used at close rangefor at least an hour before bed. It can take some
time for the body to come down from technology's alerting effects. Protect your evening wind-down time
by reading a book, for example. Let your body chemistry settle for the night.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

National Sleep Foundation. 2011 Sleep in America Poll: Communications

Technology and Sleep. Washington (DC): The Foundation; 2011 Mar 7.

Evening exposure to a light-emitting diodes (LED)-backlit computer screen

Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset

Limiting the Impact of light pollution on human health

Close

Sunlight and sleep

Light is a powerful guide for your body. In part through the connections between the eyes and the brain's
biological timekeeper, light rays influence chemistry and behavior and keep us in sync with the ebb and
flow of the day.
Think about it: humans evolved spending a lot of time outside, where they were exposed to light
beginning with the rising sun. In our modern world we spend more time indoors, but sunlight still helps
regulate our sleeping patterns.
When you're ready to begin the day, exposing your body to the sun will not only help alert the brain and
set you in motion, it will also help you sleep later on. Have blinds or curtains that can cocoon you in
darkness by night, but that you can easily pull back to bathe the room in sunlight when you wake. Before
you start the day, spend some time in the light, and remember to give your body doses of sun throughout
the day when possible.
If you need to wake before the sun comes up, you can find dawn-simulating alarms, or even use lights
intended for seasonal affective disorderthese are particularly helpful during the winter when the sun
rises later.
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Help your child sleep by controlling light

As you think about crafting a sleep-friendly bedroom environment, remember that our little ones' bodies
are also very sensitive to light cues. Use your knowledge of light and dark to help your kids sleep better
too.
Screen time may activate the brain, so limit it in the hours before bed and keep technology out of your
child's room. Instead, arrange comfy pillows in a clutter-free, calming space (although never in the crib,
for safety reasons) so she can read and relax. When you start your bedtime routine, keep the lights low to
help your child wind down, and after lights-out, use a nightlight in the bathroom for late evening or
nighttime potty trips. Scan the room for any additional sources of light, such as those from electronics,
and if your child likes to sleep with a nightlight, use one that is quite dim. Room darkening shades and
curtains can be very helpful for blocking evening light during the summer, streetlights, as well as morning
rays (especially handy if you have an early riser). These can also be useful to darken the room for
daytime naps.
If you have a baby, managing her exposure to light and dark is key in the early months while the circadian
rhythm is maturing. In the morning, raise the shades and take her outside for a dose of indirect sunlight.
As bedtime approaches, make the lights dim and keep them low during the night for feedings.
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Bedroom light and shift workers

Plenty of jobs come with hours outside the typical 9 to 5 day. Shift workersfor example nurses, doctors,
pilots, drivers, and police officersare estimated to comprise almost 15 percent of the U.S. work force.
An irregular work schedule can be taxing on the body. When you work late at night and miss out on
daytime light, for example, it confuses the brain, disrupts the circadian rhythm and can make for
sleepiness, insomnia, and other health problems. On top of that, many shift workers have rotating
schedules, which means that their bodies are constantly forced to readjust to new rhythms.
If you need to sleep and wake at atypical hours, managing the light in your bedroom can help. When
you're winding down for sleep, dim the lights and try to limit your use of electronics. Use special room
darkening shades or curtains to block daylight and make your room completely dark for sleeping or try
wearing an eye mask.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

Shift work sleep disorder

Bright light, dark and melatonin can promote circadian adaptation in night shift

o
workers

Health disorders of shift workers

o
o

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers on Flexible and Shift Schedules in 2004

Summary. Accessed on July 23, 2011.
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Room design for better sleep

Imagine your bedroom as a sanctuary. When you walk inor simply think about your bedroomit should
make you feel relaxed and peaceful. Taking care of your sleep environment and putting thought into its
look and feel is important, and could help you welcome more restful nights.
Start by de-cluttering your room and creating a clean and relatively ordered space (not surprisingly, piles
of unsorted papers could make you anxious or restless). Arrange your furniture in a way that feels natural
and visually pleasing to you. Try to keep computers and TVs out, so that you come to know your bedroom
as a haven for sleep, free of distractions.
Choose wall colors that elicit warmth and calm. Although researchers have studied the psychology of
color and some believe that certain hues affect our mood (for example, red being stimulating), no one
knows your color-feeling connections better than you do. Pick colors, artwork, blankets, and so forth that
are soothing to you.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH
o

National Sleep Foundation, 2012 Bedroom Poll

Basic hue-meaning associations

Color and psychological functioning

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DID YOU KNOW?

73% of Americans rated a dark room as important to getting a good nights sleep in the National Sleep
Foundations 2012 Bedroom Poll.

Napping
Home >> Sleep Topics >> Napping
More than 85% of mammalian species are polyphasic sleepers, meaning that they sleep for short periods throughout
the day. Humans are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct

periods, one for sleep and one for wakefulness. It is not clear that this is the natural sleep pattern of humans. Young
children and elderly persons nap, for example, and napping is a very important aspect of many cultures.
As a nation, the United States appears to be becoming more and more sleep deprived. And it may be our busy
lifestyle that keeps us from napping. While naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime
sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance. Nappers are in good
company: Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and
George W. Bush are known to have valued an afternoon nap.

TYPES:
Naps can be typed in three different ways:

Planned napping (also called preparatory napping) involves taking a nap before you actually get sleepy.
You may use this technique when you know that you will be up later than your normal bed time or as a mechanism to
ward off getting tired earlier.

Emergency napping occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you
were originally engaged in. This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or fatigue while using heavy and
dangerous machinery.

Habitual napping is practiced when a person takes a nap at the same time each day. Young children may
fall asleep at about the same time each afternoon or an adult might take a short nap after lunch each day.

TIPS:

A short nap is usually recommended (20-30 minutes) for short-term alertness. This type of nap provides
significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with
nighttime sleep.

Your sleep environment can greatly impact your ability to fall asleep. Make sure that you have a restful place
to lie down and that

the temperature in the room is comfortable. Try to limit the amount of noise heard and the extent of the light filtering
in. While some studies have shown that just spending time in bed can be beneficial, it is better to try to catch some
zzzs.
If you take a nap too late in the day, it might affect your nighttime sleep patterns and make it difficult to fall
asleep at your regular bedtime. If you try to take it too early in the day, your body may not be ready for more sleep.

BENEFITS:

Naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. A study at NASA on
sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.
Naps can increase alertness in the period directly following the nap and may extend alertness a few hours
later in the day.
Scheduled napping has also been prescribed for those who are affected by narcolepsy.
Napping has psychological benefits. A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy
way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation.
Most people are aware that driving while sleepy is extremely dangerous. Still, many drivers press on when they feel
drowsy in spite of the risks, putting themselves and others in harm's way. While getting a full night's sleep before

driving is the ideal, taking a short nap before driving can reduce a person's risk of having a drowsy driving crash.
Sleep experts also recommend that if you feel drowsy when driving, you should immediately pull over to a rest area,
drink a caffeinated beverage and take a 20-minute nap.
Shift work , which means working a schedule that deviates from the typical "9 to 5" hours, may cause fatigue and
performance impairments, especially for night shift workers. In a 2006 study, researchers at the Sleep Medicine and
Research Center affiliated with St. John's Mercy Medical Center and St. Luke's Hospital in suburban St. Louis, MO,
looked at the effectiveness of taking naps and consuming caffeine to cope with sleepiness during the
night shift. They found that both naps and caffeine improved alertness and performance among night shift workers
and that the combination of naps and caffeine had the most beneficial effect.
James K. Walsh, PhD, one of the researchers who conducted the study, explains, "Because of the body's propensity
for sleep at night, being alert and productive on the night shift can be challenging, even if you've had enough daytime
sleep." "Napping before work combined with consuming caffeine while on the job is an effective strategy for remaining
alert on the night shift."
A recent study in the research journal Sleep examined the benefits of naps of various lengths and no naps. The
results showed that a 10-minute nap produced the most benefit in terms of reduced sleepiness and improved
cognitive performance. A nap lasting 30 minutes or longer is more likely to be accompanied by sleep inertia, which is
the period of grogginess that sometimes follows sleep.
By now you're probably thinking about ways to incorporate naps into your daily routine. Keep in mind that getting
enough sleep on regular basis is the best way to stay alert and feel your best. But when fatigue sets in, a quick nap
can do wonders for your mental and physical stamina.

Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep

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Do you ever feel sleepy or "zone out" during the day? Do you find it hard to wake up on Monday
mornings? If so, you are familiar with the powerful need for sleep. However, you may not realize
that sleep is as essential for your well-being as food and water.

Sleep: A Dynamic Activity

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

What Does Sleep Do For Us?

Dreaming and REM Sleep

Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

Sleep and Disease

Sleep Disorders

The Future

Tips for a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep: A Dynamic Activity

Until the 1950s, most people thought of sleep as a passive, dormant part of our daily lives. We
now know that our brains are very active during sleep. Moreover, sleep affects our daily
functioning and our physical and mental health in many ways that we are just beginning to
understand.
Nerve-signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters control whether we are asleep or awake by
acting on different groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Neurons in the brainstem,
which connects the brain with the spinal cord, produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin and
norepinephrine that keep some parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurons at
the base of the brain begin signaling when we fall asleep. These neurons appear to "switch off"
the signals that keep us awake. Research also suggests that a chemical called adenosine builds
up in our blood while we are awake and causes drowsiness. This chemical gradually breaks down
while we sleep.
During sleep, we usually pass through five phases of sleep: stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye
movement) sleep. These stages progress in a cycle from stage 1 to REM sleep, then the cycle
starts over again with stage 1 (see figure 1 ). We spend almost 50 percent of our total sleep
time in stage 2 sleep, about 20 percent in REM sleep, and the remaining 30 percent in the other
stages. Infants, by contrast, spend about half of their sleep time in REM sleep.
During stage 1, which is light sleep, we drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily. Our
eyes move very slowly and muscle activity slows. People awakened from stage 1 sleep often
remember fragmented visual images. Many also experience sudden muscle contractions
called hypnic myoclonia, often preceded by a sensation of starting to fall. These sudden
movements are similar to the "jump" we make when startled. When we enter stage 2 sleep, our
eye movements stop and our brain waves (fluctuations of electrical activity that can be measured

by electrodes) become slower, with occasional bursts of rapid waves called sleep spindles. In
stage 3, extremely slow brain waves called delta waves begin to appear, interspersed with
smaller, faster waves. By stage 4, the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. It is very
difficult to wake someone during stages 3 and 4, which together are called deep sleep. There is
no eye movement or muscle activity. People awakened during deep sleep do not adjust
immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes after they wake up. Some
children experience bedwetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking during deep sleep.
When we switch into REM sleep, our breathing becomes more rapid, irregular, and shallow, our
eyes jerk rapidly in various directions, and our limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed. Our
heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises, and males develop penile erections. When people
awaken during REM sleep, they often describe bizarre and illogical tales dreams.
The first REM sleep period usually occurs about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. A complete
sleep cycle takes 90 to 110 minutes on average. The first sleep cycles each night contain
relatively short REM periods and long periods of deep sleep. As the night progresses, REM sleep
periods increase in length while deep sleep decreases. By morning, people spend nearly all their
sleep time in stages 1, 2, and REM.
People awakened after sleeping more than a few minutes are usually unable to recall the last few
minutes before they fell asleep. This sleep-related form of amnesia is the reason people often
forget telephone calls or conversations they've had in the middle of the night. It also explains
why we often do not remember our alarms ringing in the morning if we go right back to sleep
after turning them off.
Since sleep and wakefulness are influenced by different neurotransmitter signals in the brain,
foods and medicines that change the balance of these signals affect whether we feel alert or
drowsy and how well we sleep. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and drugs such as diet pills and
decongestants stimulate some parts of the brain and can cause insomnia,or an inability to sleep.
Many antidepressants suppress REM sleep. Heavy smokers often sleep very lightly and have
reduced amounts of REM sleep. They also tend to wake up after 3 or 4 hours of sleep due to
nicotine withdrawal. Many people who suffer from insomnia try to solve the problem with alcohol
the so-called night cap. While alcohol does help people fall into light sleep, it also robs them of
REM and the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep. Instead, it keeps them in the lighter stages
of sleep, from which they can be awakened easily.
People lose some of the ability to regulate their body temperature during REM, so abnormally hot
or cold temperatures in the environment can disrupt this stage of sleep. If our REM sleep is
disrupted one night, our bodies don't follow the normal sleep cycle progression the next time we
doze off. Instead, we often slip directly into REM sleep and go through extended periods of REM
until we "catch up" on this stage of sleep.
People who are under anesthesia or in a coma are often said to be asleep. However, people in
these conditions cannot be awakened and do not produce the complex, active brain wave
patterns seen in normal sleep. Instead, their brain waves are very slow and weak, sometimes all
but undetectable.
Return to Index

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. Infants
generally require about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about 9 hours on average. For
most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep. Women in the first 3
months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual. The amount of sleep a
person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Getting too
little sleep creates a "sleep debt," which is much like being overdrawn at a bank. Eventually, your
body will demand that the debt be repaid. We don't seem to adapt to getting less sleep than we
need; while we may get used to a sleep-depriving schedule, our judgment, reaction time, and
other functions are still impaired.
People tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans as they get older, although they
generally need about the same amount of sleep as they needed in early adulthood. About half of
all people over 65 have frequent sleeping problems, such as insomnia, and deep sleep stages in
many elderly people often become very short or stop completely. This change may be a normal
part of aging, or it may result from medical problems that are common in elderly people and from
the medications and other treatments for those problems.
Experts say that if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven't had
enough sleep. If you routinely fall asleep within 5 minutes of lying down, you probably have
severe sleep deprivation, possibly even a sleep disorder. Microsleeps, or very brief episodes of
sleep in an otherwise awake person, are another mark of sleep deprivation. In many cases,
people are not aware that they are experiencing microsleeps. The widespread practice of
"burning the candle at both ends" in western industrialized societies has created so much sleep
deprivation that what is really abnormal sleepiness is now almost the norm.
Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous. Sleep-deprived people who are
tested by using a driving simulator or by performing a hand-eye coordination task perform as
badly as or worse than those who are intoxicated. Sleep deprivation also magnifies alcohol's
effects on the body, so a fatigued person who drinks will become much more impaired than
someone who is well-rested. Driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated 100,000 motor vehicle
accidents and 1500 deaths each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Since drowsiness is the brain's last step before falling asleep, driving while
drowsy can and often does lead to disaster. Caffeine and other stimulants cannot overcome
the effects of severe sleep deprivation. The National Sleep Foundation says that if you have
trouble keeping your eyes focused, if you can't stop yawning, or if you can't remember driving
the last few miles, you are probably too drowsy to drive safely.
Return to Index

What Does Sleep Do For Us?

Although scientists are still trying to learn exactly why people need sleep, animal studies show
that sleep is necessary for survival. For example, while rats normally live for two to three years,
those deprived of REM sleep survive only about 5 weeks on average, and rats deprived of all
sleep stages live only about 3 weeks. Sleep-deprived rats also develop abnormally low body
temperatures and sores on their tail and paws. The sores may develop because the rats' immune
systems become impaired. Some studies suggest that sleep deprivation affects the immune
system in detrimental ways.

Sleep appears necessary for our nervous systems to work properly. Too little sleep leaves us
drowsy and unable to concentrate the next day. It also leads to impaired memory and physical
performance and reduced ability to carry out math calculations. If sleep deprivation continues,
hallucinations and mood swings may develop. Some experts believe sleep gives neurons used
while we are awake a chance to shut down and repair themselves. Without sleep, neurons may
become so depleted in energy or so polluted with byproducts of normal cellular activities that
they begin to malfunction. Sleep also may give the brain a chance to exercise important neuronal
connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity.
Deep sleep coincides with the release of growth hormone in children and young adults. Many of
the body's cells also show increased production and reduced breakdown of proteins during deep
sleep. Since proteins are the building blocks needed for cell growth and for repair of damage from
factors like stress and ultraviolet rays, deep sleep may truly be "beauty sleep." Activity in parts of
the brain that control emotions, decision-making processes, and social interactions is drastically
reduced during deep sleep, suggesting that this type of sleep may help people maintain optimal
emotional and social functioning while they are awake. A study in rats also showed that certain
nerve-signaling patterns which the rats generated during the day were repeated during deep
sleep. This pattern repetition may help encode memories and improve learning.
Return to Index

Dreaming and REM Sleep

We typically spend more than 2 hours each night dreaming. Scientists do not know much about
how or why we dream. Sigmund Freud, who greatly influenced the field of psychology, believed
dreaming was a "safety valve" for unconscious desires. Only after 1953, when researchers first
described REM in sleeping infants, did scientists begin to carefully study sleep and dreaming.
They soon realized that the strange, illogical experiences we call dreams almost always occur
during REM sleep. While most mammals and birds show signs of REM sleep, reptiles and other
cold-blooded animals do not.
REM sleep begins with signals from an area at the base of the brain called the pons (see figure
2 ). These signals travel to a brain region called the thalamus, which relays them to the cerebral
cortex the outer layer of the brain that is responsible for learning, thinking, and organizing
information. The pons also sends signals that shut off neurons in the spinal cord, causing
temporary paralysis of the limb muscles. If something interferes with this paralysis, people will
begin to physically "act out" their dreams a rare, dangerous problem called REM sleep behavior
disorder. A person dreaming about a ball game, for example, may run headlong into furniture or
blindly strike someone sleeping nearby while trying to catch a ball in the dream.
REM sleep stimulates the brain regions used in learning. This may be important for normal brain
development during infancy, which would explain why infants spend much more time in REM
sleep than adults (see Sleep: A Dynamic Activity ). Like deep sleep, REM sleep is associated
with increased production of proteins. One study found that REM sleep affects learning of certain
mental skills. People taught a skill and then deprived of non-REM sleep could recall what they had
learned after sleeping, while people deprived of REM sleep could not.
Some scientists believe dreams are the cortex's attempt to find meaning in the random signals
that it receives during REM sleep. The cortex is the part of the brain that interprets and organizes
information from the environment during consciousness. It may be that, given random signals

from the pons during REM sleep, the cortex tries to interpret these signals as well, creating a
"story" out of fragmented brain activity.
Return to Index

Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms are regular changes in mental and physical characteristics that occur in the
course of a day (circadian is Latin for "around a day"). Most circadian rhythms are controlled by
the body's biological "clock." This clock, called thesuprachiasmatic nucleus or SCN (see figure
2 ), is actually a pair of pinhead-sized brain structures that together contain about 20,000
neurons. The SCN rests in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, just above the point where
the optic nerves cross. Light that reaches photoreceptors in the retina (a tissue at the back of the
eye) creates signals that travel along the optic nerve to the SCN.
Signals from the SCN travel to several brain regions, including the pineal gland, which responds
to light-induced signals by switching off production of the hormone melatonin. The body's level of
melatonin normally increases after darkness falls, making people feel drowsy. The SCN also
governs functions that are synchronized with the sleep/wake cycle, including body temperature,
hormone secretion, urine production, and changes in blood pressure.
By depriving people of light and other external time cues, scientists have learned that most
people's biological clocks work on a 25-hour cycle rather than a 24-hour one. But because
sunlight or other bright lights can reset the SCN, our biological cycles normally follow the 24-hour
cycle of the sun, rather than our innate cycle. Circadian rhythms can be affected to some degree
by almost any kind of external time cue, such as the beeping of your alarm clock, the clatter of a
garbage truck, or the timing of your meals. Scientists call external time cues zeitgebers (German
for "time givers").
When travelers pass from one time zone to another, they suffer from disrupted circadian
rhythms, an uncomfortable feeling known as jet lag. For instance, if you travel from California to
New York, you "lose" 3 hours according to your body's clock. You will feel tired when the alarm
rings at 8 a.m. the next morning because, according to your body's clock, it is still 5 a.m. It
usually takes several days for your body's cycles to adjust to the new time.
To reduce the effects of jet lag, some doctors try to manipulate the biological clock with a
technique called light therapy. They expose people to special lights, many times brighter than
ordinary household light, for several hours near the time the subjects want to wake up. This helps
them reset their biological clocks and adjust to a new time zone.
Symptoms much like jet lag are common in people who work nights or who perform shift work.
Because these people's work schedules are at odds with powerful sleep-regulating cues like
sunlight, they often become uncontrollably drowsy during work, and they may suffer insomnia or
other problems when they try to sleep. Shift workers have an increased risk of heart problems,
digestive disturbances, and emotional and mental problems, all of which may be related to their
sleeping problems. The number and severity of workplace accidents also tend to increase during
the night shift. Major industrial accidents attributed partly to errors made by fatigued night-shift
workers include the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power
plant accidents. One study also found that medical interns working on the night shift are twice as
likely as others to misinterpret hospital test records, which could endanger their patients. It may

be possible to reduce shift-related fatigue by using bright lights in the workplace, minimizing shift
changes, and taking scheduled naps.
Many people with total blindness experience life-long sleeping problems because their retinas are
unable to detect light. These people have a kind of permanent jet lag and periodic insomnia
because their circadian rhythms follow their innate cycle rather than a 24-hour one. Daily
supplements of melatonin may improve night-time sleep for such patients. However, since the
high doses of melatonin found in most supplements can build up in the body, long-term use of
this substance may create new problems. Because the potential side effects of melatonin
supplements are still largely unknown, most experts discourage melatonin use by the general
public.
Return to Index

Sleep and Disease

Sleep and sleep-related problems play a role in a large number of human disorders and affect
almost every field of medicine. For example, problems like stroke and asthma attacks tend to
occur more frequently during the night and early morning, perhaps due to changes in hormones,
heart rate, and other characteristics associated with sleep. Sleep also affects some kinds of
epilepsy in complex ways. REM sleep seems to help prevent seizures that begin in one part of the
brain from spreading to other brain regions, while deep sleep may promote the spread of these
seizures. Sleep deprivation also triggers seizures in people with some types of epilepsy.
Neurons that control sleep interact closely with the immune system. As anyone who has had the
flu knows, infectious diseases tend to make us feel sleepy. This probably happens
because cytokines, chemicals our immune systems produce while fighting an infection, are
powerful sleep-inducing chemicals. Sleep may help the body conserve energy and other
resources that the immune system needs to mount an attack.
Sleeping problems occur in almost all people with mental disorders, including those with
depression and schizophrenia. People with depression, for example, often awaken in the early
hours of the morning and find themselves unable to get back to sleep. The amount of sleep a
person gets also strongly influences the symptoms of mental disorders. Sleep deprivation is an
effective therapy for people with certain types of depression, while it can actually cause
depression in other people. Extreme sleep deprivation can lead to a seemingly psychotic state of
paranoia and hallucinations in otherwise healthy people, and disrupted sleep can trigger episodes
of mania (agitation and hyperactivity) in people with manic depression.
Sleeping problems are common in many other disorders as well, including Alzheimer's disease,
stroke, cancer, and head injury. These sleeping problems may arise from changes in the brain
regions and neurotransmitters that control sleep, or from the drugs used to control symptoms of
other disorders. In patients who are hospitalized or who receive round-the-clock care, treatment
schedules or hospital routines also may disrupt sleep. The old joke about a patient being
awakened by a nurse so he could take a sleeping pill contains a grain of truth. Once sleeping
problems develop, they can add to a person's impairment and cause confusion, frustration, or
depression. Patients who are unable to sleep also notice pain more and may increase their
requests for pain medication. Better management of sleeping problems in people who have other
disorders could improve these patients' health and quality of life.
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Sleep Disorders
At least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders each year,
and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems. These disorders and the
resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities. They also account for
an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year, while the indirect costs due to lost
productivity and other factors are probably much greater. Doctors have described more than 70
sleep disorders, most of which can be managed effectively once they are correctly diagnosed.
The most common sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and
narcolepsy.

Insomnia

Sleep Apnea

Restless Legs Syndrome

Narcolepsy

Insomnia
Almost everyone occasionally suffers from short-term insomnia. This problem can result from
stress, jet lag, diet, or many other factors. Insomnia almost always affects job performance and
well-being the next day. About 60 million Americans a year have insomnia frequently or for
extended periods of time, which leads to even more serious sleep deficits. Insomnia tends to
increase with age and affects about 40 percent of women and 30 percent of men. It is often the
major disabling symptom of an underlying medical disorder.
For short-term insomnia, doctors may prescribe sleeping pills. Most sleeping pills stop working
after several weeks of nightly use, however, and long-term use can actually interfere with good
sleep. Mild insomnia often can be prevented or cured by practicing good sleep habits (see "Tips
for a Good Night's Sleep"). For more serious cases of insomnia, researchers are experimenting
with light therapy and other ways to alter circadian cycles.
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Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder of interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs in association
with fat buildup or loss of muscle tone with aging. These changes allow the windpipe to collapse
during breathing when muscles relax during sleep (see figure 3 ). This problem,
called obstructive sleep apnea, is usually associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who
snores has this disorder). Sleep apnea also can occur if the neurons that control breathing
malfunction during sleep.
During an episode of obstructive apnea, the person's effort to inhale air creates suction that
collapses the windpipe. This blocks the air flow for 10 seconds to a minute while the sleeping
person struggles to breathe. When the person's blood oxygen level falls, the brain responds by
awakening the person enough to tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe. The
person may snort or gasp, then resume snoring. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a

night. The frequent awakenings that sleep apnea patients experience leave them continually
sleepy and may lead to personality changes such as irritability or depression. Sleep apnea also
deprives the person of oxygen, which can lead to morning headaches, a loss of interest in sex, or
a decline in mental functioning. It also is linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and
an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Patients with severe, untreated sleep apnea are two
to three times more likely to have automobile accidents than the general population. In some
high-risk individuals, sleep apnea may even lead to sudden death from respiratory arrest during
sleep.
An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. However, few of them have had the
problem diagnosed. Patients with the typical features of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring,
obesity, and excessive daytime sleepiness, should be referred to a specialized sleep center that
can perform a test called polysomnography. This test records the patient's brain waves,
heartbeat, and breathing during an entire night. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, several treatments
are available. Mild sleep apnea frequently can be overcome through weight loss or by preventing
the person from sleeping on his or her back. Other people may need special devices or surgery to
correct the obstruction. People with sleep apnea should never take sedatives or sleeping pills,
which can prevent them from awakening enough to breathe.
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Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a familial disorder causing unpleasant crawling, prickling, or
tingling sensations in the legs and feet and an urge to move them for relief, is emerging as one of
the most common sleep disorders, especially among older people. This disorder, which affects as
many as 12 million Americans, leads to constant leg movement during the day and insomnia at
night. Severe RLS is most common in elderly people, though symptoms may develop at any age.
In some cases, it may be linked to other conditions such as anemia, pregnancy, or diabetes.
Many RLS patients also have a disorder known as periodic limb movement
disorder or PLMD, which causes repetitive jerking movements of the limbs, especially the legs.
These movements occur every 20 to 40 seconds and cause repeated awakening and severely
fragmented sleep. In one study, RLS and PLMD accounted for a third of the insomnia seen in
patients older than age 60.
RLS and PLMD often can be relieved by drugs that affect the neurotransmitter dopamine,
suggesting that dopamine abnormalities underlie these disorders' symptoms. Learning how these
disorders occur may lead to better therapies in the future.
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Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy affects an estimated 250,000 Americans. People with narcolepsy have frequent "sleep
attacks" at various times of the day, even if they have had a normal amount of night-time sleep.
These attacks last from several seconds to more than 30 minutes. People with narcolepsy also
may experience cataplexy (loss of muscle control during emotional situations), hallucinations,
temporary paralysis when they awaken, and disrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms seem
to be features of REM sleep that appear during waking, which suggests that narcolepsy is a
disorder of sleep regulation. The symptoms of narcolepsy typically appear during adolescence,
though it often takes years to obtain a correct diagnosis. The disorder (or at least a predisposition

to it) is usually hereditary, but it occasionally is linked to brain damage from a head injury or
neurological disease.
Once narcolepsy is diagnosed, stimulants, antidepressants, or other drugs can help control the
symptoms and prevent the embarrassing and dangerous effects of falling asleep at improper
times. Naps at certain times of the day also may reduce the excessive daytime sleepiness.
In 1999, a research team working with canine models identified a gene that causes narcolepsya
breakthrough that brings a cure for this disabling condition within reach. The gene, hypocretin
receptor 2, codes for a protein that allows brain cells to receive instructions from other cells. The
defective versions of the gene encode proteins that cannot recognize these messages, perhaps
cutting the cells off from messages that promote wakefulness. The researchers know that the
same gene exists in humans, and they are currently searching for defective versions in people
with narcolepsy.
Return to Index

The Future
Sleep research is expanding and attracting more and more attention from scientists. Researchers
now know that sleep is an active and dynamic state that greatly influences our waking hours, and
they realize that we must understand sleep to fully understand the brain. Innovative techniques,
such as brain imaging, can now help researchers understand how different brain regions function
during sleep and how different activities and disorders affect sleep. Understanding the factors
that affect sleep in health and disease also may lead to revolutionary new therapies for sleep
disorders and to ways of overcoming jet lag and the problems associated with shift work. We can
expect these and many other benefits from research that will allow us to truly understand sleep's
impact on our lives.
Return to Index

Tips for a Good Night's Sleep:

Adapted from "When You Can't Sleep: The ABCs of ZZZs," by the National Sleep Foundation.

Set a schedule:

Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this
schedule may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early
on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.

Exercise:

Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a
workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your
exercise about 5 to 6 hours before going to bed.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol:

Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of
caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain
relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to
nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the
lighter stages of sleep.

Relax before bed:

A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. You can train
yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime
ritual.

Sleep until sunlight:

If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the
body's internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an
hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.

Don't lie in bed awake:

If you can't get to sleep, don't just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television,
or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually
contribute to insomnia.

Control your room temperature:

Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or
prevent you from falling asleep.

See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues:

If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then
you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Your primary care physician may be
able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you.
Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night's sleep you
need.

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need to

Work Productively?

By Leo WidrichAUGUST 8, 2012107 Comments

Every one of us, on average, will be sleeping 24 years in our lifetime. Thats a
pretty long time if you ask me and makes it even more important to know exactly how the
phenomenon of sleep impacts us.
And still, there are so many unanswered questions evolving around sleep and how much
we need of it. In fact, Most of what we know about sleep weve learned in the past 25 years.
One of the biggest problems Ive discovered is that sleep is such an over talked topic. We get
the general idea that we know all about it: how much we need of it, how it impacts us and
why this or that happens when we sleep. Once I took a step back to really think about
where our knowledge about sleep comes from, I realized that nearly all of it is based on
hear-say or what my mom told me when I was in elementary school.
With this post, Ive set out to uncover once and for all what the most important research has
taught us about sleep. And of course, how you can use this knowledge to create an
unbeatable daily routine.
Share stories like this to your social media followers when theyre most likely to click,
favorite, and reply! Schedule your first post with Buffer.

Eliminating the 8 hours per night sleep

myth
Everyone Ive asked the question how much sleep do I need has an answer to the
question. A common one and one that I have given on many occasions is to respond Oh
yes, I need my 8-9 hours of sleep every night, I know that.

It turns out, that might not be true after all:

Weve all been told you ought to sleep 8 hr., but there was never any
evidence.
Says one of the most acclaimed researchers about sleep Daniel Kripke in an interview. In
his most recent study Kripke found that people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and
7.5 hr. a night, live the longest, are happier and most productive.

Whats even more interesting here is that sleeping longer than that might actually be worse
for your health mentioning that: Sleeping 8.5 hr. might really be a little worse
than sleeping 5 hr.
Personally, as an 8 hour/night sleeper, this definitely opened my eyes and I have started to
experiment by decreasing my sleeping time slightly and see if 7.5 hours makes a difference.
Of course, the general idea about the one-fits all sleeping amount is particularly odd, as
Jim Horne, one of Europes most acclaimed sleep experts mentions in his book: Its like
saying everybody should have size eight shoes, or be five foot eight inches.

It seems that finding your optimal sleeping time in between Kripkes finding is a good way
to go. Its certainly something Im giving a go now.

The trap of too little sleep: What happens

to our brains if we dont have enough
sleep?
Working overtime doesnt increase your output. It makes you stupid.
Now this part is one of the most fascinating aspects about sleep I believe. Did it ever happen
to you that someone who got only 4 hours of sleep a night looks just as attentive, fresh and
up to his game like you, who spent your 7.5 hours in bed?
Well, the answer is that someone who is severely sleep deprived is in fact as attentive and
awake as you are. With one big difference to you. Here is what a recent study found: The
sleep deprived person can in fact deliver the exact same results as
someone who isnt sleep deprived in any exercise. That is, given it is a
non repeated exercise and they give it their best shot. Odd right? Now onto
this though:
The problem lies elsewhere. Whether we are sleep deprived or not, we lose focus at
times. And that is precisely where the sleep deprived person lands in a trap. Once we start
to lose focus and have received the right amount of sleep, our brain can compensate for that
and increase attention (see the image below for the increased yellow bits that shift your
focus back.). If we are sleep deprived, our brain cant refocus.
The main finding is that the brain of the sleep-deprived individual is working normally sometimes,
but intermittently suffers from something akin to power failure,
says Clifford Saper from Harvard. In the following image you can see what this means. As
you lose focus and your attention is drifting, the yellow bits show how people with enough
sleep, activate parts in their brain to refocus at the task at hand. Sleep deprived people will
have barely any activity in that area (the amygdala reactivity) and will struggle to regain
focus:

So really, this can turn into a huge trap. The person bragging that they only slept 4 hours
and still do great work, well, they are actually right with what they are saying. The only
issue is that, they have no brainpower to steer them back to focus once they lose
attention. Even worse so, sleep-deprived people dont notice their
decrease in performance.
Sleep-deprived workers may not know they are impaired. The periods of apparently normal
functioning could give a false sense of competency and security when, in fact, the brains
inconsistency could have dire consequences,

Sleeping your way to success

Not getting enough sleep is a pain. So now, onto the good stuff of what we can actually do,
to optimize our sleeping habits to new heights and sleep our way to success as Arianna
Huffington puts it.
When it comes to developing focused techniques that help you work on a better sleeping
habit, the web isnt short of answers. Querying some of the smartest brains I know, here are
the top 3 things to do, in order to have better sleep and work more productively:

1.) Start napping every day here is why and how:

There is a confession I have to make, at least at this point. For the past 2 years, since I started
working on Buffer, I have been napping every day, for around 20 minutes. One of my
favorite writers and New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt puts an equal focus
on napping for many years and posted his insights in this great post about napping.

As Michael points out in his post, some of the core benefits of napping is that you can
restore alertness of your brain with just a few minutes of falling into light sleep.

Personally, I know that my productivity takes a dip at 3pm every day. This
is exactly where I place my nap, and it has been one of the most powerful ways to bring my
productivity back to 100% for a good 1,5 hour session after that.

In a great video Michael pointed me towards, one of the key benefits of napping daily
is to simply feel less tired. Although this may sound stupidly obvious, yet can help a great
deal to contribute to your daily happiness. Check out this quick video on this topic.
To get into a napping routine is often very difficult. Here are the top 3 ways I think you can
make it work:

Especially if you work in a big office, or you tend to feel others might
consider you slacking off. One of the key things I found here is to make
others aware of the fact, that you are napping every day. Try and get
encouragement from your co-workers or your boss, so you can set yourself up
for developing a successful habit.
Timing is of course very important. In fact, in the video above, the
common sentence of napping doesnt work for me is often down to the fact
that people nap too long. Dont let your naps exceed 30 minutes max,
personally, 20 minutes has proven to be the optimal timing for me.
The last tip I find most crucial is to make napping a consistent habit.
Keep both the frequency (daily) and the time of day (3pm seems to be a very
popular time as productivity dips) the same and consistent.

2.) Develop a sleep ritual here is how and why:

How can you make this as easy as brushing your teeth every evening? Its very
simple: develop a sleep ritual that will set you up for a great night of sleep ahead.
Rituals, different from habits can be something a lot more compelling:
Whilst habits are often seen as activities you have to force yourself to do, rituals are instead
activities which you are pulled towards.
Writes Joel in this great post on developing a sleep ritual. When it comes to creating a
sleep ritual, one of the key things is to have the last activity completely
disengage you from the tasks of the rest of your day. Here are a few
activities you can try to properly disengage:
One of the things Joel is doing every night before going to bed is a 20 minute walk on
a set down and specific route and time. It is a great way to clear your head and be ready for
sleep. For a specific way to develop your evening walk, try Coelhos speed exercise.

 Another part that has worked greatly and Joel has taught me is to read fiction.
Different to non-fiction books it is a great way to completely disengage, enter a different
world and mindset and then be ready for great sleep.
The last point I had great success with is to have a clear wake-up time bytying it to an
immediate event afterwards. If you just set your alarm for say 7.30, but you always
hit the snooze button, try something else. Keep the alarm, but plan the first thing you will
do and tie it to a specific time. For me, this is for example, that I have breakfast immediately
at 7.40. Or that my support session starts at 7.45. Joel hits the gym exactly 5 minutes after
wake-up time. Those things can help a great deal to get over the inertia of getting out of
bed.

3.) Making sure you are tired in every dimension:

A key part of the book by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwarz about The Power of Full
Engagement, is to be aware that for the highest quality of sleep, you need to be drained,
both physically and mentally to some extent.
Making sure that you have both at least one mentally challenging exercise as well as a
physically challenging one, can make all the difference to falling into a deep sleep that
recovers all areas of your body.
Here is also a great article about whether exercise is a requirement for sleep.

Quick last fact: Women need more sleep

than men
Here is a super interesting last fact. Women need a tad bit more sleep than men:
The average is 20 minutes more, but some women may need slightly more or less than this.
Why? This is because womens brains are wired differently from mens and are more
complex, so their sleep need will be slightly greater, says Horne in hisbook.
Sleep and how we deal with it every day is a fascinating topic I believe.
What are your tips that youve found to make your more productive
when it comes to sleep? Do you think some of the tips above might be
helpful to trigger a better daily workflow?

Alternative Sleep
Cycles: You Dont Really
Need 6-8 Hours!

Ima
ge by Dan Love

178

Most people only think that there is one way to sleep: Go to

sleep at night for 6-8 hours, wake up in the morning, stay
awake for 16-18 hours and then repeat.

Actually, that is called a monophasic sleep cycle, which is

only 1 of 5 major sleep cycles that have been used
successfully throughout history.
The other 4 are considered polyphasic sleep cycles due to
the multiple number of naps they require each day. How is
this possible? How is this healthy?
Well the most important of every sleep cycle is the Stage 4
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which has been shown
to provide the benefits of sleep to the brain above all other
stages of sleep. When changing over to a polyphasic cycle,
the lack of sleep tricks the body into entering REM sleep
immediately instead of 45 to 75 minutes into sleep like in the
monophasic sleep.
This way, you still get the benefits of 8 hours of sleep without
wasting all of the time it takes to get to REM cycles, resulting
in a much more efficient sleep cycle. Here are polyphasic
cycles:

Uberman Cycle:

20 to 30 minute naps every 4 hours,

resulting in 6 naps each day. The uberman cycle is highly
efficient, and usually results in feeling healthy, feeling
refreshed upon waking and extremely vivid dreams. Many
uberman-users report increased ability to lucid dream as well.
However, the rigid schedule makes it near impossible to miss
naps without feeling horribly tired. Blogger Steve Pavlina tried
the cycle for 5.5 months and had amazingly positive
results.He only reverted to monophasic sleep so that he could
be on the same cycle as his wife and children. Read his
articles and updates on the cycle here.

Everyman Cycle:

One longer core nap that is

supplemented with several 20-30 minute naps. The most

successful variations that I have read about are either one 3

hour nap and three 20-minute naps or one 1.5 hour nap with
4-5 20 minute naps, all of which have equal amounts of time
in between each nap. This cycle is much easier to adjust to
than the Uberman and allows for more flexibity in nap times
and in skipping naps when necessary. It is also still extremely
efficient compared to monophasic with only 3-4 hours of
sleep per day. Many bloggers have tried out this cycle and
reported no negative effects on their health.

Dymaxion Cycle:

Bucky Fuller invented the cycle based on

his belief that we have two energy tanks, the first is easy to
replenish whereas the second tank (second wind) is much
harder to replenish. So Bucky began sleeping for 30 minutes
every 6 hours. Thats 2 hours a day of sleep! He reported
feeling, the most vigorous and alert condition I have ever
enjoyed. Doctors examined him after several years of using
the cycle and pronounced him perfectly healthy. In fact, Fuller
only stopped the cycle because his business associates were

still stuck on monophasic cycles. This is by far the most

extreme of the 4 alternate cycles, but also the most efficient.

Biphasic/Siesta Cycle:
Not even worthy of a diagram, the biphasic cycle is basically
that of every college student in America. The biphasic cycle
consists of sleeping for 4-4.5 hours at night, and then taking
a 90 minute nap around noon. So not all that different, still
more efficient than monophasic, but not by much.

So which cycle is right for

you?
That completely depends on your lifestyle. Keep in mind that
if you decide to switch to either the Dymaxion or Uberman
cycles, you will be a zombie from day 3 to around day 10 until
your body fully adjusts to the cycle. Here are some other tips
I have gathered from reading other peoples accounts:
-It is absolutely necessary to upgrade your bedroom to
maximise sleep quality.
Eat healthy, avoid fatty foods and the adjustment will be
much easier

 Make sure you have a project to work on during all of your

new awake hours as it makes the time go by faster
Also make sure you have two or three weeks of freedom to
adjust to the cycle so that you dont go to work or school
completely dead from sleep deprivation
Hang in there. Each of the cycles will get exponentially
easier all of the sudden after the first 2 weeks or so. Just be
patient and diligent! Dont skip naps or change your nap
times around or you will basically have to start your
adjustment period over.
Use natural cues for being waking up from naps like
sunlight and loud music, while using darkness and silence for
sleep (obviously)
If you are seriously considering making the switch
over the a polyphasic sleep cycle, a really enjoyable
and informative read is Steve Pavlinas extremely indepth report of his experience with the Uberman
cycle, available here.

Study: Interrupted Sleep May Be as Harmful

as No Sleep at All

July 24, 2014 | 147,310 views

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By Dr. Mercola
Sleep deprivation is a well-known risk to your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. What makes sleep deprivation so detrimental is that it doesnt just
impact one aspect of your health it impacts many.
When youre sleep-deprived, youre not going to react as quickly as you normally would,
making driving or other potentially dangerous activities, like using power tools, risky.
Your ability to think clearly is also dampened by lack of sleep, which means you will
have trouble retaining memories, processing information, and making decisions.

As your reaction time and cognition slows, your emotions will be kicked into high gear.
This means that arguments with co-workers or your spouse are likely and youre
probably going to be at fault for blowing things out of proportion.
But much more than that, sleep deprivation has virtually the same effect on your
immune system as physical stress or illness, which may help explain why lack of sleep
is tied to an increased risk of numerous chronic diseases.
Theres an important caveat to be aware of that is not yet widely known, however, and
that is your sleep quality is every bit as important as your sleepduration. So if you stay
in bed for eight or nine hours a night, but during that time youre waking up repeatedly,
its just as bad as getting hardly any sleep at all

One Night of Interrupted Sleep Wreaks Havoc on Your Mood, Energy Levels
Just one night of interrupted sleep is all it takes to make you feel more depressed,
fatigued, and confused, according to new research. 1 Whats more, there was little
difference in the negative effects of interrupted sleep (defined as four prolonged
awakenings spread across eight hours in bed) compared to those of restricted sleep
(spending just four hours in bed, total).
Night-wakings also lead to reduced vigor and motivation and increased errors on an
online performance test. The study attempted to mimic life-like night-wakings, which for
the study purposes included making a phone call to participants in the middle of the
night directing them to complete a brief computer exercise (at four separate occasions
during the night).
Its a scenario that may not seem unfamiliar to you, especially if you find yourself waking
at night frequently. What does this mean for new parents, doctors (mostly residents in
training but certain specialties like OB and trauma surgeons on ER call), and the
millions of other people who find their sleep regularly interrupted at night (by pets, noise,
racing thoughts, light pollution, work obligations, and more)? If you suffer from
interrupted sleep, it might be putting your health at risk. Professor Avi Sadeh of Tel Aviv
University, the studys lead author, said:2
Our study shows the impact of only one disrupted night. We know that these effects
accumulate and therefore the functional price new parents who awaken three to ten
times a night for months on end pay for common infant sleep disturbance is
enormous
I hope that our study will bring this to the attention of scientists and clinicians, who
should recognize the price paid by individuals who have to endure frequent nightwakings.

Interrupted Sleep Makes It Difficult to Get Through the Necessary Stages of

Sleep
It makes sense that interruptions to your sleep would result in much the same damage
as lack of sleep, because sleep occurs in phases. Ideally, you should progress from
slow-wave sleep back up to REM sleep in 60- to 90-minute cycles.
Any interruptions to this make your body start over, in a sense, which means you might
never reach the most restorative, deeper phases of sleep.
You might as well not be sleeping at all, which is likely one reason why lack of sleep and
interrupted sleep result in such similar damage. In a healthy nights sleep, you should
progress through the following sleep stages (though not necessarily in this order): 3

Stage One, when youre preparing to drift off

Stage Two, during which your brain wave activity becomes rapid and rhythmic while your
body temperature drops and heart rate slows

Stage Three, when deep slow brain waves emerge (this is a transition from light sleep to
deep sleep)

Stage Four, also known as delta sleep, this is a deep sleep stage

Stage Five, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is when most dreaming occurs

As reported by Psych Central:4

Sleep does not progress through all of these stages in sequence, however. Sleep
begins in Stage One and progresses into stages 2, 3, and 4. Then, after Stage Four
sleep, Stages Three, then Two are repeated before going into REM sleep. Once REM is
over, we usually return to Stage Two sleep.
Sleep cycles through these stages approximately 4 or 5 times throughout the night. We
typically enter REM approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep.
The first cycle of REM often lasts only a short amount of time, but each cycle becomes
longer. This is why we need long periods of sleep each night as most of the REM sleep
occurs in the hours before awakening.
If we get short periods of sleep, we cant really get through the stages we need to heal
and stay healthy. REM can last up to an hour as our sleep progresses. In case you are
wondering, if you feel like a dream is taking a long period of time, it really is. Contrary to
what was once believed, dreams take as long as they actually seem.

Small Shifts in Your Sleep Cycle May Make or Break Your Health

If youre wondering just how sensitive your sleep cycle actually is, you might be
surprised to learn that its incredibly vulnerable to changes, such that even the small
amount of sleep deprivation caused by Daylight Saving Time may be problematic.
One Washington University neuroscientist told CBS News that adjusting clocks forward
one hour corresponds with a significant increase in traffic accidents and heart
attacks5 over the next two to three days.
One study also found that the spring transition, which causes a phase advance, is
particularly hard on the average persons sleep-wake cycle, 6 and while its generally
thought that the loss of one hour of sleep on the night of the change is inconsequential,
research suggests otherwise. According to a report in Sleep Medicine Reviews:7
data suggests that increased sleep fragmentation and sleep latency present a
cumulative effect of sleep loss [following the spring transition], at least across the
following week, perhaps longer.
The autumn transition is often popularized as a gain of 1 h[our] of sleep but there is little
evidence of extra sleep on that night. The cumulative effect of five consecutive days of
earlier rise times following the autumn change again suggests a net loss of sleep
across the week. Indirect evidence of an increase in traffic accident rates, and change
in health and regulatory behaviors which may be related to sleep disruption suggest
that adjustment to daylight saving time is neither immediate nor without consequence.

A One-Hour Difference Is a Huge Deal

As far as lack of sleep goes, research has shown that when participants cut their sleep
from 7.5 to 6.5 hours a night, there were increases in the expression of genes
associated with inflammation, immune excitability, diabetes, cancer risk, and stress. 8 In
other words, getting just one hour less sleep a night may raise your risk of multiple
chronic diseases. Interrupted or impaired sleep can also:

ises.

Harm your brain by halting new cell production. Sleep

Contribute to a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hun

h the new blood supply tumors require for their rapid

Contribute to premature aging by interfering with your

Increase your risk of dying from anycause.

A Simple Trick to Help You Stay in Deep Sleep Longer

Deep sleep is one of the most important sleep phases as your body repairs and
regenerates, your immune system is strengthened and much more. The more time you
can spend in this crucial sleep phase during the night, the more refreshed youre going
to feel in the morning, as well. Sound stimulation has been shown to be effective for
prolonging deep sleep, so if youre having trouble staying asleep at night, this is a
simple trick to try.
Published in the journal Neuron,9 the study found that playing pink noise sounds that
were synchronized to the subjects brain waves when the subject approached deep
sleep allowed them to remain in deep sleep longer than when the sound was not
played. The participants were also shown 120 pairs of words before going to bed and
tested the following morning to see how many they could remember.
After sound stimulation, the subjects improved their memory retention by nearly 60
percent, recalling an average of 22 sets of words compared to 13 when the sound was
not played. The key, according to the authors, is that the frequency of the sound was
synched to the subjects brain waves. This produced an increase in the size of the brain
waves during deep sleep, and these slower brain waves are associated with information
processing and memory formation. You can find special pink noise apps to play in your
bedroom, or you can simply turn on a fan to get this benefit.

Turn Off Your Gadgets and Avoid Other Common Sleep Disturbances
If your sleep is being interrupted, the first step is to determine the cause. If youre a new
parent being woken by a newborn, theres obviously little you can do, aside from
teaming up with your spouse or another family member so you can each have
alternating nights of uninterrupted sleep. Most cases of sleep disruptions, however, will
be related to environmental or emotional factors. Some common examples include:

Eating a heavy meal, or spicy foods, too close to bed

Pets in your bed or bedroom

Pain (headache, menstrual cramps, back pain, etc.)

Alcohol in the evening

Use of your computer, tablet, cellphone, or television

That last one is a biggie, as about 95 percent of Americans use an electronic device
within one hour of going to sleep, according to a National Sleep Foundation poll. 10 This
has a major implication on the quality of your sleep, in ways you might not even
imagine. Certainly, such devices can keep you awake by making noises, but they also

interfere with your sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, in far more insidious, and
damaging ways.
Exposure to even small amounts of light from a television, your computer, tablet, or
smartphone can interfere with your bodys production of melatonin, which helps regulate
your sleep-wake cycle. Plus, when you're connected to the Internet, your phone or
computer are communicating with nearby cell towers, which means they're also emitting
low levels of radiation. One 2008 study revealed that people exposed to radiation from
their mobile phones for three hours before bedtime had more trouble falling asleep and
staying in a deep sleep.11 12
,

According to the 2014 Sleep in America Poll, 53 percent of respondents who turn
electronics off while sleeping tend to rate their sleep as excellent, compared to just 27
percent of those who leave their devices on.13 This is why I recommend avoiding
watching TV or using a computer or tablet at least an hour or so before going to bed. If
you do keep your devices in your room, make sure they are physically turned off along
with your Wi-Fi router. An alternative, you can try a free computer program called f.lux
(see justgetflux.com), which alters the color temperature of your computer screen as the
day goes on, pulling out the blue wavelengths as it gets late.

How to Get Uninterrupted, Restorative Sleep

Small adjustments to your daily routine and sleeping area can go a long way to ensure
uninterrupted, restful sleep. I suggest you read through my full set of 33 healthy sleep
guidelines for all of the details, but to start, consider implementing the following
changes. Number one on my list? As mentioned, turn off your electronic gadgets and
keep them out of your bedroom:

Avoid watching TV or using your computer/smartphone or tablet in the evening, at

least an hour or so before going to bed.
Make sure you get BRIGHT sun exposure regularly. Your pineal gland produces
melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and
complete darkness at night. If you are in darkness all day long, it can't appreciate the
difference and will not optimize your melatonin production.
Get some sun in the morning. Your circadian system needs bright light to reset itself.
Ten to 15 minutes of morning sunlight will send a strong message to your internal clock
that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals during the
night.
Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest glow from
your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep, so cover your clock radio up at night
or get rid of it altogether. Move all electrical devices at least three feet away from your
bed. You may want to cover your windows with drapes or blackout shades, or wear an eye
mask when you sleep.
Install a low-wattage yellow, orange, or red light bulb if you need a source of light
for navigation at night. Light in these bandwidths does not shut down melatonin
production in the way that white and blue bandwidth light does. Salt lamps are handy for
this purpose.

Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people
keep their homes too warm (particularly their upstairs bedrooms). Studies show that the
optimal room temperature for sleep is between 60 to 68 degrees F.
Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. This increases your core body
temperature, and when you get out of the bath it abruptly drops, signaling your body that
you are ready to sleep.
Avoid using loud alarm clocks. Being jolted awake each morning can be very
stressful. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, you might not even need an alarm.
Be mindful of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in your bedroom. EMFs can disrupt
your pineal gland and its melatonin production, and may have other negative biological
effects as well. A gauss meter is required if you want to measure EMF levels in various
areas of your home. If possible install a kill switch to turn off all electricity to your bedroom.
If you need a clock, use a battery-operated one.

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