Sleep Deprivation: New Concerns

Roughly 10 percent to 34 percent of Americans regularly have difficulty sleeping, commonly known as insomnia.

That's the theme of a special issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

On The Early Show Wednesday, medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay gave details on four studies published in the issue, all adding to the body of evidence of the harmful impact of sleep deprivation on health.

It's clear, she said, that getting enough sleep is really important when it comes to maintaining good health. In fact, so many people are having trouble sleeping that more research is being conducted about how it's linked to poor health.

Studies have associated chronic lack of sleep to high blood pressure, heart failure, anxiety and depression, and difficulty concentrating, among other things.

"Sometimes," Dr. Senay said, "it's hard to tell which comes first — the poor quality sleep, or some of these issues ... leading to poor quality sleep. But, clearly, a good night's rest is one of the best indicators of our overall health."

In one study, researchers at the University of Chicago interviewed about 160 African-Americans with Type 2 diabetes about the quality of their sleep and found that approximately 70 percent of them were getting low-quality sleep. It appears that this may have inhibited their ability to control their glucose levels.

A different study, done in Paris, compared the sleep quality of 591 people who had allergic rhinitis (the type caused by hay fever and other allergens) and a control group of 502 people who were the same age and sex, and who lived in the same area, but didn't have allergic rhinitis. Forty-one percent of those with rhinitis reported difficulty falling asleep, compared to only 18.3 percent of those without allergic rhinitis. Sixty-three-point-two percent said they felt they didn't get enough sleep compared with 25.4 percent from the control group, and 35.8 percent of those with rhinitis reported having insomnia in comparison to only 16 percent in the control group.

A study by the University of Wisconsin found that people who have a sleep-related breathing disorder or sleep apnea are two to two-point-six times more likely to become depressed. The researchers suggested that medical treatment with a machine called a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), which gently blows pressurized room air through the airway at a pressure high enough to keep the throat open, has been found to prevent sleep apnea. They also say behavior modification or weight loss may help prevent or reduce feelings of depression.

Yet another study looked at how many Americans are using non-traditional treatments. According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, more than 1.6 million adults in the U.S. are using alternative therapies to treat insomnia. Alternative therapies that people reported using included melatonin, dietary changes, vitamin therapy, and mind-body therapy, such as meditation. Standard treatment options for people who have difficulty sleeping are prescription and over-the-counter medicines, anti-depressants, and cognitive behavior therapy.

Overall, says Dr. Senay, people who are more likely to suffer from insomnia or have trouble sleeping include women between the ages of 45 to 64, and people who are obese, have hypertension, congestive heart failure, anxiety, or depression.

Most adults, Dr. Senay says, should get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. One study found that individuals who slept less than five hours a night tripled their risk of having a heart attack. Teenagers need about nine hours. People tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter periods as they get older, although they generally need about the same amount of sleep. If you feel drowsy during the day, you're probably not getting enough sleep.

An editorial in the special issue of Archives of Internal Medicine recommends that "sleep evaluation be a part of routine medical care."

So, Senay added, everyone should talk to their doctor about how they are sleeping. The amount of sleep you are getting is a good indication of how you are doing physically and mentally, so it's related to what you and your doctor should be working together to accomplish, which is to keep you in the best health possible.

For much more on sleep disorders, visit the Web site of the National Sleep Foundation by clicking here.