| Posted April 29, 2014 | By Aaron Milstone, M.D. | Categorized under Men's Health, Women's Health |

Sleep is one of the most important things our bodies need to stay healthy, but sometimes our busy schedules or life's little problems-everything from insomnia to snoring and stress-can invade our precious time of rest that our bodies desperately need. Some problems are easier to fix than others, but it's important to realize how necessary a good night's sleep really is and to be aware of all the ways inadequate sleep can affect us throughout the day.

Why do we sleep?

Eight hours is a long time to carve out of a busy schedule. But you need to keep in mind that sleep is the restorative phase of the day for the body. The immune system is enhanced by sleep and it also allows some of the vital organs to rest. Your heart rate and blood pressure are lower when you sleep. Sleep is very important for normal body functions like digestion and bowel function. It is also critical to how you function during the day. Sleep deprivation can have multiple effects including losing your ability to concentrate and becoming more forgetful. Sleep is essential to restore your body for a new day.

Is there a healthy minimum number of hours of sleep a person should get each night?

This depends on your age. When we are young, we need the maximum amount of sleep. Infants require up to 12 hours a day. That decreases with age. By the time you get middle to late age you might only require 6 to 8 hours a night. As we get into our 80s and 90s those numbs go back up. But the current accepted amt is 7 to 8 hours a night for an average adult. It can get complicated because there are some people that require more than that. There are people known as short sleepers and long sleepers. Some need less and some need more. But if you aren't in that 7- to 8-hour window, you could be at risk for diabetes and other problems. The best way to know the optimal number of hours you need is to know how much you need so you aren't groggy, you have a good memory and good concentration. It really varies by individual. How functional you are during the day dictates how much sleep you need.

I love my snooze button. Is that helping or hurting my quality of sleep?

It is natural to think that hitting the snooze button helps you get more sleep. However, when you hit the snooze button your body begins its sleep cycle all over again. It is very likely that you will wake up in a deeper part of your sleep cycle. This leads to more grogginess rather than less.

Why do I wake up so groggy some mornings even though I got plenty of sleep?

Grogginess could mean many things. Medications you take at night can carry over to the morning, or interactions between something you ingest like alcohol. If this doesn't happen to you every night, maybe that's because you don't drink every night or take that cold medicine every single night. You could have sleep apnea when you sleep in a particular position. Maybe the nights you sleep on your side, you don't have morning grogginess, etc. Also, the temperature in your room could be affecting the quality of your sleep. There is data that says the temperature has to be set just right. If your room is too cold or warm, it affects the amount of deep sleep you get. You never get into deep sleep if you are too cold. Those are variables that change every night and could be contributing to your morning grogginess.

Snoring – what's normal and what's excessive?

There is no normal or no excessive when it comes to snoring. Each individual has a unique threshold for loudness. It boils down to when your bed partner complains. That's excessive. If you disturb your bed partner's sleep, no matter what the intensity level is it's too much. Some things that would be concerning if you sleep alone are waking with a very dry mouth, wake feeling fatigued or wake with morning headaches. Those are all indicators of sleep apnea, which is the problem. Snoring is just a symptom of apnea. If you are a snorer with a history of high blood pressure, that's a big red flag for apnea.

What can I do to try to alleviate my restless leg syndrome?

We now know that complete avoidance of alcohol and caffeine greatly helps restless leg syndrome. There are also a number of medications that can cause RLS. Antidepressants, for example, have been known to cause it. Low iron stores in the body can also be associated with RLS, so make sure you are checked for anemia and do a thorough prescription review with your physicians. There is a plethora of new medications that have come out recently, so inquire about those as well.

Have there been any advances in CPAP machines and those awful masks?

Yes. CPAP today has gotten much smaller than it used to be so it tends to be more comfortable and more portable. The older ones give set pressure to the airway. Now we have auto CPAPs that have flexible pressure depending on how much you need. I really avoid the word ‘mask' when talking about this device, because they have come so far. Now it's more of an interface than a mask. They are being made now with gel at the pressure points to make it more comfortable. The nasal pillows are also smaller and more comfortable these days. There are also new alternatives to CPAPs as well such as dental devices, so not everybody has to go with a CPAP.

Are there links between sleep disorders and depression?

Yes. Insomnia patients have a very high rate of depression and depression itself may cause insomnia. The lack of good quality sleep can just get to you after a while. Up to 50 percent of those with insomnia can have depression. But it's hard to know which is causing which. I recommend seeing your health care provider to see which is the source. Start with your primary care physician and if you don't get the results you are looking for, consider seeing a sleep specialist.

What can I do about post-menopausal insomnia if I prefer not to take drugs?

First and foremost, I think it is critical to maintain a set sleep and wake time. Consistency trains the brain to realize that it is time for sleep. With insomnia, a person lies in bed trying to fall asleep and the mind begins to associate the bedroom with wakefulness, not sleep. If you can't fall asleep in bed, don't lie there beyond 10 minutes. Get up and do some mundane task until you get sleepy. Go read a book, for example, but don't read it in bed. The other thing I'd recommend is make sure you aren't exercising right before bed. Exercise raises your core temperature which tends to enhance insomnia. Always try to exercise in the morning, but if the evening is your only option, do it a minimum of three hours before bedtime. Lastly, there are some holistic options out there that tend to soothe post-menopausal symptoms such as mint or chamomile tea. As long as they are caffeine-free, those might be good options as well because they have been associated with fewer hot flashes and night sweats.