If You DON'T Snooze, You LOSE!!!

At the World Conference of Christian Counselors, I went to a lecture with the above appropriated title. Having insomnia since early infancy, I was a little sceptical about the information to be presented. I have tried just about every option in the insomniacs personal stash: a new high tech mattress, velvet blankets, pillows, noise machines, fans, awesome pjs, warm milk, sleep drugs in every category known to man, tea, baths, meditation, prayer..you name it- it's right here. In addition to trying everything, I have also paid for psychiatrists (with much success I might add), talk therapy, muscle testing, holistic medicine... the works. You get the idea.

So here it was, 8:45am. I was loaded with coffee walking into a lecture on sleep. Dr. Lyles was blessed with a humerous outlook that helped all of us stay focused on not falling asleep! Here are some of the most profound facts:

If you sleep under 4 hours a night here is what happens to your body:

• Decrease in: mood, cognition, vigilence/reflexes, pain tolerence, immune function, glucose metabolism, pulmonary functions, growth/thyroid/prolactin/leptin hormones, seizure threshold


• Increase in: blood pressure, inflammatory ctokines, eveing cortisol, caloric intake after one night of deprivation.


• Every night you sleep under 4 hours a night.....IT TAKES 3 DAYS TO RECOVER!!!!!!

Psychiatric Disorders & Sleep

• Anxiety: Initial( can't fall asleep)/middle (wake up in the middle of the night) insomnia (50% GAD patients). Bedtime Worry/Tension


• Mania: Decreased need for sleep and decreasded total sleep time. Insomnia is predictive of relapse into mania.


• PTSD: Nightmares, Increase REM density, inability to maintain sleep.


• Panic Disorder: nocturnal panic attacks.

Depression & Sleep

• 20% of insomniacs have depression


• Sleep disturbance and fatigue are predictive of future depression


• Increased rates of relapse in remitted depressed patients with continuing sleep disturbance


• Initual (can't fall sleep), middle (wake up in the middle of the night) or terminal insomina


• Atypical depression goes into hypersmonia


• Single night sleep deprivation may temporarily decrease depression (a nap reverses it).

Fibromyalgia

• Diffuse musculoskeletal pain, chronic fatigue, non-restorative sleep and tender points in the muscles


• Unique presensce of Alpha waves during NREM sleep, esp. stages 3 & 4


• Highly associated with depression


• Treatment of sleep disorder is a core priority

Sleep Hygiene to Enhance Nighttime Sleep

• Avoid naps during the day


• Regular bedtime and rise times


• Avoid non-sleeping time in bed


• Avoid alcohol, nicotine, or caffiene


• Minimize exercise near bedtime


• Maximize bed comfort and room temperature


• Elimiate light and noise


• Get out of bed if unable to initiate sleep and try again later


• Avoid mental work near bedtime

Sleep: If You Don't Snooze: You Lose- Michael Lyles, M.D. Notes, Powerpoint. As seen from AACC World Conference, 2009.