NOW they tell me:
CHICAGO (Reuters) - People who get fewer than six hours of sleep at night are prone to abnormal blood sugar levels, possibly putting them at risk for diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
They said people in a study who slept less than six hours were 4.5 times more likely to develop abnormal blood sugar readings in six years compared with those who slept longer.
"This study supports growing evidence of the association of inadequate sleep with adverse health issues," said Lisa Rafalson of the University at Buffalo in New York, who presented her findings at the Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Several studies have shown negative health consequences related to getting too little sleep. In children, studies showed it raises the risk of obesity, depression and high blood pressure. In older adults, it increases the risk of falls. And in the middle aged, it raises the risk of infections, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Adults typically need between seven and nine hours of nightly sleep, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rafalson and colleagues wanted to see if lack of sleep might be raising the risk for type 2 diabetes, the kind that is being driven by rising rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. It develops when the body makes too much insulin and does not efficiently use the insulin it makes, a condition known as insulin resistance.
Using data from a large, six-year study, they identified 91 people whose blood sugar rose during the study period and compared them to 273 people whose glucose levels remained in the normal range.
They found the short sleepers were far more likely to develop impaired fasting glucose -- a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes -- during the study period than those who slept six to eight hours.
That difference held even after adjusting for age, obesity, heart rate, high blood pressure, family history of diabetes and symptoms of depression.
"Our findings will hopefully spur additional research into this very complex area of sleep and illness," Rafalson said in a statement.
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sleeping On The Job - A Good Thing?
(LifeWire) -- At Jason Keith's last job, he discovered a colleague sound asleep at work -- head back, mouth open, snoring loudly -- while his co-workers laughed and snapped photos with their cell phone cameras.
"At first I thought he was faking it, but he was completely passed out," says Keith, 31, who works for a digital printing company outside Boston, Massachusetts. "He left the company about a month after that episode."
Caryn Melton, 43, has nodded off during meetings, at her desk and even during a corporate event. Melton, who works for a marketing firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, says she doesn't sleep well at night so she is often tired during the day.
"I love napping. I turn my chair around so my colleagues can't see me, but I have been caught before. Luckily, I haven't gotten in trouble. I just get teased by my colleagues," she says.
A Sleep-deprived Nation
Melton isn't alone in her struggle to stay awake on the job.
One-third of those surveyed for the National Sleep Foundation's annual "Sleep in America" poll had fallen asleep or become sleepy at work in the past month. The telephone survey questioned 1,000 adults in the continental United States and was conducted between September 25, 2007, and November 19, 2007.
The poll also found that Americans are working more and sleeping less. The average amount of sleep was six hours and 40 minutes a night. The average workday? Nine hours and 28 minutes. Calculate your weekly sleep hours and work hours »
"We are a sleep-deprived nation," says Rubin Naiman, a sleep specialist with a doctorate in clinical psychology and the director of sleep programs at Miraval, a health and wellness center in Tucson, Arizona. "We need at least seven to nine hours of sleep a night for optimal health."
Serenity Now
Recognizing that on-the-job sleepiness can affect the bottom line -- the Sleep Foundation puts the annual cost at $100 billion in lost productivity, health care costs and employee absences, among other factors -- companies are coming up with novel ways to boost employees' energy levels. Watch how sleep loss can harm the brain
"You would be surprised how many companies are providing nap rooms," says Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher with a doctorate in psychology from Harvard University and author of "Take a Nap! Change Your Life." "Although it is still somewhat of a stigma for some companies, it's a growing trend."
Maureen Lippe, founder of New York public relations agency Lippe Taylor, doesn't offer just one nap room for her tired employees. She has three. "We call them serenity rooms. I put one on each of the three floors," she says.
Outfitted with large sofas, blankets and comfortable chairs, the rooms are phone- and BlackBerry-free zones. "A lot of people nap in our serenity rooms, even me," Lippe says.
Other companies forgo beds and blankets and focus instead on creating an environment that emphasizes wellness and relaxation, reasoning that such a setting will keep employees refreshed and alert.
OPNET Technologies, a software company with headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, provides a "Zen computer garden" with plants, Internet access, couches, lounge chairs and other amenities where staff can enjoy downtime. The Fruit Guys, a San Francisco fruit-delivery company, doesn't have a nap room, but its employees enjoy unlimited fresh fruit.
Mednick says that although meditation, fresh fruit and other healthy benefits are great, naps should be part of the equation. She encourages companies to create a workplace napping policy.
"Napping doesn't have to happen just because you are not getting enough sleep," Mednick says. "There is often a dip in your body, physically, in the afternoon when your concentration is low, and a nap can increase alertness." Mednick suggests that companies provide dark, isolated rooms where people can stretch out horizontally.
A 'Band-Aid' solution?
While some people favor napping on the job, others are skeptical.
"I think that napping at work is a Band-Aid solution. It's trendy for companies, it makes it seem like your employer is concerned, but it doesn't really go to the heart of the real problem, which is that people are not getting enough sleep," says Dale Read, president of the Specialty Sleep Association, a nonprofit trade and industry group representing manufacturers and retailers of air, foam and other types of beds.
Although Read isn't against napping, he compares a 20-minute nap to "drinking a shot of sugar soda" -- it wakes you up in the moment but doesn't equal good nutrition in the long run.
Naiman disagrees. "There is ample data confirming that naps are refreshing, improve mood, enhance performance and lower blood pressure. Naps are an important part of the solution to our sleep-deprived culture."
Tips for a good night's sleep
One thing all the experts agree on? A good night's sleep is essential. They recommend the following:
• Institute a sleep routine: Go to bed at a specific time every night, take a warm shower, read a book or meditate to relax.
• Consume caffeine and alcohol in moderation. Naiman recommends avoiding caffeine after lunch. About alcohol, he says, "Less is better, earlier is better and with food is better."
• Don't go to bed full or famished. "A light snack a few minutes before bed consisting of natural or complex carbs such as a piece of fruit or some nut bread is ideal," Naiman says.
• Make sure your room is cool and dark.
• Find a comfortable mattress and pillow.
But if all else fails, follow Jason Keith's example. "When I take a nap at work, I do it in my car," he says.
"At first I thought he was faking it, but he was completely passed out," says Keith, 31, who works for a digital printing company outside Boston, Massachusetts. "He left the company about a month after that episode."
Caryn Melton, 43, has nodded off during meetings, at her desk and even during a corporate event. Melton, who works for a marketing firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, says she doesn't sleep well at night so she is often tired during the day.
"I love napping. I turn my chair around so my colleagues can't see me, but I have been caught before. Luckily, I haven't gotten in trouble. I just get teased by my colleagues," she says.
A Sleep-deprived Nation
Melton isn't alone in her struggle to stay awake on the job.
One-third of those surveyed for the National Sleep Foundation's annual "Sleep in America" poll had fallen asleep or become sleepy at work in the past month. The telephone survey questioned 1,000 adults in the continental United States and was conducted between September 25, 2007, and November 19, 2007.
The poll also found that Americans are working more and sleeping less. The average amount of sleep was six hours and 40 minutes a night. The average workday? Nine hours and 28 minutes. Calculate your weekly sleep hours and work hours »
"We are a sleep-deprived nation," says Rubin Naiman, a sleep specialist with a doctorate in clinical psychology and the director of sleep programs at Miraval, a health and wellness center in Tucson, Arizona. "We need at least seven to nine hours of sleep a night for optimal health."
Serenity Now
Recognizing that on-the-job sleepiness can affect the bottom line -- the Sleep Foundation puts the annual cost at $100 billion in lost productivity, health care costs and employee absences, among other factors -- companies are coming up with novel ways to boost employees' energy levels. Watch how sleep loss can harm the brain
"You would be surprised how many companies are providing nap rooms," says Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher with a doctorate in psychology from Harvard University and author of "Take a Nap! Change Your Life." "Although it is still somewhat of a stigma for some companies, it's a growing trend."
Maureen Lippe, founder of New York public relations agency Lippe Taylor, doesn't offer just one nap room for her tired employees. She has three. "We call them serenity rooms. I put one on each of the three floors," she says.
Outfitted with large sofas, blankets and comfortable chairs, the rooms are phone- and BlackBerry-free zones. "A lot of people nap in our serenity rooms, even me," Lippe says.
Other companies forgo beds and blankets and focus instead on creating an environment that emphasizes wellness and relaxation, reasoning that such a setting will keep employees refreshed and alert.
OPNET Technologies, a software company with headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, provides a "Zen computer garden" with plants, Internet access, couches, lounge chairs and other amenities where staff can enjoy downtime. The Fruit Guys, a San Francisco fruit-delivery company, doesn't have a nap room, but its employees enjoy unlimited fresh fruit.
Mednick says that although meditation, fresh fruit and other healthy benefits are great, naps should be part of the equation. She encourages companies to create a workplace napping policy.
"Napping doesn't have to happen just because you are not getting enough sleep," Mednick says. "There is often a dip in your body, physically, in the afternoon when your concentration is low, and a nap can increase alertness." Mednick suggests that companies provide dark, isolated rooms where people can stretch out horizontally.
A 'Band-Aid' solution?
While some people favor napping on the job, others are skeptical.
"I think that napping at work is a Band-Aid solution. It's trendy for companies, it makes it seem like your employer is concerned, but it doesn't really go to the heart of the real problem, which is that people are not getting enough sleep," says Dale Read, president of the Specialty Sleep Association, a nonprofit trade and industry group representing manufacturers and retailers of air, foam and other types of beds.
Although Read isn't against napping, he compares a 20-minute nap to "drinking a shot of sugar soda" -- it wakes you up in the moment but doesn't equal good nutrition in the long run.
Naiman disagrees. "There is ample data confirming that naps are refreshing, improve mood, enhance performance and lower blood pressure. Naps are an important part of the solution to our sleep-deprived culture."
Tips for a good night's sleep
One thing all the experts agree on? A good night's sleep is essential. They recommend the following:
• Institute a sleep routine: Go to bed at a specific time every night, take a warm shower, read a book or meditate to relax.
• Consume caffeine and alcohol in moderation. Naiman recommends avoiding caffeine after lunch. About alcohol, he says, "Less is better, earlier is better and with food is better."
• Don't go to bed full or famished. "A light snack a few minutes before bed consisting of natural or complex carbs such as a piece of fruit or some nut bread is ideal," Naiman says.
• Make sure your room is cool and dark.
• Find a comfortable mattress and pillow.
But if all else fails, follow Jason Keith's example. "When I take a nap at work, I do it in my car," he says.
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