How Well Did You Sleep Last Night?
Second-hand sleep problems are like second-hand smoke. If you have someone in the family with a sleep disorder your health will suffer, too.
Spouses of men or women who snore can attest to their own impaired sleep. The noise can become so loud that they're tempted to sleep in separate bedrooms!
Furthermore, the snoring adult - in addition to the misery that he or she is causing - is not getting good quality sleep. The snorer may awaken often during the night or have intermittent episodes of not breathing - signs of sleep apnea. He is plagued by daytime sleepiness. He may have trouble concentrating on work or, when in the driver's seat, on the road.
Our technologically sophisticated world has affected our internal as well as external physical environment; we are toying with our natural bodily rhythm. We ingest Vitamin D to compensate from lack of exposure to sunlight and we pump our bodies with caffeine in order to function with minimal sleep. We forget that there are consequences to messing with G-d's creation. Sleep is essential to humanity. (Think of what would have been lost if Adam had not had a good night's sleep!)
As every parent knows, children (and some adults) misbehave when under physical stress; e.g., when they're hungry. That's why the coming-home-from-school time is often the most stressful part of the day for parents. It's a race to see if you can give the child something to eat before your head gets blown off! Parents can give their kids supper as soon as the latter walk in the door, as early as 3:30 or 4:00 pm for the little ones. Then they can have a snack later if necessary, when they're too tired to eat a full meal.
Similarly, one cannot underestimate the importance of good sleep hygiene. Both children and their parents need a good night's sleep. Setting a bedtime routine and deciding how to handle middle-of-the-night awakenings are important components of sleep hygiene.
The importance of sleep was brought home to me by a recent segment by NPR Radio on the impact of poor sleep on a child's behavior. I had forgotten that children, too, can suffer from sleep apnea. And when they do, their impaired sleep may result in irritability, impulsiveness, aggressive behavior and attention problems. We may think that their poor school achievement is caused by a learning disability or ADHD when, in fact, they are suffering from a sleep disorder.
Sleep apnea manifests itself differently in adults and children. While children don't drive and adults don't go to school, they both - along with the rest of the family - suffer the consequences of a poor night's sleep.
Good night!
Spouses of men or women who snore can attest to their own impaired sleep. The noise can become so loud that they're tempted to sleep in separate bedrooms!
Furthermore, the snoring adult - in addition to the misery that he or she is causing - is not getting good quality sleep. The snorer may awaken often during the night or have intermittent episodes of not breathing - signs of sleep apnea. He is plagued by daytime sleepiness. He may have trouble concentrating on work or, when in the driver's seat, on the road.
Our technologically sophisticated world has affected our internal as well as external physical environment; we are toying with our natural bodily rhythm. We ingest Vitamin D to compensate from lack of exposure to sunlight and we pump our bodies with caffeine in order to function with minimal sleep. We forget that there are consequences to messing with G-d's creation. Sleep is essential to humanity. (Think of what would have been lost if Adam had not had a good night's sleep!)
As every parent knows, children (and some adults) misbehave when under physical stress; e.g., when they're hungry. That's why the coming-home-from-school time is often the most stressful part of the day for parents. It's a race to see if you can give the child something to eat before your head gets blown off! Parents can give their kids supper as soon as the latter walk in the door, as early as 3:30 or 4:00 pm for the little ones. Then they can have a snack later if necessary, when they're too tired to eat a full meal.
Similarly, one cannot underestimate the importance of good sleep hygiene. Both children and their parents need a good night's sleep. Setting a bedtime routine and deciding how to handle middle-of-the-night awakenings are important components of sleep hygiene.
The importance of sleep was brought home to me by a recent segment by NPR Radio on the impact of poor sleep on a child's behavior. I had forgotten that children, too, can suffer from sleep apnea. And when they do, their impaired sleep may result in irritability, impulsiveness, aggressive behavior and attention problems. We may think that their poor school achievement is caused by a learning disability or ADHD when, in fact, they are suffering from a sleep disorder.
Sleep apnea manifests itself differently in adults and children. While children don't drive and adults don't go to school, they both - along with the rest of the family - suffer the consequences of a poor night's sleep.
Good night!
posted by Dr. Spiegel at
10:34 PM
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