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Sleep smarts

  • Published
  • By Mary Nelson and Jenny Pearson
  • 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Since the invention of the light bulb in 1879, Americans have slowly reduced the number of hours they sleep until we now get about 20 percent less sleep then we would have in the late 19th century. In addition to the invention of artificial light, other circumstances that may interfere with the number of hours we are able to sleep each night include shift work, extended duty days, crew rest accommodations, poor hydration and nutrition, time zone changes, illness and stress.

Some of these circumstances may be hard to change but a preventable contributing factor is poor sleep management or inattention to sleep hygiene.

Just like breathing, sleep is an essential and basic human need. It is just as vital a component of wellness as fitness and nutrition. Being sleep deprived can lead to poor decision making, irritability, slower reaction times and even increased risk of adopting negative addictive behaviors. In the end your overall capability to perform critical Air Force tasks is jeopardized.

There is a perception among many that getting enough sleep and vocational success are incompatible. However, studies such as the one published in the December 2011 Journal of the American Medical Association point out that "among a group of American police officers, sleep disorders were significantly associated with performance."
According to the National Sleep Foundation, everyone has different sleep needs but most healthy adults need between seven to eight hours of sleep, the average Air Force member gets 6.5 hours of sleep per night.

Undervaluing sleep and believing in the run hard, sleep later approach is very risky behavior. In fact, many parallels have been drawn between the manifestations of sleep deprivation and ingesting too much alcohol.

Each of us has experienced short-term sleep deprivation at some point in our life, whether it is from uncontrollable circumstances, just giving in to the urge to watch the latest episode of a favorite show or finishing the last 100 pages of a good book.

Unfortunately, losing even one and a half hours of required sleep can equal a 32 percent decrease in alertness the next day, as well as memory and cognitive impairment and increased risk of occupational and automobile injury.

Relying on energy drinks and coffee to keep you going is not the answer. Getting adequate sleep takes planning and commitment but the results of a good night sleep are priceless.

Being sleep deprived for months or years can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, depressed immune functioning, hormone deregulation and exacerbation of physical, mental or emotional problems. It is important to know that you can neither store up sleep for the future nor replace the sleep you lost last night or last week. The best approach to addressing the consequences of poor or inadequate sleep is through prevention. Establishing better sleep habits is the first step.

If you suspect you might have a sleep-related illness such as insomnia, apnea or other disorders contact the David Grant USAF Medical Center's respiratory therapy clinic at 423-5112.