Week 1: Sleep Deprivation Defined

When you begin analyzing whether or not your tiredness is random (we know, those Sex and the City reruns at 11 p.m. are hard to turn off) or if it is something more chronic, such as sleep deprivation or a sleep disorder, the first thing to look at is how much sleep you are getting. Each person has a genetically determined amount of sleep they need each night, says Joan Fox, MD, a sleep medicine specialist at the Minnesota Sleep Institute. On average, most of us need a little more than eight hours each night. A 2008 Sleep in America Poll, conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, found that on average, most Americans only gex six hours and forty minutes of sleep per weeknight. That is much less than the standard eight most of us need.

Eight hours? Riiight. That’s assuming the kids are in bed on time, work is caught up, and the dog doesn’t get up at 5 a.m. to go to the bathroom. Well, yes, those things do get in the way. But our bodies need that time to recuperate, which means we need to look at whether we are getting enough sleep or if there are things getting in the way of a good night’s zzzz.

In order to know if you are getting the rest you need, the first thing Fox recommends is keeping a sleep log for a couple of weeks. “Look at how much you are sleeping, when you’re going to bed, getting up, and napping,” she says. “Keep track of it for a few weeks. If you are getting more than seven hours of sleep consistently for two weeks, and are consistent about going to bed and getting up when you are ready to wake up, there may be something abnormal about your sleep quality.” This could range from sleep deprivation (not getting enough sleep) based on your lifestyle (ahem, no more caffeine before bed) to a sleep disorder that causes you to be tired no matter how much sleep you get.

Next try taking one of the sleep quizzes provided by the National Sleep Foundation. These can be good tools and benchmarks to see how your amount and quality of sleep stacks up.

Once you know how much sleep you are really getting, Michael Alter, MD, a sleep medicine specialist with HealthPartners Specialty Center, Fairview Lakes Sleep Center, and the Sleep Center at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, recommends looking at your lifestyle habits and changing those that disrupt your sleep patterns. These can include, but are not limited to:

+ Trying to sleep in the same schedule

+ Limiting use of caffeine. Caffeine, Alter says, should not be taken less than six hours before going to bed, the amount of time needed to get half of the caffeine amount out of your body.

+ Limiting alcohol use

+ Limiting or omitting nicotine

+ Improving sleep hygiene (Your bedroom should be cool, quiet, and dark, and it is not a place to bring work or distracters)

Once you have adjusted for these factors and are on a consistent sleep schedule, if you are still consistently tired, there you may have a sleep disorder. Fox recommends seeing your primary care physician first to see if they have methods to help you sleep. If falling asleep has become a problem because your mind races, sleep psychologists are another avenue to try. Through behavioral therapy, they can help sleep problems. Finally, seeing a sleep doctor, who can track you through a night’s sleep and decipher if you have a sleep disorder.

Though most people are just sleep deprived, knowing how much sleep you are getting and factors that can aid in getting a better night’s sleep will help your exhaustion in the long run. Though changing habits may not completely get rid of the $20 you spend at Starbucks a week, it will at least help you feel more rested.