Sleep: How Much is Enough?

by D.M. Murdock

With all the studies concerning sleep, including how it is induced through the release of hormones such as melatonin and the various patterns such as REM and circadian rhythms, the need for sleep still comes down to common sense. Sleep is designed to regenerate and repair our bodies. It revitalizes us and allows us to start anew. For those qualities alone, it would seem that good sleep is critical to increasing our health and extending our lifespans.

Throughout history, peaceful, restful sleep has been highly valued, so much so that countless potions have been created and numerous paeans have been sung in order to induce it. Some cultures have viewed sleep as an entity unto itself, while others have prized it in different ways. Counting sheep, for some reason, has become the epitomizing image of the insomniac.

For those lucky individuals who never have a sleep problem, life may seem fairly stress-free. But to the majority of people who have experienced sleep difficulties, life can at times be very trying. Insomnia, or the inability to sleep, can at times seem like sheer torture. In fact, sleep deprivation has been used a form of torture. Insomnia can perpetuate itself through the worry that you will never get a good night's sleep. It can be excerbated by anxiety, anger or other emotion that may occur while you are lying awake, wondering when the blessed sleep will come. Other causes - or perhaps symptoms - of sleep problems include snoring and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition whereby the individual stops breathing and eventually loudly gasps. Some individuals participating in sleep studies have been observed to stop breathing over 60 times in a single night. Acute, chronic sleep apnea is a dangerous condition that may lead to longterm health problems, including stroke, hypertension and increased risk of death from all causes.1 Sleep apnea is generally treated with head gear, a machine called "CPAP," or drugs such as Provigil that help regulate breathing. Other effective strategies may include exercise, nutrition, herbs and homeopathy. 

What about those unlucky few who suffer from chronic insomnia? The majority of Americans, for example, experience sleep difficulties from time to time, but there are those among us who have chronic, intractable insomnia, some of whom have what is designated as "untreatable" insomnia. How do they manage to survive? Usually, with great difficulty.

There have always been those, however, who have been able to function well - sometimes extraordinarily - and live a reasonably long life, despite chronic insomnia. It is said that great geniuses throughout history, such as Leonardo da Vinci, have pointed to their lack of sleep as a motivating factor in their creativity or have used the many hours usually designated to sleep for unusually high productivity. The American writer Jess Stearn averaged about 3-5 hours of sleep per night for decades but was able to live into his early 90s, still actively writing. One of Jess's methods was practicing yoga.

There are many other methods to increase the quality and quantity of sleep. Tried and true herbal remedies include valerian root, passion flower and chamomile. If the insomnia is caused by high blood pressure, for example, these herbs may be useful. However, if the insomnia has other causes, including low blood pressure, these herbs may exacerbate the condition. The hormone melatonin, secreted by the brain's pineal gland in the absence of light, has been found to be helpful, but if taken regularly it should be used in small quantities, such as .5 mg when used sublingually. Larger quantities may be useful in severe chronic insomnia. Considering the ill effects of sleep deprivation, it is probably better to risk taking too much melatonin than too little. Up to 5 mg. taken orally may be helpful for severe chronic insomnia. Melatonin is also highly useful in dealing with jet lag and has been found to boost the immune system as well. Melatonin production peaks at the age of three and gradually declines afterwards. Higher levels of melatonin may be useful in increasing longevity, and melatonin has also been used to treat depression and may be helpful in cancer prevention. Melatonin is a powerful hormone, however, and supplementation may cause dependency.

The amino acid GABA can take the place of various prescription medicines such as Valium, Xanax and Ativan, which are very addictive and which should not be used over a long period. In this way, GABA may be useful in combatting insomnia. It seems that a good dose is from 250 to 1,000 mg. Caution should be taken, however, in using higher amounts. Another, more widely know amino acid is tryptophan, which is claimed to be the cause of "Thanksgiving sleepiness," following the consumption of large amounts of turkey. Tryptophan is also found in milk, which may be one reason warm milk is recommended for insomnia. Serotonin- and melatonin-producing tryptophan can be very useful in helping resolve sleep problems. Another natural remedy is 5-HTP, which is one step closer to serotonin than is tryptophan. 5-HTP has been known to cause gastrointestinal difficulties, and some may find it less valuable than tryptophan in treating insomnia.

The minerals calcium and magnesium are considered "tranquilizer nutrients," and deficiencies in them may contribute to sleep problems. Supplementing with such minerals can be tricky and could be hazardous, as too much of one increases the needs of the other. A standard ratio has been 2:1 calcium to magnesium; however, some recent researchers have averred that the ratio could be closer to 1:1 equal parts of calcium and magnesium. It is nevertheless best to get nutrients from whole foods, rather than supplements. Without adequate vitamins A and D, magnesium and calcium will not be properly absorbed or utilized. The best source of vitamins A and D is cod liver oil. Most Americans receive enough vitamin A in their diets but tend to be deficient in vitamin D, which regulates calcium absorption. Hence, it could be a vitamin D deficiency, and not a calcium deficiency that is causing sleep problems. Carlson cod liver oil is possibly the best, because it has a lower content of vitamin A, larger quantities of which have been known to cause allergic reactions such as sneezing and mucus. Cod liver oil may also be helpful because it provides much-needed omega-3 fatty acids.

Poor sleep may also occur as the result of the consumption of fruits and vegetables prior to bedtime. This disruption of sleep appears to be attributable to an overabundance of potassium, as occurs in a vegetarian or vegan diet. People suffering from this imbalance may find relief by eating something greasy and salty, such as a cheese quesadilla. These suggestions are based on anecdotal observations, but each individual needs to experiment when it comes to his or her health.

Stop-gap methods for inducing sleep after quitting the use of prescription drugs include taking Benadryl, Unisom, Tylenol PM, their generic equivalents or other over-the-counter medicine known to cause drowsiness and sleepiness. It should be kept in mind that many, if not all, pharmaceutical drugs put stress on the liver.

Exercise is another great sleep-enhancer and inducer.

A demanding life style, often associated with restricted time for sleep, is a growing problem in our society and may become a major health issue in the near future. Since the physiological stress system plays a critical role in coping with a challenge, it is important to know whether this system is affected by sleep loss. Although some information is available concerning the effect of sleep loss on the basal activity of the two main limbs of the stress system, the sympathetic-adrenomedullary (SAM) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axes, little is known about the effect of sleep loss on the subsequent response to a stressor. This study investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on cardiac autonomic and HPA axis (re)activity, under baseline conditions and in response to an acute emotional stressor (15-min of restraint). Rats were subjected to 48 h of sleep deprivation by placing them in slowly rotating wheels. Electrocardiographic recordings were performed via radiotelemetry and autonomic balance was quantified via time-domain indexes of heart rate variability. HPA axis activity was examined by collecting blood samples which were analyzed for plasma ACTH and corticosterone concentrations. The results show that sleep deprivation produced a tonic increase of heart rate and HPA axis activity. When the animals in a state of sleep debt were exposed to an acute restraint stress, a blunted parasympathetic antagonism was observed following sympathetic activation, together with an increased susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias. The HPA axis response to restraint stress was also altered, but while pituitary ACTH response was attenuated, adrenal corticosterone release was unchanged, indicating an increased adrenocortical sensitivity to ACTH. The data show that sleep deprivation not only affects the baseline activity of the stress system, but it also alters its response to a subsequent stressor.54