~Sleep~ - RexMag's Naughty Files Adult Discussion Board

scotgirl · #1 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 06:59 AM

You walk into work, confused and dulled, excusing yourself to the colleagues you bump into with tales of all the sleep you didn't get last night. Sound familiar? Of course it does. In today's world of overwhelming responsibilities and lack of - what's that? Personal time? - sleep is often put on the back burner. And your body pays the price.

A night of no sleep (or even too little sleep because you just didn't have time to fit it in), can leave you confused and exhausted all day: Bad news even before you consider trying to face the already difficult challenge of staying on your days plan, disoriented and disheveled.

When Your Body Screams "Sleep!"
Of course, if insomnia is a repeat occurance for you, visit your doctor - it could be a sign of a number of ailments, including depression. But the occasional night of not enough requires some attention on your part, too.

"Lack of sleep is a stress on the body," says Karen Miller-Kovach, Weight Watchers' chief scientist. "When you don't get enough sleep, your body's in an after-stress reaction mode, and you go to eat." And this is the worst part: "You tend not to make good choices because your body is reacting to the stress with something called disinhibition."

In other words, you're tired, so you lose the motivation and desire that, under well-rested conditions, you usually have to make good choices. "Your body sets itself up in sleep-deprivation mode," continues Miller-Kovach, "psychologically and behaviourally, it's a very vulnerable time."

And that's not even counting the physiological response. When you don't get enough sleep, your body reacts in a "fight or flight" way. There's a release of sugar to fuel your body to run away from this terrible thing that's happening to it. Then that sugar is converted to fat. Research (published in a late-1999 British Medical Journal article) also suggests that even temporary sleep deprivation can affect the body's ability to break down carbohydrates and can disrupt the function of certain hormones.

Plus, a lack of rest may destroy your resolve to fit some exercise into your lunch hour - those extra minutes of exercise that keep you on the road to successful weight loss and maintenance. Well-rested equals more energised. Lack of sleep? A surefire precursor to scoffing at the idea of an invigorating power walk with your buddies after work.

Exercises for Exhaustion
That said, of course you know you need more and better sleep - don't we all - but sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day and you have no choice but to steal a couple from your nights. Here's what to do and what to look out for when too many responsibilities keep you from getting the sleep you deserve.

Eat well. Here's a surprise: Kovach says, as long as you stay within your POINTS range, "it doesn't matter what you eat, what matters is that you are on guard." The trick is not to adjust what you eat for lack of sleep, but rather to not let sleep affect your resolve to eat well.

Avoid caffeine. "It's a stimulant, so as it wears off (which will happen quickly), it will accentuate the problem," says Miller-Kovach. You're better off having something soothing, like herbal tea.

And stay on guard. Remember your body's first reaction: "fight or flight." Your body's tired, and your first reaction is to wake yourself up to eat. Don't get us wrong: You should always eat breakfast in the morning - it'll help you round out your hunger and stay on track for the rest of the day. But your exhaustion might cause you to lose track, to eat aimlessly and thoughtlessly. When you know you haven't had enough sleep, put up your food defenses and pay extra-close attention.

REM2Delta · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 07:51 AM

Thanks Scotgirl,

I agree. There are times however, when you want to stay awake and alert for an important occurrence or event after you have been sleep deprived. If that is the case the prescription drug called Modafinil (AKA Provigil) will help, and is safe. It improves memory and brightens moods. It is a psychostimulant that enhances wakefulness. It works differently from other stimulants and is less likely to cause jitteriness or anxiety. Even though you feel "wide awake" during the day, you can still fall asleep easily that night. Unlike other stimulants, it doesn't cause an "excessive sleepiness-rebound."

Also, there are 88 sleep disorders recognized by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, (AASM) that can interfere with the proper stages of sleep. Someone can sleep 8 hours a night and still be very tired during the daytime, because a disorder may be keeping him or her from going into REM sleep or Delta sleep, which are both necessary to achieve during sleep, to expect daytime alertness.

Thanks again Scotgirl. I'm glad the world is becoming more cognizant of the need for sleep.

Sweet Dreams....REM