Sleep Archive

The world looks very different at 3 a.m. when you're lying in bed staring at the ceiling or the clock. "How will I make it through tomorrow without any sleep?" you worry. You may wonder how to sleep better every night. If you regularly can't get to sleep - or stay asleep - and it's affecting you during the day, then you may have insomnia.

Prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids can help you drift off, but these drugs also have side effects. These include morning drowsiness, which can make activities like driving or using machinery dangerous, and an increased risk for falling. There are other ways to sleep better than medications.

Treating sleep apnea — a condition closely linked to cardiovascular problems — can be challenging.

 Image: © nebari/Getty Images

Loud, explosive snoring is a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea, which affects up to 25% of men and 10% of women. This nighttime breathing problem often disrupts sleep, leaving people tired and irritable during the day. But sleep apnea also can boost blood pressure and may increase the risk of clogged heart arteries, heart rhythm disorders, heart failure, and stroke.

The gold standard treatment, called positive airway pressure or PAP — which uses a bedside machine that provides a stream of air through a face mask — is very effective. But it's a tough sell for many people, who find the device challenging to use consistently. Because of difficulty tolerating the device, some people don't use their PAP machine every single night, while others remove it halfway through the night. However, troubleshooting some common issues with PAP may help (see "Tips for using a PAP machine").

Lost your spark and gusto? These strategies can help you recharge.

Everyone has the occasional low-energy day when you are easily fatigued. Often the feeling passes, and you bounce back to your regular robust self. But if you struggle with a constant lack of energy, you may have a problem deep within your cells.

Mitochondria are the power source inside all your body's cells. These tiny structures fuel the body by producing molecules called adenosine triphosphate or ATP. However, as you grow older, your body has fewer mitochondria.

In the journals

If you have problems sleeping through the night, you may be at risk for atrial fibrillation (afib), an irregular heart rate that may cause heart palpitations and is a leading cause of stroke.

A study published online June 25, 2018, by HeartRhythm reviewed four studies and found a link between afib and poor sleep. In one study, people with afib had more frequent nighttime awakenings compared with those who did not have the condition. In the other studies, poor sleep quality, including frequent nighttime awakenings and less REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, predicted which individuals would develop afib.

Teens are getting less sleep than ever. This leaves them prone to conditions like high blood pressure and insulin resistance which increased the risk for heart disease and diabetes later on.

Even people without insomnia can have trouble getting a good night's rest. Many things can interfere with restorative sleep — crazy work schedules, anxiety, trouble putting down the smartphone, even what you eat and drink.

The following three simple steps can help you sleep better.

Why sleep is important to your health and how to repair sleep deprivation effects.

If sleep were a credit card company, many of us would be in deep trouble.

Medical evidence suggests that for optimum health and function, the average adult should get seven to nine hours of sleep daily. But more than 60% of women regularly fall short of that goal. Although each hour of lost slumber goes into the health debit column, we don't get any monthly reminders that we've fallen in arrears.

The health risks of loneliness and isolation have been known for some time, but more recently research has shown the specific effects in the brain. Finding ways to make connections with other people is the best "medicine" to alleviate the mental and physical effects of loneliness.

Ask the doctors

Q. I feel like I'm tired all the time. Is this just a normal part of aging?

A. The short answer to your question is, no. Getting older may mean you have less endurance than you used to and you may feel tired sometimes, just like anyone else, but if you are experiencing long-lasting daily fatigue, there could be an underlying medical cause.