Lessons about Sleep from My 101-year-old Grandfather

February 12th, 2013

My grandfather, who lived to be 101 years old, always used to say the phrase, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes the man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” As a non-native English speaker, it was quite impressive he knew that phrase and spoke it quite well, but even more impressive because that is just what he practiced and what I believe contributed to his longevity.  More and more, we are finding that sleep has innumberable benefits to the body, from preventing insulin resistance, boosting the immune system, and reducing stress.  Just as the body has needs for food, oxygen and water, we all have a sleep requirement for maintaining good health.  We have all heard of how famous people, like Thomas Edison, survived and even thrived on extremely minimal or no sleep.  While this may be true for some people, they are the exception rather than the rule.  The average adult requires 6-8 hours of sleep on average.

Find out how much sleep you need.  Ask yourself, do you wake up refreshed in the morning?  Are you having to turn to caffeinated drinks to stay awake in the afternoon?  Another possiblility is that you are not getting good quality of sleep.  Medical conditions such as sleep apnea (an extreme form of snoring where you stop breathing) can cause frequent disruptions in the sleep cycle.  Contrary to popular belief, you cannot “bank” sleep.  It is not something that you can really catch up on.  It is very important to address sleeplessness with your physician as this can lead to frequent infections and fatigue, which are signs your body is not functioning well.

Here are some tips for getting good sleep:

• Set aside enough time for sleep.  It is always tempting to surf the net or keep reading that next chapter on your e-reader.  If you find it difficult to stop, set a “bed time alarm” for the evening.  When the alarm goes off, it’s time to stop what you are doing and go to sleep.
• Invest in a good mattress and “flip and turn” it regularly.  Mattresses sag over time.  I recommend turning the bed so that the part under your legs is now under your head every 6 months.  If your mattress can be flipped, do this as well.
• Replace your pillows regularly.  Your head is about 10 pounds.  If your pillow is flat like a pancake, it is not supporting the weight of your head.  That means your neck takes on the extra weight.  If you wake up with neck pain, it may be time to change your pillow
• Buy earplugs.  You may not wake up fully from noises from the street or outside, but even small noises can disrupt sleep.
• Buy good curtains/shades that block out light.  In cities, the outside lights can get very intense and prevent you from getting your “zzz’s”  Also, most people are able to shut the mind off better in complete darkness.
• Turn your alarm clock so that it faces the wall.  Clock watching can cause more anxiety with thoughts like “It’s 3 AM,  I can’t get enough sleep and I’m not going to do well on my presentation at work tomorrow.” This becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
• Maintain the same sleep schedule on weekends.  Avoid sleeping in.  The human body is used to routines.
• Limit the amount of alcohol.  Contrary to common belief, alcohol does not give good restful sleep.  It can help initiate sleep, but it can actually worsen conditions such as sleep apnea.
• Exercise regularly.  If your body is not tired, it will not want to sleep.  Just be sure you don’t exercise too close to bedtime.
• Limit the amount of water your drink at bedtime.  Waking up to urinate is a disruption in sleep.  If you must take medications at bedtime, take them with a sip of water.