Today I’m writing about a topic that is currently near and dear to my heart: the importance of sleep.  I didn’t learn the value of getting a good night’s sleep until I was in graduate school, but since then, I’ve made a point of trying to get my nightly eight.  Unfortunately however, as a mother of a 2.5 month old, it’s pretty much a given that I am at this point, nowhere near that.

The difference is astounding.

The topic of sleep has become more relevant in the recent years, as people are recognizing correlations between sleep deprivation and a number of physical and mental health issues, including (but not limited to); lowered immune system, increased mood disorders such as depression, obesity, hypertension, difficulties with attention and concentration,  and reduced quality of life, among others.

As interest and research on this topic has spiked, so too have the “internet facts.” You know, the little snippets of information, maybe actual fact, maybe based loosely on some obscure research, or maybe entirely made up. At a glance, it’s hard to tell.  For example, you’ve probably heard that “sleep deprivation is like being drunk.” There’s actually truth to that. It has been found that lack of sleep can produce both cognitive and motor impairment very similar to being inebriated.

There’s also truth to the fact that prolonged periods of lack of sleep can lead to hallucinations and even death, along with a variety of other symptoms (you’ve probably heard the saying “without sleep, first we go crazy and then we die”).  This research was based on individuals who were kept awake for a protracted amount of time. For most of us, however, it’s not that clear cut – four hours of sleep here, five hours there…. We’re not going to go crazy, and we’re certainly not going to die. Are we really sleep deprived? Or are we just chronically “tired?”

According to a number of sources, at any given time, between 33% and 40% of American’s are sleep deprived (and as a new mother, I’m currently one of them). The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has even recognized insufficient sleep as a public health problem.

In thinking about this topic today, I recognize that through insufficient sleep, I’ve become my own study of one, which, in a way, has been quite enlightening. Going on 2.5 months (and even longer if you consider the sleep difficulties that come along with pregnancy) of disturbed and insufficient sleep, like mothers everywhere, my sleep deprivation has become a chronic issue.

And I’ve begun to feel it. As a psychologist and a neuropsychological assessment specialist, I have a pretty good understanding of the brain and its cognitive processes, as well as the mind-body connection, so I’ve been able to recognize some symptoms as I see them popping up in myself.  And one of the top ones so far has been problems with word-finding. The word is on the “tip of my tongue,” but my brain just cant seem to access it. In thinking about this, I’m reminded that difficulty with verbal acuity is a symptom in quite a few neurocognitive and emotional issues; dementia, traumatic brain injury, learning difference and depression, to name only a few.

Another symptom I’ve noticed is difficulty with memory. While memory itself is still intact, I find myself “forgetting” more often. It’s not a loss of data, but rather a seeming difficulty with spontaneous retrieval. For example, forgetting that an appointment time has been moved. Once reminded, however, the information is there.  This also ties into a third symptom – cognitive dullness. Basically, just not feeling as sharp as usual… The information is there, it may just take a bit longer to retrieve it than usual. To cope with this short-term issue, writing down everything has become a strategy. And I can’t help but think, that symptoms are also symptoms of other psychological and cognitive-based issues; depression, brain injury, dementia, and so on…

And then there are the emotional symptoms that come along with sleep deprivation. While I’m lucky that I did not experience postpartum depression like many other new mothers, an elevation in moodiness is now not rare, particularly in the evenings (those of you who read my post on jellybeans may understand why time of day makes a difference), and as such, there’s also an elevation in the use of coping tools (such as the need to be excessively organized, which in turn helps with the memory issues). Nerves seem to be tied to a “hair trigger” that can make one more prone to anger and anxiety.  Mood fluctuations like these can give a greater understanding of what it might feel like to have a bipolar disorder, and also inspires more appreciation of the description of feeling of a  “Jekyll and Hyde” moment that I’ve heard about from some of my clients who experience a bipolar episode. In the mornings things are solid, but towards evening, if one is not careful, anxiety and reactivity could become transformative.

But these symptoms, they all make sense. Higher-functioning organisms need sleep to survive. But not just for survival, we also need sleep to function optimally. Sleep is the time when our brain most effectively consolidates information, “takes out the trash,” and makes new neuronal connections (incidentally, it is also the time when the body most efficiently heals itself). This is why sleep is important to babies (and why they do so much of it). Their brains (and bodies) are growing and developing at such a rapid rate.

And for those of you wondering about the connection between sleep and obesity…This makes sense for a number of reasons. I certainly feel less inclined to exercise when tired, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that. But it’s not just the lack of physical energy. When you’re feeling run down your body craves instant energy – sugar/carbs.  To make a long explanation short, carbs increase the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin helps to regulate mood (which is why we want to eat carbs when we are feeling sad or stressed), and it also helps to regulate the sleep/wake cycle. If your body feels deprived of a resource, it will automatically crave that resource – in this case, Serotonin, or… one of the easiest ways to release more of this neurotransmitter, the consumption of carbohydrates. On top of that, when you’re run down, or not operating at peak cognitive efficiency, you tend make poor choices, meaning that you are less likely to choose the healthy food option.  All a recipe for obesity.

Cognitive dullness, compromised immune systems, obesity, memory issues, word-finding struggles, mood-related symptoms, attention and concentration difficulties, among a host of other issues…  Loss of sleep makes us more vulnerable to all of these things.  As an assessor, I am frequently struck by how significantly sleep can impact an individual’s functioning, illustrated in a quantitative manner by test results, but also seen qualitatively by the manner in which these sleep-deprived individuals approach that testing and through the symptoms they report.

One of the first questions I ask my clients is about their sleep habits. I’m curious to know if a chronic lack of sleep may be contributing to, or even causing potential symptoms. This is also particularly relevant in children. Children need more sleep than adults, a fact of which many parents are unaware. Could your child’s emotional dysregulation be due to the fact that they aren’t getting enough sleep?

The National Sleep Foundation has an extensive age-based list of recommendations for required hours of sleep nightly that allows for optimal functioning. The NSF is a great resource as you can also find educational information (for example, this video on what the brain does during sleep, information on sleep hygiene, and resources to help you find sleep professionals.

Sleep deprivation is cumulative, and sleep cannot be “made up.” A chronic lack of sleep can have long-term permanent damaging side-effects on both physical and mental health and well-being. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to make sure you are getting enough sleep so that you can function as the optimal YOU.

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned above, its important to consult a health professional such as your primary care provider for assistance and resources.