Ask me a question.
Related Columns Getting baby back on schedule Dealing with sleep disruptions Fibromyalgia pain Resetting the hypothalamus with diet sleep excercise 2013 Daylight Saving Time Spring forward this weekendSAN DIEGO November 2 2013 It is the weekend the one in four Americans who report being sleep deprived revel in. In most of the nation we will fall back this Sunday November 3 setting our clocks back one hour as Daylight Saving Time officially ends at 2 a.m. and we return to Daylight Standard Time.
There are a few exceptions. Hawaii Arizona Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands don t follow Daylight Saving Time so they can ignore the time change as the rest of us sync back up with them.
SEE RELATED 2013 Daylight Saving Time Spring forward this weekend
While many of us joke about the luxury of that extra hour of Zzzs sleep deprivation is no joke for millions of people. The National Sleep Foundation s annual Sleep In America survey found that 28 percent of working Americans admitted missing work events and activities or making mistakes at work because of sleep related issues in the previous three months.
Consider this Several major disasters have been caused in part due to human errors in the workplace attributed to sleep deprivation the Challenger space shuttle explosion Three Mile Island Chernobyl nuclear accident and the Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska.
Most people have heard the general advice about averaging eight hours of sleep a night varying a bit from person to person. It doesn t take falling short of this too often to create a serious problem. Over a two week period missing out on the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep adds up to two full nights sleep debt one study found.
If you re averaging only four hours a night your brain reacts as though you haven t slept at all for three consecutive nights.
SEE RELATED Fibromyalgia pain Resetting the hypothalamus with diet sleep excercise
Many people don t realize how sleep deprived they are mainly because they are too tired experts say. They have slower reaction time weaker memory and other thinking impairments.
The roster of physical and mental health issues linked to sleep deprivation seems to grow with every study obesity and high blood pressure negative mood and behavior decreased productivity and safety issues in the home on the job and on the road.
Turning the clocks back is a bigger job for some people. Photo Gary Burke.
Nearly one third of all respondents to the National Sleep Foundation s 2008 sleep poll reported that they have driven drowsy at least once per month during the past year. Of those who drive more than one third had nodded off or fallen asleep while driving a vehicle. Two percent had an accident or near accident due to drowsiness while driving.
SEE RELATED Getting baby back on schedule Dealing with sleep disruptions
Sleep deprived drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers. In one study people who drove after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those who had a blood alcohol level of .05%. A blood alcohol level of .08% is considered legally intoxicated in many states.
Joseph Kaplan MD co director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida says on the health advice website WebMD.com the most vulnerable times for sleepiness are between 5 and 8 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Most alert times between 10 a.m. and noon and 7 to 9 p.m.
Dr. Kaplan is a fan of napping and offers this method of napping combined with a safe stimulant Drink a full cup of coffee then immediately take a 20 to 30 minute nap. Dr. Kaplan explains that caffeine doesn t take effect for about 30 minutes so you get the benefit of both.
If you re having trouble sleeping in general sleep experts have several basic suggestions. First turning off the computer or TV earlier in the evening will help. The light from our electronic devices can play serious tricks with the sleep triggers in our brain. Next try cutting back on caffeine and alcohol in the evening if not in general. Develop slowing down routines to help you remove yourself from the day s tensions which don t involve eating exercise or watching TV. This is what DVRs were invented for.
If your problem is more serious consider consulting a medical professional specializing in sleep disorders who has access to the latest tools including newer formula sleep medications and behavioral therapy both of which can help you break the pattern of insomnia.
Daylight Saving Time used to end on the last Sunday in October about a week before Election Day. Starting in 2007 an extra week was added so that Daylight Saving Time ended in November as a way to increase voter participation. The thinking is that more people would go to the polls after work if it was still light outside. That won t help this year since Election Day in many states is on the Tuesday after the time changes back. But back in 2010 and again in 2021 2027 and 2032 the time change will happen after Election Day. This will give researchers the chance to find out whether this theory is true.
For the last 25 years the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Energizer company have reminded people to change and test the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when setting the clocks to and from daylight saving time. Thirty percent of alarms and detectors are not functional at any given time due to dead batteries.
Gayle Lynn Falkenthal APR is President/Owner of the Falcon Valley Group in San Diego California. She covers media and TV for Communities. She is also a serious boxing fan covering the Sweet Science. Read Ringside Seat in the Communities at The Washington Times. Follow Gayle on Facebook and on Twitter PRProSanDiego. Gayle can be reached via Google
Please credit Gayle Falkenthal for Communities at WashingtonTimes.com when quoting from or linking to this story.
Copyright 2013 by Falcon Valley Group
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
{ 0 comments... Views All / Send Comment! }
Post a Comment