Women Need More Sleep Than Men

Michael Asaly has lived in Orange Country for over thirty-five years.  Twenty of these years have been spent in medical and related sciences at major universities, including more than twelve years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Over the years Michael has seen an increase in the number of people who suffer from sleep disorders each night.  One of the major sleep disorders being sleep apnea, which has become a significant health issue in the US.  In fact, recent statistics show that over 50 million Americans now suffer from sleep apnea each night. 

What’s even scarier is that over 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea go undiagnosed. OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), which represents the great majority of the cases, when left untreated can lead to high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems; it is associated with type 2 diabetes and depression; and is a factor in many traffic accidents and accidents with heavy machinery, owing to the persistent drowsiness suffered by many OSA patients before the disease is recognized and treated.

In 2012, Michael combined his years of knowledge and experience, and founded Practical Sleep Solutions, with a mission to help the millions who suffer each night with sleep apnea.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael.

Faten Abdallah (FA: How many hours are actually required when it comes to sleep for women? men? children?   Who actually needs more sleep and why?
Michael Asaly (MA): An average adult needs between 7.5 and 8 hours of sleep per night. But many people can function with 6 hours' sleep, and there are also some who need 9 hours or more.  The amount of sleep needed to function well really varies from individual to individual, and is determined genetically and hereditarily.  The biggest, most dramatic change in our deep sleep and satisfaction with sleep takes place as we move from adolescence into young adulthood when slow-wave deep sleep is replaced by stage II middle sleep which is less restorative

Sleep is broadly split into two big categories: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when we’re dreaming, and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep moves through several, progressively deeper stages:

Stage I: a light doze, not very restorative
Stage II: middle sleep, restorative
Stage III: slow-wave deep sleep, the most restorative of all

Here's a breakdown of ages and the amount of recommended sleep:

Older adults, 65+ years: 7-8 hours
Adults, 26-64 years: 7-9 hours
Young adults, 18-25 years: 7-9 hours
Teenagers, 14-17 years: 8-10 hours
School-age children, 6-13 years: 9-11 hours
Preschool children, 3-5 years: 10-13 hours
Toddlers, 1-2 years: 11-14 hours
Infants, 4-11 months: 12-15 hours
Newborns, 0-3 months: 14-17 hours

FA: What are the benefits of getting enough sleep?  What happens when a person doesn't get enough sleep?MA: Just like food and water, you need sleep to survive and thrive!  Good sleep = good health and getting a full night's rest can help you steer clear of major heart conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.  

In my 20 years of experience, one of the best immune boosters comes from having a proper night's sleep.  A full 8 hours is recommend for optimal immune system function.   Recent statistics share that insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic and that there are 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic sleep apnea, which leads to stress in everyday life.  A full night's sleep without wake-up interruptions or snoring is one of the best immune system boosters out there!

If you're not getting enough sleep you can also be prone to:

Lack of alertness: Even missing as little as 1.5 hours can have an impact, research shows.
Impaired memory: Lack of sleep can affect your ability to think and to remember and process information.
Relationship stress: It can make you feel moody, and you can become more likely to have conflicts with others.
Quality of life: You may become less likely to participate in normal daily activities or to exercise.
Greater likelihood for car accidents: Drowsy driving accounts for thousands of crashes, injuries and fatalities each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Lower sex drive: Your libido drops the more tired you are.

FA: What are some tips when having a hard time sleeping?  Can insomnia be prevented?
MA: Combat snoring

About 37 million American adults snore regularly. It certainly disturbs a bed partner's sleep, but "sawing logs" can disrupt the snorer's sleep, too, leading to more daytime sleepiness, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Some simple tips may help you keep it under control, like sleeping on your side instead of your back, avoiding alcohol before bed and even losing weight.  One fool proof solution is a simple free sleep quiz.  Which helps diagnose those with Sleep Apnea with an easy and cost effective solution being an APAP Machine from Practical Sleep Solutions.

Reserve the bed for sleep and sex only

Reading in bed or watching TV is a form of relaxation, right? Yes...and no. A page-turner, a mystery or any other book that demands your emotional and intellectual attention may be more distracting than relaxing. Opt for lighter reading before bed, and keep it to the couch or your favorite comfy chair.  That way you keep your bed only for the good things, like sleep and sex.

Get some sunlight first thing in the morning

There's nothing quite like bright light to trigger your brain to stay awake and alert. Getting some natural light -- you'll want to aim for about 15 minutes -- first thing in the morning can help night owls reset their biological clocks and ease into sleep a little earlier.

FA: What are some medical/alternative solutions in aiding sleep?
MA: Recent statistics share that over 50 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea.  My company, Practical Sleep Solutions, is a California based company that provides effective and affordable at home sleep solutions for those who suffer each night.  The process is made simple and affordable without the need for insurance.  As with most classified high-risk conditions, patients are expected to pay more for their life insurance premiums if they are diagnosed with sleep apnea.  This coupled with a long and painful process through the insurance system has resulted in patients taking their sleep issues into their own hands.


Practical Sleep Solutions is the one stop solution to sleep apnea and a perfect night’s sleep!  Our patients are offered a FREE online sleep quiz.  The next step is for patients to purchase an in home sleep test machine.  The recorded data from this machine is then scored and reviewed by a Practical Sleep technician and board certified sleep doctor.  If a patient is diagnosed with sleep apnea they can then purchase a top of the line APAP machine that provides a comfortable and easy at home solution for a full night of restful sleep.    

You can find more information on Practical Sleep Solutions: 

Website:

PracticalSleep.com

Social Media Links:

https//:facebook.com/Practical-Sleep-Solutions

https://twitter.com/PracticalSleep

www.practicalsleep.com


Client Contact:

Michael Asaly

Founder Practical Sleep

Michael@practicalsleep.com

National Sleep Awareness Week is March 7-13

National Sleep Awareness Week is March 7-13, sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation  as an annual public education and awareness campaign to promote the importance of sleep.

Many people don’t sleep well because of their bed.  We’ve all heard that you should replace your mattress every 7-10 years, but it’s not just because of all the hype about bed bugs, body oils, skin cells and other unsavory things that can lurk in an old mattress, but also because mattresses wear out.  A saggy and unsupportive mattress can lead to back pain, hip pain, shoulder pain and other ailments that add up to a restless night’s sleep.

We took the opportunity to ask experts on sleep and finding the right mattress for you.

Connecting Women (CW):.  How many hours of sleep per night should an adult have? Children? 

 

Experts vary in their views about how much sleep is needed, but here is a general guide by the National Sleep Foundation

 

 
CW:  What are some benefits of healthful sleep? 

 

When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed and alert for our daily activities. Sleep affects how we look, feel and perform on a daily basis, and can have a major impact on our overall quality of life.   During sleep our muscles repair themselves from day's stress, our brain sorts out and consolidates memories, and our bodies release hormones that regulating growth and appetite. When we sleep well, we wake up prepared for the day, able to concentrate, make decisions, be productive and engage fully in work, school and social activities.

 

 On the other hand, short sleep duration is linked with:

• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information

 

 

 
CW: How do mattresses affect our sleep? 

 

A proper mattress helps us to sleep sounder and deeper.  A good mattress has the right amount of softness or firmness to relieve pressure points and support heavier body parts so that we are able to rest comfortably in one position for longer periods of time.

 

An improper mattress may be too soft or too firm, or a worn out mattress may sag or retain body impressions that cause us to toss and turn in order to get comfortable.   

 

CW: What are some tips in finding the right kind of mattress? 

 

 Mattrresses are very individual.   According to Jeff Scorziell, president of Anatomic Global, a leading US manufacturer of memory foam mattresses, many consumers make the mistake of buying a brand name instead of getting a mattress that feels best for them.  Scorziell, who has sold thousands of mattresses as a former retailer, gives this advice:

 

To test out a memory foam mattress, Scorziell recommends laying on it for at least three to five minutes, as some visco foam must actually be warmed up by your body temperature in order to perform optimally.

 

“Lay on your back, your side, however you sleep.  Get a feel for the mattress.  Some might feel like wet sand, and some might have a denser feel.  Some are softer, some are plusher.  The feel of the mattress is not necessarily good or bad, just different,” says Scorziell. 

Among the latest innovations in memory foam is the formulation of the visco itself.  Anatomic Global developed a proprietary soy plant-based EcoMemoryFoam that health-minded consumers favor because it contains fewer petroleum-based chemicals.  Not only do these feel better underneath you, they smell better, especially when the bed is new. 

  

 Another evolution in memory foam is aeration.  Anatomic Global pioneered extreme open-cell technology which offers nine times air ventilation of standard memory foams.  The open-cell foam not only dissipates heat, it is not affected by ambient temperature within 30 degrees, so the bed’s performance does not change when it warms up or gets cold in the bedroom.  

 

If you prefer a traditional innerspring mattress, the general rule is more coils the better. One mattress maker whose products have been called "fit for a king" owes its hallmark sensational feel to its coils. Not only are E.S. Kluft & Company mattresses made with world-class craftsmanship and the finest materials available, they feature a technologically advanced design. Kluft’s nested, individually wrapped English premium steel springs provide proper balance, true motion separation, correct support and optimum pressure relief.

E.S. Kluft & Company's most celebrated mattress is the $33,000 Palais Royale, an ultra-luxurious mattress hand-tailored by skilled artisans  using the world's finest materials, inlcuidng an abundant blend of cashmere, mohair, New Zealand Joma wool and Talalay latex .  The layers  conform to your body to eliminate pressure points while layers of breathable certified organic cotton prevent heat and moisture buildup for unmatched comfort. These beds feature thousands of premium English springs encased in calico cotton to minimize motion transfer and to provide extraordinary support. Plus, each mattress is hand-tufted and hand-side-stitched to secure the inner layers of upholstery and enhance the overall performance from edge-to-edge. The result is the best of old world craftsmanship and sophisticated new sleep technologies. The Palais Royale is sold exclusively at Bloomingdale’s. 
Many manufacturers are adding adjustable beds to their collections to meet the comfort and lifestyle needs of today's customers.  Those archaic infomercials starring two elderly folk being folded up in an adjustable bed were ahead of their time.  One cutting-edge company, Sapapa by Aminach, offers adjustable beds that are popular with customers of all ages, with features like iPad/iPod plug ins, speakers systems in the headboard and adjustments for comfort for all types of activities, from checking email, e-shopping, watching TV, doing homework, reading or whatever you do in bed.  All of the Sapapa adjustable beds feature orthopedic mattresses with a reinforced middle section to prevent hamocking; plus, these beds are not just incredibly comfortable, they come in high-fashion styles and colors.

CW:  Promote site/service etc. (including social media networks)
 

 

For more information go to www.anatomicglobal.com, www.kluftmattress.com or www.sapapa.com.

 

 

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