We celebrated my sons high school graduation dinner last Friday. I was reminded of the novelty of staying up all night when I was 17 when I picked him up from his dry aftergrad at 4 a.m. and how countless sleepless nights have taken away the luster of sleep deprivation. Not quite caught up with my sleep, I spent the early hours of Victoria Day with a patient in labour.
Special events, the stages of our family lives, the demands of school and the nature of our work push aside the priority of a full nights sleep. But we can just get accustomed to insufficient sleep (to the detriment of physical, emotional and mental health). We can fall into habits of staying up late. Many young people stay up to study; others stay out partying. New parents, especially breastfeeding moms, sacrifice their sleep for their children.
If you need an average of 7.5 hours of sleep each night and only allow yourself 6, youll create a sleep debt of 7.5 hours after just five days. Thats why teens can sleep well into the afternoon on weekends.
Were not at 100 per cent without a good nights sleep. A generation ago, it was customary for doctors in their residencies to work 24 to 48 hours without a break. This was found to be harmful for the doctors and the patients.
When we are sleep-deprived, we are not at our best. We are less alert and more forgetful. We are slower to react and our judgment is impaired. Imperfect as we are, we are more imperfect. We make more mistakes.
Those mistakes can be serious if you are a doctor or nurse making life and death decisions, an airline pilot, a NASA engineer, the captain of a ship, or the driver of an automobile. Consider the many moments throughout your day where a sleep-deprived error can have serious repercussions.
How can you tell if you are getting enough sleep? Ask yourself three questions.
Do you feel well rested when you awaken in the morning? If its easy for you to make the transition into your mornings activities, youre probably getting enough rest. Its not just about logging enough hours in bed; the quality of your sleep matters just as much.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing so many times during the night that the oxygen level in their blood is abnormally low. They commonly feel less rested in the morning than they did going to bed. They experience daytime sleepiness and can fall asleep easily during the quiet times of the day.
Are you alert throughout the day?
Making stupid mistakes doesnt mean were stupid. We all make them when we are rushed, inattentive or just sleep-deprived. What kind of mistakes do you make each day? How attentive are you in your conversations with others?
When you finally roll into bed, how quickly do you fall asleep? If youre sound asleep the moment your head hits the pillow, youve likely accrued a sleep debt.
Next: The Special Challenges of Shift Work, and Practical Strategies for a Good Nights Sleep.
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a physician and writer. You can find his posts at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.
