Can't Sleep? Sleep in Spurts?
What's the Worst Thing You Can Do if You Can't Fall Asleep?
June 18 2012
- A large volume of historical evidence indicates humans used to sleep in two four-hour intervals, with about an hour or two of wakefulness between the first and second sleep
- Those waking night time hours were oftentimes used for quiet contemplation and introspection, in addition to more active pastimes like making love. Today, many don’t take the time to contemplate their life and dreams anymore, which can increase anxiety, stress and depression
- Sleep is the outcome of an interaction between two classes of variables: sleepiness and "noise.” The most common forms of “noise” making sleep elusive are “cognitive popcorn,” light, and the wrong temperature
- An estimated six to 10 percent of US adults used some sort of hypnotic sleeping pill in 2010. But, as evidenced by a new study, using prescription sleeping pills can increase your risk of certain cancers—such as esophagus, lymphoma, lung, colon and prostate cancers—as well as increase your risk of premature death nearly four-fold
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve on -
Another article about sleep from Scientific American:
(Dis)United States of Sleep:
U.S.-Born Americans' Sleep Patterns
Differ from Those of Immigrants
An ability to get the right amount of shut-eye each night differs depending on race, ethnicity and your birthplace
Scientists have now found significant differences exist in how people sleep in the U.S. depending on race, ethnicity and country of origin, suggesting genetic or cultural differences in shut-eye patterns. This line of research could help identify how these disparities might affect health and find better ways to improve sleep.
Differences in sleep patterns might stem from genetic and anatomical variations between groups. For instance, past research suggests blacks and whites might sleep differently because of disparities in inflammation responses and that various groups might display distinctive the structure in their airways, influencing how they breathe during sleep, Pandey says.
Grandner notes such biological distinctions are embedded within a context of familial, cultural, neighborhood and other social factors. "It is only when we can come to grips with this multilayered environment that we can understand why different groups of people experience differences in sleep," he says. "If this seems too daunting, just remember that this is the exact sort of work that was recognized as needed for other domains of healthy behavior, such as healthy diet, adequate exercise, decreased alcohol use and decreased smoking."
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Permalink Reply by VIRGINIA CAMERON on
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Yes,waking is great for cuddling but I don't currently have a main squeeze. So.....this works for me,I listen to favourite books on CD to use the wake time positively. E. M. Forester,Room With a View takes me to a B&B in Florence Italy in 1910? Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher transports me to a small hamlet in Scotland,Peter Pan is not just for children and when I wake up some times I go to Neverland with Wendy and Peter!
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