SLEEP
For all the fascination sleep holds---why do we do it? what do
dreams mean?--a top snooze expert insists that the most important thing
about our nightly repose is that we get it.
"Out of the vast ocean of knowledge about sleep," writes William
Dement, M.D., Ph.D., in his new book, The Promise of Sleep (Delacorte,
1999), "nothing is more Important than the topic of sleep debt." Not only
is sleep deprivation the likely cause of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, he
says, but being drowsy during the day also leads to car accidents and
work tragedies, not to mention a general loss of reasoning and thinking
ability: "Daytime alertness is the number one determinant of mental
functions." A longtime researcher in the field of sleep, Dement found in
1988 that of a group of people who said daytime sleepiness was no
problem, only I in 10 was optimally alert. Furthermore, a 1997 study by
the National Sleep Foundation found that at least 75% of adults feel
drowsy during the day. Dement has even deemed the lack of concern about
sleep deprivation a national emergency.
How to adopt what he calls a sleep-smart lifestyle? Three concepts
to remember: First, people should try to maximize their sleep efficiency.
People who are sleep-deprived fall asleep instantly, while well-rested
folks take longer to fall asleep and wake more during the night, so they
are in bed for longer. Just as an extreme lack of sleep may be
counterproductive, so is too much. Second, pay attention to what times of
day you're naturally more alert and when you tend to slump, and shift
your work and sleep schedule accordingly. Finally, don't feel guilty
about sleeping late, if that's what your body needs. "Sleep quotas are
biologically fixed," says Dement. "Some people need 10 hours of nightly
sleep like their shoe is a size 10."
PHOTO (COLOR): "Out of the vast ocean of knowledge about
sleep"
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