By Brandi Watters, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — Getting enough sleep?
A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that at least 10 percent of adults are getting insufficient rest.
The study, released Oct. 30, notes that 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders and in a state-by-state comparison, West Virginians are the most sleep-deprived Americans.
Dr. Pablo Molina runs the sleep lab at Saint John’s Health System and said losing sleep can be more dangerous than most people think.
“We know that people who sleep less than eight hours every night, those we call ‘short sleepers,’ have higher mortality.”
Lack of sleep can also lead to a compromised immune system, he said.
This could make a person more susceptible to viruses such as seasonal flu and H1N1 flu virus.
Scientists don’t yet understand why it happens, but Molina said sleep deprivation can also lead to weight gain.
A hormone, ghrelin, is released when a person gets insufficient sleep, he said.
This causes an increase in appetite and may lead to overeating.
So, what’s the right amount?
Molina said adults should get no less than eight hours of sleep each night.
That number increases as the age decreases.
School-aged children should get 10 to 11 hours each night and young children should get no less than 12 hours of sleep.
“Sometimes parents don’t realize that if you put them to bed at 10 o’ clock, they are not going to get enough sleep on the school day,” Molina said.
Lately, child sleep deprivation is becoming more common, he said.
Sleep deprivation can lead to poor performance at school for children, but can also affect the skills of adults.
“When we test them for psycho-motor skills, testing for alertness, driving on computer, memory, and reading comprehension, they were impaired,” Molina said.
Many sleep-deprived adults suffer from sleep disorders.
Jeannette Pickett, a receptionist in Molina’s office, suffers from the most common disorder — sleep apnea.
While asleep, she actually stops breathing without waking up.
Pickett underwent two sleep studies and now wears a breathing apparatus to bed each night.
If she doesn’t wear the special mask, Pickett said the next day is a blur. “I’m very sluggish. I lose focus very easily. Working in a fast-paced environment like I do, if I don’t get a good night’s sleep, it can cause a lot of problems for me.”
With so much at stake, Pickett doesn’t risk not getting a good night’s sleep.
Contact Brandi Watters 640-4847, brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com
