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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Sleep Evaluation Should be Routine Medical Care Says
Editorial
Good sleep should be considered an essential
component of a healthy lifestyle, as much as exercise and nutrition
 September
18, 2006 - Sleep is an integral part of health, and assessment of sleep
habits should be a standard part of medical care, according to an
editorial in the September 18 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine,
which is devoted to studies of sleep and health. The magazine is one of
the Journal of the American Medical Association/Archives journals.
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Advice for Senior Citizens on Finding a Good Night's Sleep
So
many senior citizens complain of sleep problems that it has become
associated with natural aging. Research finds, however, that sleep problems
grow with the accumulation of illnesses, not years.
By
National Institute on Aging
September 18, 2006 - Since he retired, Edward dreads
going to bed at night. Hes afraid that when he turns off his light he will
just lie there with his eyes open and his mind racing. How can I break this
cycle? he asks. Im so tired I need to get some sleep.
Read more...
Read more
on
Health & Medicine or Aging, which is where most of our
reports about sleep are located. |
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Such a move would probably be welcomed news for
millions of senior citizens. Various studies have indicated a majority
of older Americans suffer with problems in trying to sleep. And,
although this has often been associated with aging, research shows it is
more closely related to illness than years of age.
The theme that emerges throughout this issue is
that sleep serves as an indicator of health and quality of life and
therefore is highly and directly relevant to the practice of medicine,
write guest editor Phyllis C. Zee, M.D., Ph.D., and Fred W. Turek,
Ph.D., of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.
Indeed, numerous studies have recently shown that
sleep disorders are often comorbid with a broad range of medical and
psychiatric conditions and also have a negative impact on health, mood
and quality of life, they continue. Increasing evidence also points to
a bidirectional relationship between sleep and health; that is, sleep
disturbances contribute to the development of or increase the severity
of various medical and psychiatric disorders, and these same disorders
result in poor sleep quality.
Research results published in this issue of
Archives of Internal Medicine further our understanding of the
relationship of sleep and health, Drs. Zee and Turek write. Studies
appearing in this issue find that:
● Fewer hours of sleep may contribute to poor
health in young adults, according to an international survey of more
than 17,000 university students
● Those in rural areas who sleep fewer hours
appear to have a higher average body mass index
● The immune system may play a role in
narcolepsy, a disorder marked by a sudden and uncontrollable urge to
sleep
● Children with chronic illnesses, especially
those on ventilators, tend to have parents with disrupted sleep
● The immune system may be affected by a lack
of sleep, altering blood chemistry in a way that potentially contributes
to inflammation and a variety of diseases
Over the past decade, it has become apparent that
voluntarily limited sleep, as well as sleep disorders such as insomnia
and restless legs syndrome, can negatively affect overall healtha
connection emphasized by the increasing legitimacy of sleep medicine as
a specialty.
In addition, medications used to treat a number of
physical and psychiatric disorders can affect sleep, making evaluation
for sleep problems essential for those following such regimens. At the
very least, assessment of sleep quantity and quality should be
integrated into the routine review of systems, Drs. Zee and Turek
conclude.
Sleep is an indicator of health, and sufficient
sleep quantity and good quality should be considered as an essential
component of a healthy lifestyle, as much as exercise and nutrition.
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