Font ResizeSeventy million Americans have trouble sleeping. Here in Alaska, sleep matters more than in many other parts of the country. Light has as much to do with sleep as a good mattress. In this I-Team investigation, we take a closer look at why so many of us aren't sleeping and get some sound advice on what to do about it.
It's a snapshot of our lives: constant motion, full of speed, drive and adrenaline. It's no wonder it's catching up with our sleep.
"We used to think you kinda parked the car in the garage, turned the motor off and that was it. Then you turned the car engine back on in the morning," said Dr. Anne Morris, Medical Director, Providence Sleep Disorder Center.
Not only can we "not" turn the motor off, we're also taking on all the same things with two and a half to three hours less sleep. For shift workers like myself, it's considerably worse. A good portion of my day is spent driving. I'm often looking at my fourth cup of coffee of the day before my real work begins at 10 p.m. On a good night, I'm in bed by 2 a.m.
"We don't in particular, in this country, recognize the importance of sleep," said Morris.
In fact, sleep is as important
The third mate at the helm during the 1989, oil spill hadn't slept in 48 hours, contributing to the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Now meet Chris Nesbett, who basically hadn't slept in two years.
"It affected my memory, gave me headaches. I never felt rested. I became very lethargic, gained extra weight," said Nesbett.
It would be an entire year before Nesbett had the courage to seek help. He turned to the Providence Sleep Disorder Center, one of the most respected programs in the country. Nesbett participated in a sleep study, where for an entire night, his sleep was monitored and analyzed.
"One evening, one night, it didn't even take a day," said Nesbett.
The diagnosis? Sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition where the airway collapses during sleep, cutting off the air supply. Patients with this condition often snore.
"This quiet time is literally when his airways collapsed. He's not ...and then..he wakes up..grabs a couple of breaths, trying to get his oxygen level back up," said Morris.
Morris has worked with all kinds of sleep patients: from insomniacs, to those suffering from restless leg syndrome.
"We're monitoring the heart rate. This patient's doing fine. Here we have airflow," said Morris.
Regardless of the condition, whether you have trouble staying asleep or falling asleep, what surprised us was how the brain comes into play, even when the mind loses consciousness (which is what sleep is). In fact, many of the wires that sleep patients are hooked up to during monitoring can pinpoint what stage of sleep they're in, if they're dreaming and how they're breathing.
"Our wires don't produce anything. All they do is pick up your own signal from your body, to your brain waves, respiration, your heart, leg movements, snoring," said Morris.
Despite having 85 official sleep disorders in this country, most of us aren't sleeping because of poor sleep hygiene.
Yes, there really is such a thing.
"We need some unwind time, just like with your children. You read them a story, they take a bath and you kind of get them slowly unwound into sleep. Adults really need that type of gradual change over, as well," said Morris.
Good sleep hygiene means waking up at the same time everyday. Believe it or not, this is more important than what time you go to sleep. It also means watching our weight. Overweight people tend to have more trouble sleeping through the night.
You've heard it said before, but stress is why a lot of us are losing sleep. Try writing all your problems down before you go to bed then, literally, stick them in a drawer. Finally, the soundest sleepers are typically ones who avoid caffeine, nicotine and heavy meals before bed.
A challenge to living in Alaska is balancing our circadian rhythms, or internal clocks. The constant changes in light make that more difficult.
"In the winter I have a hard time staying awake...and in the summer, I just have a hard time sleeping. It's hard to go to bed when it's so nice outside,” said Stephen, Anchorage resident.
"You're making it very hard for your brain to remember, 'Okay this is my sleep-wake cycle.' Light in the morning is the clue that turns our brains to wake up and get going again,” said Morris.
Nesbitt is on the move, more now, than he's ever been. He has to sleep with a device, called a c-pap machine, that gives him more oxygen at night. Nesbitt believes he's a testament to how taking control of your sleep can help you take control of your life.
"I've lost over 100 pounds total since then, and still going down. Everything is better," said Nesbitt.
To contact Raegan, call 907-273-3186
