June 29, 2021

Statement has been endorsed by more than 25 medical, scientific, patient, and safety organizations

A new position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine emphasizes that sleep is a biological necessity, and insufficient sleep and untreated sleep disorders are detrimental for health, well-being, and public safety.

Published online in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the statement notes that sleep is vital for health and well-being in children, adolescents, and adults. While awareness of the value of sleep has risen in the last decade, there is a significant need for greater emphasis on sleep health in education, clinical practice, inpatient and long-term care, public health promotion, and the workplace.

“Healthy sleep is as important as proper nutrition and regular exercise for our health and well-being, and sleep is critical for performance and safety,” said AASM President Dr. Kannan Ramar. “It is the position of the AASM that sleep is essential to health, and we are urging educators, health care professionals, government agencies, and employers to prioritize the promotion of healthy sleep.”

The statement was written by the members of the 2020 – 2021 AASM board of directors, comprising 11 sleep medicine physicians and a clinical psychologist. In recognition of sleep’s significant and multi-faceted connections to health and chronic disease, the authors outlined the following positions:

• Sleep education should have a prominent place in K-12 and college health education, medical school and graduate medical education, and educational programs for other health professionals.
• Clinicians should routinely inquire about sleep habits and symptoms of sleep and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders during patient encounters, and hospitals and long-term care facilities should optimize sleep conditions.
• Healthy sleep should be targeted by public health and workplace interventions to improve health-related outcomes, and behaviors that help people attain healthy sleep should be actively promoted.
• More sleep and circadian research is needed to further elucidate the importance of sleep for public health and the contributions of insufficient sleep to health disparities.

“Education about sleep and sleep disorders is lacking in medical school curricula, graduate medical education, and education programs for other health professionals,” said Ramar. “Better sleep health education will enable our health care workforce to provide more patient-centered care for people who have common sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.”

According to the authors, chronic insufficient sleep and untreated sleep disorders are linked to increased health and safety risks such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, workplace accidents, and motor vehicle crashes. Data from surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau show that 34.1% of children, 74.6% of high school students, and 32.5% of adults in the U.S. fail to get a sufficient duration of sleep on a regular basis. Therefore, helping people get enough sleep is one of the goals of Healthy People 2030, which provides 10-year, measurable public health objectives for the U.S.

The AASM position statement declaring that sleep is essential to health has been endorsed by more than 25 medical, scientific, patient, and safety organizations:

• Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners
• American Academy of Cardiovascular Sleep Medicine
• American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
• American Academy of Neurology
• American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery
• American Academy of Physician Assistants
• American Association of Clinical Endocrinology
• American Association of Sleep Technologists
• American College of Preventive Medicine
• American Geriatrics Society*
• American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
• American Society of Addiction Medicine
• American Society of Anesthesiologists*
• American Thoracic Society
• Circadian Sleep Disorders Network
• International REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group
• National Safety Council
• National Sleep Foundation
• Obesity Action Coalition
• Project Sleep
• Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
• Sleep Research Society
• Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
• Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine
• Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine
• Start School Later
• Wake Up Narcolepsy
• World Sleep Society

*The American Geriatrics Society supports the general principles in the document and believes it is of general benefit to its membership. The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Administrative Council approved support for the position statement with qualifications; since the document has neither been presented to nor approved by either the ASA Board of Directors or House of Delegates, it is not an official or approved statement or policy of the Society. Variances from the recommendations contained in the document may be acceptable based on the judgment of the responsible anesthesiologist.

February 19, 2021

Are Sleep Trackers Accurate? Here's what researchers currently know

By Matthew Reid, University of Oxford

An estimated one in three people report regular sleep complaints. So it’s hardly surprising people are more concerned than ever about getting enough sleep. This blossoming interest has seen an explosion of sleep trackers which measure how many hours of sleep you get each night.

As we sleep, we go through cycles of “deep”, “light” and “rapid eye movement” (REM) sleep. The “deep” portion of our sleep is mainly what leaves us feeling refreshed the next day. Most sleep trackers are a watch worn on the wrist, and work by monitoring your body movements as you sleep to determine how much time you probably spent awake versus asleep. Some devices also look at heart rate changes during sleeping to estimate how much time you spent in each sleep cycle.

Despite their popularity, only a few studies have investigated how accurate sleep devices are. So far, research has found that compared to polysomnography tests – which experts use to diagnose sleep disorders – sleep trackers are only accurate 78% of the time when identifying sleep versus wakefulness. This accuracy drops to around 38% when estimating how long it took participants to fall asleep.

Polysomnography tests are the most accurate because they track a person’s brain waves, heart rate, breathing, blood oxygen levels, and body and eye movements during sleep through electrodes attached to the skin and scalp. Analysing brain wave patterns is the only definitive way of knowing whether someone is awake or asleep, and to know what stage of sleep they’re in.

But since sleep trackers are worn on the wrist, they make their estimates of nightly sleep by measuring body movement and sometimes heart rate data. As we move frequently during all stages of sleep, movement provides few clues about what sleep stage we’re in. Many sleep devices also fail to differentiate one stage of sleep from another based on motion alone.

Given many consumer sleep devices haven’t been compared against polysomnography tests, it’s difficult to determine their accuracy rate. Furthermore, the algorithms which companies use to make predictions about sleep are unknown, making it difficult for scientists to identify whether the assumptions made by the sleep devices are valid.

Studies also show sleep devices underperform in people with insomnia. People with insomnia tend to remain very still in bed in an attempt to fall asleep. But as sleep trackers only measure movement, one study found watches were unable to differentiate sleep from wakefulness in people with insomnia.

Watches that incorporate heart rate data tend to be slightly more accurate when measuring sleep duration because heart rate fluctuates during different sleep stages. However, even in devices that do track heart rate, many experts are still uncertain of their accuracy because of the limited research on them, and because of the differences between each device. For example, one study of heart rate sleep trackers showed that two consumer devices tended to underestimate the amount of deep sleep wearers obtained by as much as 46 minutes.

Sleep anxiety

Ultimately, this leads to the question of whether knowing about our sleep is actually beneficial to us. After all, one of the best ways to stay awake is to try really hard to go to sleep. It sounds counterintuitive, but we see this clinically in patients with chronic insomnia, for whom excessive pre-occupation with sleep causes anxiety and low mood over sleep loss – leading to further sleeplessness.

A study published by our research group showed this effect can be worsened by sleep watches. Participants were given sleep watches and asked to complete measures of mood, daytime thinking processes and sleepiness at regular periods throughout the day. However, the “sleep score” given by their watches was manipulated to show either an increased or a decreased quality of sleep. The amount and quality of sleep participants in both groups got was the same.

The study found that those who were told they had a poor night’s sleep showed lower mood, difficulties with daytime thinking processes and increased sleepiness. Those who were told they had a great night’s sleep showed the opposite.

This shows us that data from these sleep trackers could change your emotional state and concentration levels during the day – even if the readings are accurate. Given people who experience poor sleep may be more likely to use sleep tracking devices, this could be a concern as it may potentially worsen mental health issues.

While few studies have examined this link so far, one report highlighted more patients are seeking treatment for perceived sleep difficulties as a result of feedback from sleep trackers. Even when such complaints are refuted by a polysomnography test, watches continue to provide a source of sleep-related anxiety. Since studies have shown overuse of wearable devices (such as those used during exercise) increase health anxiety and depression, there’s concerns sleep devices may have a similar effect.

While sleep devices might be useful for those who have generally good sleep but are interested in tracking or establishing a better routine, people who have poor sleep or mental health conditions may want to avoid them. But the best metric for measuring how good your sleep was is to see how you feel each day. If you’re tired and struggling to concentrate, then going to bed a bit earlier each night may help you feel more rested – no device necessary.

Matthew Reid, Post Doctoral Researcher, Sleep and Circadian Neurosciences, University of Oxford

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

June 21, 2018

By Kris Schanilec

For many people who have Alzheimer’s disease, evenings are difficult. Right around sundown, uneasy feelings and confusion start to flow. The person may become forgetful, agitated – even aggressive, and start pacing or wandering. These symptoms can last through the night and make it tough for anyone in the household to get a good night’s sleep.

Could it be that these behaviors – known as nighttime agitation, or “sundowning” – are caused by RLS? And could treating the RLS lessen the nighttime agitation symptoms?

Researchers led by Kathy Richards, PhD, at the University of Texas at Austin are working to answer these questions. Dr. Richards and co-investigator Christine Kovach, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have been awarded a $3.9 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Aging to evaluate whether there is an association between nighttime agitation and RLS in people who have Alzheimer’s disease.

“Nighttime agitation is the No. 1 reason why people with Alzheimer’s cannot be cared for at home,” says Dr. Richards. “If we can find a better and more precise way to treat nighttime agitation, we can improve the quality of life for many persons who are living with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Nighttime agitation is often treated with powerful antipsychotic drugs, which are only moderately effective and carry with them serious risks, such as falls, stroke and death.

Because nighttime agitation has a strong circadian component and shares symptoms with RLS, Dr. Richards and others have long postulated that for some people, undiagnosed RLS could be the underlying cause. In a previous study led by Dr. Richards, researchers examined symptoms in 59 people who had Alzheimer’s disease and nighttime agitation. They found that 24 percent of participants also had RLS.

In the current research, the team will validate this result in a pilot study – an eight-week, double-blind, randomized controlled trial with 136 long-term care residents who have nighttime agitation and RLS. Participants will receive either gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant, an FDA-approved medication for treating RLS) or a placebo. Data from the study will also help discern the effectiveness, safety and optimal dosage of gabapentin enacarbil for treating nighttime agitation, as well as whether the frequency of RLS symptoms may be linked to nighttime agitation.

The researchers will use a tool newly developed by Dr. Richards called the Behavioral Indicators Test-Restless Legs. This test includes a brief 20-minute observation and simple set of questions for caregivers. Previous studies have shown the tool to be an effective way to diagnose RLS in people who have Alzheimer’s, and one that has potential for future use with children and others who don’t have the ability to report their symptoms.

RLS Foundation Executive Director Karla Dzienkowski visited the University of Texas in May, where she gave a presentation about RLS and met with Dr. Richards’ team to extend the RLS Foundation’s support for the research endeavor. “Cognitively impaired seniors with RLS may have difficulty expressing RLS symptoms causing an inability to sit or lie still during the evening or nighttime hours,” says Dzienkowski. “This study will ensure seniors with cognitive impairments are accurately diagnosed and receive proper treatment to manage their RLS symptoms.”

Dr. Richards emphasizes that while there is no evidence suggesting that RLS causes Alzheimer’s, the study may show that it’s important for caregivers of people with any type of dementia to watch for possible signs of RLS that can then be treated to potentially reduce nighttime agitation.

It all comes down to quality of life for people who have dementia, says Richards. “I hope they will be more comfortable, and that they – and their caregivers – can get a good night’s sleep.”

Kathy Richards, PhD, is a member of the RLS Foundation Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. Read more about her research on the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing newsletter.

By Jeffrey S. Durmer, MD, PhD

This is an excerpt from the fall 2017 edition of NightWalkers, the Foundation's quarterly magazine. To get your subscription to NightWalkers and to enjoy other benefits, become a member of the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation today!

Please note: The RLS Foundation does not endorse or promote any goods, products or services. The opinions and suggestions in this article are of the author only, and not of the RLS Foundation, its employees or its Board of Directors.

A paradox about sleep is that it only happens when we stop trying to do it. And when it arrives, we are generally unaware until it’s over. For some, this evokes feelings like, “I have no control over my sleep,” which is a common experience, especially for those who suffer with insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, and restless legs syndrome. With the advent of widely available personal technology to measure the ethereal state of sleep, many now can begin to take control using the science of sleep. And it could not be more timely, as our generational sleep loss in the US continues to accelerate.

Home sleep apnea testing and portable sleep monitoring is decidedly replacing laboratory polysomnography throughout our healthcare system. The use of medical-grade mobile sleep technology began in the 1990s, and now the growing industry of sleep tech has pivoted directly to consumers. With the introduction of sophisticated heart-rate, temperature sensing, geoposition, wrist-worn accelerometers and ballistocardiography backed up by complex algorithms; the length of wake cycles, length of sleep cycles and depth of sleep can be measured each night at home on a continuous basis. Many different platforms support various forms of smartphones, tablets, laptops, watches, and even clothing to collect data in real time. For some, these high-tech metrics foster a new relationship with sleep and can even help identify medically relevant sleep conditions. For others, sleep-based technologies do nothing but invite potential sleep loss due to novelty and light, which impedes and overcomplicates the simple act of sleep.

In my opinion, the use of sleep tech is a personal choice. Every individual has a different circumstance and a different set of sleep issues and/or goals. Technology can be a useful tool for those trying to enhance sleep, but also a distraction if taken too far. Here are some examples of unique sleep tech devices that could enhance one person’s sleep sanctuary, or inadvertently turn another’s bedroom into a torture chamber.

For the bed or bedroom

IntelliBED: A bed made with a novel matrix of gel to allow airflow around your body while you sleep. The unique waffle-like structure of the gel creates a support that conforms to the curves of the body without the typical pressure and movement of a traditional mattress.

ChiliPad: An innovative bed pad with micro-channels that allow circulating water from a thermostat-controlled bedside cooling/heating circulator. Users can choose the temperature of their sleep surface and thermostatically maintain it without changing the room temperature.

Dreampad: A pillow with integrated transducers that gently stimulate the inner ear through the skull using low frequency sounds. The resultant activation of the parasympathetic nervous system helps to reduce arousal and induce sleep. Research with conductive auditory systems like this have demonstrated significant benefits for children and adults who have hyperarousal conditions.

LumiFi: A circadian rhythm, technology-based design firm that implements hour-to-hour transitional lighting systems using wavelength and amplitude modulation to enhance arousal throughout the day, and prepare the brain and body for sleep. Lighting Science HealthE lights: A series of LED light bulbs designed to enhance wake and sleep based on the neurobiology of wavelength and amplitude modulation of the circadian rhythm system.

If you want to improve your sleep, here are some tech devices and tech-enabled programs to consider:

Dodow: A bedside breathing trainer designed to activate your parasympathetic nervous system to calm your physiology in preparation for sleep. It projects a subtle light on the ceiling to slow your breathing cycle and induce a calm state before sleep.

Calm.com: A mobile application with mindfulness meditation programming, sleep stories and multiple daily relaxation practices that train you how to calm your nervous system before sleep or any time throughout the day. (They even have a program to help reduce road rage while commuting.)

Whil.com: An online series of mindfulness, resilience and sleep practices that are tailored to an individual’s needs using algorithmic assessments and personalized recommendations. Programming includes multiple sleep practices, as well as a new four-week, neuroscience- and psychology-based program to synchronize the mind and body for better sleep.

Sleepio: A well-validated online cognitive behavioral therapy program for insomnia. This is an interactive, six- to eight-week clinical training program for individuals who suffer with insomnia or who want to improve their sleep using clinically proven techniques. Originally developed by Dr. Colin Espie, a wellknown sleep psychologist and researcher, the program has been the subject of many research studies, as well as adopted as a standard in clinical sleep practices.

SHUTi: A well-validated online cognitive behavioral therapy program for insomnia, similar to Sleepio. Developed by researchers at the University of Virginia and Dr. Charles Morin, a famous sleep researcher and clinician, this six- to eight-week program is noted to treat insomnia and depression.

If measuring your sleep is your thing, here are a few of the most interesting devices available:

Emfit QS: A ballistocardiography device that is placed under the mattress to detect movement, breathing and heart rate, and provides sleep stage classification. It tracks and measures heart rate variability, recovery and stress levels – all of which can be viewed by the accompanying web application. It is best known for its use by athletes in the fitness industry and professional sports world due to its ability to track heart rate variability and the impact of training.

Beddit 3 Sleep Monitor: Also a ballistocardiography device that is placed under the mattress with similar features to the Emfit QS. It comes with an iPhone application to detect snoring and provides an automated sleep score based on algorithms that integrate a wide range of data collected from a sleeping individual.

In addition to the ballistocardiography devices, which live in your bed, there are many wrist-worn accelerometers and smartphone apps on the market. These devices claim to measure various “levels” of sleep (deep, light and normal) as well as “stages” (REM sleep) and even “restless sleep” and wake. The variability of values and differing sensitivities of these devices is quite wide ranging. (For an interesting, though not scientifically valid, comparison of devices, see sleep.cs.brown.edu/comparison.)

The fact that 33 percent of adults and 67 percent of high school students in the US do not even get the appropriate amount of sleep, let alone have any knowledge about their quality of sleep, underscores the potential importance of this technology. Scientific validation or not, might consumer sleep tech help a generation turn the tide on the American sleep deficit? Time will tell. But now, at least we can measure what’s behind the wall of sleep.

Jeffrey S. Durmer, MD, PhD, is an adjunct professor at Georgia State University and a co-founder and chief medical officer of FusionHealth, a healthcare workflow technology company that provides solutions for people with sleep disorders and sleep problems.

Dr. Durmer's current work focuses on applying the neuroscience of sleep and circadian rhythm biology to workplace fatigue and wellbeing programs, as well as the use of technology-enabled population sleep-health delivery systems. Among his past achievements is development of the first standardized clinical interview tool for pediatric RLS. Dr. Durmer is a member of the RLS Foundation Scientific and Medical Advisory Board.

May 8, 2017

Causes and Consequences of Sleep Deprivation in American Teenagers

By Kris Schanilec

An excerpt from the Fall 2016 edition of NightWalkers, the Foundation's quarterly magazine.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) launched the “Sleep Recharges You” campaign in August 2016 to help teens and families learn the facts about sleep, the benefits it brings to health and wellbeing, and the risks associated with not getting enough.

For teenagers in the United States, the sleep situation is “dire,” according to the AASM. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported in April that 69 percent of teens surveyed said they sleep fewer than eight hours per night, on average (1). Yet the AASM recommends they get eight to ten hours of sleep for optimal health.

In June, the AASM published “Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations,” (2) a consensus statement developed by a panel of 13 sleep experts who reviewed 864 published scientific articles related to sleep duration and health in children. The recommendations align with guidelines previously published by the National Sleep Foundation and are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Many children are not getting enough sleep,” says Shilini Paruthi, MD, who led the AASM panel. “The evidence is there that sleep deprivation has a huge impact on children’s ability to function, and function well during the day … and it’s preventable.”

Risks Associated with Too Little, or Too Much Sleep

In the consensus statement, the AASM reports the behavioral associations found with sleep deprivation, including attention, behavior and learning problems. Lack of sleep also increases the likelihood of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

Lack of sleep also significantly increases teens’ risk of drowsy driving accidents, according to the AASM. The National Sleep Foundation likens the functional level of a drowsy driver to someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.8%, which is illegal in most states. And there is such a thing as too much sleep, per the studies reviewed by the expert panel. Regularly sleeping more than the recommended hours may be associated with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and mental health problems, according to the AASM statement.

In contrast, sleeping the recommended number of hours is associated with positive outcomes, such as improved attention, learning, behavior, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health.

Parents: Be on the Lookout for Sleep Issues

Families should watch for signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation in their teens. These may include problems with grades, attention and behavior at school – even athletic performance, according to Dr. Paruthi.

“Teens with too little sleep are at higher risk of injuries, and their recovery times from injury can be longer…. Sleep deprivation can also affect interpersonal relationships. Parents may see that children may not be getting along with others as well, or even at home,” she says.

When sleep is lacking, teens and their caregivers can take practical steps to get the right amount (see “How much sleep do children need?” at left below). If problems persist, then it’s time for families to make an appointment with a pediatrician – and if they aren’t getting sufficient answers there, then they should seek help from a board-certified sleep specialist.

“It’s very important that parents and clinicians suspecting sleep disorders take it seriously. Children do get sleep apnea, RLS and insomnia, and these can all be treated, even in children,” says Dr. Paruthi. “RLS is an example. A lot of kids are misdiagnosed with growing pains, and yet there are quite effective treatments.”

School Start Times Are A Factor

One of the drivers of sleep issues in teens is a change in circadian rhythm that typically occurs with puberty and shifts the body clock about two hours later in the 24-hour cycle. Yet even as their bodies crave the late nights, teens may still start school at 7:30 in the morning – or for schools that offer “zero period” classes, as early as 6:30 am.

In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement recommending that middle and high schools delay the start of class to 8:30 am or later to “align school schedules to the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents.”

Some studies have shown a benefit from later start times. In a 2014 study involving eight public high schools in three states, schools that delayed their start times until 8:30 saw improvement in students’ academic performance and attendance. In one school, the number of teen car crashes decreased by 70 percent (3).

But a later start time can pose real challenges for communities – for example, in coordinating with bus schedules and family work schedules. The AASM encourages parents to present the recommendations to their local school boards and work with them to set optimal school start times so that teens can get the healthy sleep they need.

1 Wheaton AG, Olsen EO, Miller GF, et al. 2016. “Sleep Duration and Injury-Related Risk Behaviors Among High School Students–United States, 2007–2013.” MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016 65(13): 337–41.

2 Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. 2016. “Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.” J Clin Sleep Med. 12(6): 785–6.

3 Wahlstrom, K., Dretzke, B., Gordon, M., et al. 2014. “Examining the Impact of Later School Start Times on the Health and Academic Performance of High School Students: A Multi-Site Study.” Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. St Paul, MN: University of Minnesota.

RLS is believed to afflict an estimated 1.5 million children and adolescents. Visit our website to access resources for teens and kids with RLS.

Genetic Connections Discovered Between Sleep and Some Medical Disorders

A recent study in December 2016 by a team of American and British researchers unearthed genetic connections between sleep disturbance and a range of medical disorders.

For the very first time, areas of the genome that are associated with sleep disturbance (like insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness and restless legs syndrome) were identified, while also discovering new genetic links with several medical conditions, including RLS, schizophrenia and obesity.

How did they do it? Researchers studied the health and life history of more than 112,000 individuals taking part in the UK Biobank study. Participants reported their sleep duration, the degree of insomnia/daytime sleepiness, and then had their genes mapped. Health information including weight and disease diagnoses was also included. Researchers then compared the biological controllers of sleep duration, insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness, and how these linked to the surveyed individuals.

These researchers discovered eight genes that may contribute to sleep issues - the first to be specifically linked to insomnia. Their findings revealed that a portion of the genes that are most strongly linked to sleep disturbances were also linked to RLS, insulin resistance, depression, schizophrenia and obesity.

This marks the first time that sleep disorders and these conditions have been connected at a molecular level, increasing our understanding of the relationship between biology and sleep.

The paper that resulted from the study, "Genome-wide association analyses of sleep disturbance traits identify new loci and highlight shared genetics with neuropsychiatric and metabolic traits," was published in the scientific journal Nature Genetics. The article is available for purchase.

Read the HealthCanal article to learn more about this groundbreaking discovery!

Helpful Links for RLS Sufferers who Want to Learn More

Below is a presentation from the Foundation's 2016 educational webinar series, "Coping with RLS and What Sleep Deprivation Does to You." This webinar is presented by Dr. Jeffery Durmer, CMO of FusionHealth and member of the RLS Foundation Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. Visit www.rls.org for more information about our webinar series and other Foundation programs!



Additionally, this Buzzfeed article has some great infographics about tips for getting a good night's sleep!

Important Tips to Help with Your Sleep Cycle

For RLS sufferers, it is oftentimes nearly impossible to fall and stay asleep. Many have reported to the Foundation that they get as little as 2-4 hours of sleep per night. When the recommended amount of sleep is 7-9 hours each night, such little sleep can have debilitating effects on waking life.

However, it is recommended for those with RLS to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, as regular exercise can significantly improve and stabilize the sleep cycle. Studies from the National Sleep Foundation have continuously shown us that:

1. Exercise reduces stress and tires us out, allowing us to have a longer and better quality sleep
2. Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy cost millions in medical costs and disrupt work and social lives
3. Those that exercise report getting a better quality of sleep than those who do not, and are less likely to have sleep issues

Exercise in the early hours of the morning or afternoon can have a positive effect on the natural circadian rhythm, or "sleep-wake cycle." Exercise raises the body's temperature for roughly four to five hours before gradually falling, thus helping one feel sleepy in the evening around bedtime. However, it is important to note that especially for RLS sufferers, rigorous exercise before bed should be avoided, since it can stimulate the brain and prevent one from falling asleep.

Meditation, yoga or light stretching are great options for easing RLS symptoms before bed, as they can help settle both the mind and body. Additionally, the Foundation's Sleep Diary is a great resources to help find sleep cycle patterns and potential RLS triggers.

Other suggestions for getting a good night's sleep include avoiding technology before bed, sticking to a consistent schedule and cultivating a relaxing evening ritual for yourself. Remember to refrain from any activity that your doctor has specifically told you to avoid. Read more about healthy lifestyle habits for RLS sufferers on our website.

Check out the original article about sleep and exercise and its great infographics at CapeCod.com.

Both Conditions Have Serious Consequences on Sleep Cycles

Like restless legs syndrome, migraines can be horribly debilitating. According to the Mayo Clinic , "a migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on just one side of the head. It's often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound."

In fact, two-thirds of individuals that participated in the Migraine in America 2016 survey , reported that their symptoms lasted five days or more. That's more than five days of excruciating pain, sometimes enough to be disabling.

To make matters worse, one in six reported that they also experience restless legs syndrome during a migraine attack. These are two serious conditions that interfere with sleep, potentially resulting in a decreased quality of life.

In fact, 66 percent of survey respondents said that lack of sleep could bring on a migraine. The irony is that migraines make it nearly impossible to fall into a restful sleep, yet sleep is one of the best tactics at soothing a migraine.

Read more about migraines and their adverse affects on various aspects of life in Reader's Digest.

The Link Between Sleep Disorders and Cardiovascular Health

On Sept. 19, the American Heart Association released a scientific statement confirming that sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia, are associated with negative cardiovascular health.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults get in at least seven hours of sleep every night. However, this is rarely the case. In fact, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, roughly 50 - 70 million adults in the U.S. each year report insufficient sleep or suffer from a sleep disorder.

With these new findings in mind, it was suggested that the AHA focus on sleep behavior through a public health campaign concerning proper sleep habits, as well as educating clinicians on how to screen for sleep disorders. Additionally, it was recommended that the impact of other sleep disorders, like restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement , be tested for their relation with cardiometabolic risk.

To read more about the AHA's statement, check out this article featured on Cardiovascular Business.