Can't sleep? It's not totally your fault
Nighttime itself was a risk. Slumber left people vulnerable to crime or death from fire or other natural disasters. Some prayers throughout history sought God's protection from the litany of threats adherents encountered in the dark, says Ekirch.
For those who are lucky enough to have access, modern marvels like central heating and air conditioning, comfortable beds, and even Tylenol have all but eliminated many of these barriers to sleep. 'We don't have to worry about the myriad perils to sound slumber and our physical well-being that people did 300, 400 years ago,' Ekirch says.
'We don't have to worry about the myriad perils to sound slumber and our physical well-being that people did 300, 400 years ago.'
Still, sleep doesn't come easily to millions of Americans. Over 14 percent of adults had trouble falling asleep most days in 2020, according to the National Health Interview Survey. Nearly just as many people — 12 percent — have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, according to an American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey. Among the 33 percent of US adults who get less than seven hours of sleep a night, native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and Black adults are the most likely to get shorter durations of shut-eye. Those with an annual household income of less than $15,000 are also likely to be sleep-deprived.
Despite seemingly prime conditions for sleep, why do so many suffer from restless nights? The most comfortable bed in the darkest room might not be enough to overcome a mix of environmental, systemic, and behavioral forces preventing quality slumber.
Modern lifestyles aren't ideal for sleep
American sleep culture is marked by contradictions.
Anyone who's endured a night of terrible sleep can attest to its importance in cognitive functioning, mood, hunger, and overall health. Yet, many people act in ways that sabotage their hope for a good night's sleep. We stay up later than we should to catch up on work or news or precious free time — what is sometimes called revenge bedtime procrastination. We consume content on our phones so upsetting or attention-grabbing as to prevent our falling asleep, although many of us know by now that screen use an hour before bed results in delayed bedtime and less sleep overall. We settle into bed and realize that late-afternoon coffee or nightcap too close to bedtime has come to collect its vengeance.
Some people innately need more sleep than others, and these so-called long sleepers simply cannot find the time in their busy schedules to devote to 10 hours of slumber. Try as we might to have it all, optimizing our waking hours might come at the detriment of our sleep. 'We're trying to have our cake and eat it, too,' Ekirch says. 'The less time we accord to sleep, the more perfect we want it to be for when we do nod off.'
Ironically, a population of people with no notable sleep issues has turned sleep into a competitive sport, leveraging mouth tape, expensive mattresses, and sleep trackers like the Oura Ring in pursuit of the perfect night's sleep. This fixation on enhancing sleep may actually do more to promote insomnia than peaceful slumber, experts say.
Most disruptions to sleep cannot be blamed on personal choices, though. Parents and other caregivers are among the most sleep-deprived, often contending with their children's inconsistent sleep schedules. And the sleep patterns of shift workers — which account for 20 percent of the US workforce — are dictated by their employers.
The ill effects of poor sleep can negatively impact mental health. The opposite is true, too: Mental distress has consequences for sleep. 'Stress, anxiety, weird work schedules,' says Jessi Pettigrew, a clinical social worker who focuses on sleep disorders, 'can lead to the development of sleep disorders like insomnia or circadian rhythm disorders, which basically means being misaligned with your biological sleep schedule because of social reasons.'
Environmental and systemic barriers can disrupt sleep
Outside of individual behavior, where we live has a role in sleep.
Not having the ability to control the temperature in your bedroom because you lack effective heating or air conditioning can be a barrier to sleep, Pettigrew says. If you feel unsafe in your environment, you're less likely to get restful slumber, too, she adds. This tends to impact people with housing insecurity, refugees, and those who are incarcerated.
Beyond the bedroom, noise and light pollution from bright street lights and traffic have been shown to interrupt sleep and contribute to insomnia — and those in low-income neighborhoods are more susceptible to these conditions.
'People who live in places with good natural light, green spaces, the ability to control the temperature and light and noise in their environment,' Pettigrew says, 'helps them to sleep better and better regulate their circadian rhythm during the day and sleep at night.'
All of our waking experiences impact our ability to sleep, says Anita Shelgikar, a neurology professor at the University of Michigan Medical School and the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine board of directors. And some of those waking experiences may be colored by racism and discrimination. Stress associated with racial discrimination has been linked to poor sleep. Among shift workers, people of color are more likely to work alternating day/night schedules, resulting in disrupted circadian rhythms. 'If that disrupts your sleep enough, that technically qualifies as shift-work sleep disorder,' says Jade Wu, a behavioral sleep medicine psychologist and author of Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications. This disorder is marked by excessive sleepiness, insomnia, or both.
The knock-on effects of altered sleep-wake schedules are profound, ranging from cardiovascular disease and obesity to mood and immune disorders. 'Sleep health disparities disproportionately affect the same populations who suffer from overall health disparities,' Shelgikar says.
Those in rural or low-income areas who generally lack access to healthcare, let alone specialized sleep medicine, may continue to suffer from poor sleep, in addition to any number of physical and mental health conditions. Without individualized care, Shelgikar says, the disparities may only widen.
How to overcome these sleep obstacles
If you work odd hours or have a fussy baby, hearing the common advice of keeping your room cool and dark and only retreating to bed when you're sleepy can seem trite. Wu suggests identifying the environmental or circumstantial reason you aren't getting restful sleep and doing whatever you can to mitigate it. For those who live in spaces that aren't conducive to sleep — hot bedrooms or the constant wail of sirens all night — there are few things people can do beyond getting a fan or earplugs, Wu says. People with means and flexibility can seek out a doctor specializing in sleep medicine to diagnose potential disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea.
If you work odd hours or have a fussy baby, hearing the common advice of keeping your room cool and dark and only retreating to bed when you're sleepy can seem trite.
But if your conditions for sleep are pretty good and you still struggle to get shut-eye, the key, according to Wu, may be to not obsess over it as much. 'What you see in people with insomnia is that they're trying too hard,' she says. 'They're tracking their sleep too closely. They are perfectionistic about their sleep hygiene and doing things like going to bed too early or trying to take too many naps, trying to achieve a certain number of hours of sleep, or a certain score on their sleep tracker.'
The human body was meant to sleep. And despite all the constructs and complications society throws our way, we still require sleep. Ironically, though, the more we fret over it, the more elusive it can become. As difficult as it seems, the best advice may be to surrender to the circadian rhythm. 'One thing that can help with sleep,' Pettigrew says, 'is just saying, I'm going to trust my body to take care of this.'
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CNET
21 minutes ago
- CNET
Is Trump's Chronic Venous Insufficiency Diagnosis Actually 'Benign'? A Vein Specialist Weighs In
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Blood is constantly fighting against gravity to return to the heart, so walking and activating the calf muscle helps the blood to be pumped back." : "This makes it harder for blood to move out of the legs, especially without movement. Blood is constantly fighting against gravity to return to the heart, so walking and activating the calf muscle helps the blood to be pumped back." Pregnancy : "Increased blood volume and hormone changes can put a strain on the venous system. In addition, the enlarged fetus and uterus also put pressure on the abdomen and pelvis, compressing the veins and impeding blood return, further increasing venous hypertension." : "Increased blood volume and hormone changes can put a strain on the venous system. In addition, the enlarged fetus and uterus also put pressure on the abdomen and pelvis, compressing the veins and impeding blood return, further increasing venous hypertension." 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"CVI is typically diagnosed by taking a thorough history and performing a physical examination followed by a duplex ultrasound, a noninvasive imaging test that visualizes blood flow and evaluates the function of the veins and their valves," says Nguyen. This test allows doctors to confirm venous reflux (when veins struggle to circulate blood back to the heart) and rule out other conditions like deep vein thrombosis. How is chronic venous insufficiency treated? Nguyen reports that CVI is treated with a combination of the following: compression therapy, lifestyle changes and minimally invasive procedures that close off or redirect blood flow from malfunctioning veins. "Today's advanced outpatient treatments typically take under an hour to complete, require little to no downtime, and are covered by insurance when medically necessary," he explains. "Patients can return to their normal routine immediately, with few restrictions." 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CNN
22 minutes ago
- CNN
Is Frozen Produce Healthier Than Fresh? - Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:03 Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. As you know, this podcast is one of my favorite podcasts because the best health conversations that I've heard often start with simple, honest questions. And that's what we try and address here each week. Kyra's back with us. What do we have first? Kyra Dahring 00:00:23 So first up today, this listener has a question sparked by a recent Chasing Life episode. And honestly, it kind of has me thinking back to that conversation too. Take a listen. Listener Question 00:00:35 I am following up on your episode with Dr. Tim Spector and he talks about 30 vegetables. What would be those 30 vegetables? And are frozen vegetables just as good as fresh vegetables? I've heard that they're better, hold their nutrients, vitamins, etc. Thank you. I look forward to hearing a podcast answering these questions. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:01 This is a really good question, are frozen vegetables actually healthy, or are they just plan B when fresh isn't available? I'm going to tell you the answer to that, plus really dig into what Dr. Spector meant about 30 vegetables right after this quick break. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:20 Okay, let's start with the 30 vegetable part of this. Here is a quick refresher of that Chasing Life episode with Dr. Tim Spector... Dr. Tim Spector 00:01:29 What I'm trying to do is give myself the room so I can have 30 different plants during my week. And that's that diversity of plants, which I think is probably the most crucial rule for nutrition. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:42 'Okay, so what does that mean? First of all, it does not mean you need to eat 30 vegetables a week. What he's really saying is try to eat thirty different plant-based foods each week. That could include vegetables, yes, but also fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, even some spices. So spinach and kale, for example, that's two. Apples and bananas, that is two more. Lentils, chia, garlic, turmeric, all of it counts. What we're getting at is this idea that really comes from the American Gut Project, which found that people who ate 30 or more different plants a week have more diverse gut bacteria. And that's linked to better digestion, less inflammation, and stronger immunity. So yeah, you want to eat a variety of foods. Again, it doesn't mean 30 different vegetables, but just think about plant-based foods and incorporating at least 30 different plant-based foods into your diet every week. It's not that hard to do. It's important to do, but not enough people do it. Now, onto frozen vegetables. So the short answer to your question, yes frozen veggies are a healthy choice. In many cases, they're just as nutritious as fresh vegetables, and sometimes, importantly, even more so. Here's why: vegetables meant for freezing are picked at their peak ripeness. That's when they're most nutrient rich. They are then typically blanched, which means they are briefly dipped in hot water to stop spoilage, and then they are flash frozen. And that's what locks in most of their nutrients. Now it is true that some heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C, that may dip slightly during the blanching process. But overall, studies have shown frozen vegetables, frozen veggies, have nutrient levels that are very similar to fresh and sometimes even higher. Especially if that fresh produce has been sitting around for days. Now, another key point here, frozen veggies are actually really good at holding onto their nutrients. Fresh produce starts losing vitamins the moment they are picked and continues to lose them in transport and storage in your refrigerator. Frozen vegetables don't keep losing nutrients the way fresh ones do. So, frozen vegetables, they're a win. In so many ways, including cost and convenience and variety. They last longer. They're often more affordable, and they can help you get to that 30 plant-based foods a week, even when something's out of season. Do check the labels. Some frozen veggies come with sauces, and that can add a lot of stuff you don't want, unneeded fat and sodium and preservatives. When you're cooking your veggies from frozen, go for lightly steaming or microwaving. Why? To help preserve the nutrients and the texture. There's no need to thaw first. And finally, a simple trick, add a squeeze of lemon after cooking to brighten flavor and also add a little bit of that vitamin C back in that I was talking about earlier. Bottom line, whether your vegetables are fresh or frozen, the goal is imperfection, it's variety. Keep it colorful, mix it up, and yes, frozen definitely counts. Now, coming up. It's become quite popular and makes some pretty remarkable health promises, but what does pink Himalayan salt actually do for you? We have that in just a moment. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:05:17 All right, Kyra, what do we have next? Kyra Dahring 00:05:19 Yes, we got this next question from a listener who is wondering about a health trend that some of us might have seen on social media. Here's what she asked. Listener Fran 00:05:28 Hi, my name is Fran and I'm 70 years old. I am calling in to find out about all the studies on pink Himalayan salt. There are people that drink Himalayan salt with lemon water in the morning and what it's good for. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:05:44 'Okay Fran, thank you so much for your question about pink Himalayan salt. It's definitely popular right now. I think we have some sitting in our own kitchen. Interestingly the salt primarily comes from a mine in Pakistan near but not in the Himalayas. The pink color comes from trace minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which some people think makes it healthier than regular table salt. Just a side note by the way, sea salt also contains many of these same minerals. And sure, pink Himalayan salt tends to be less processed than table salt, which is refined, table salt is to remove impurities, they may contain anti-caking agents as well in table salt and oftentimes it's fortified with iodine, a micronutrient that is essential to human health and wellbeing. But here's the thing, those extra minerals that we're talking about in pink Himalayan salt, those minerals that are often at the root of a lot of these health claims. They're really only present in tiny trace amounts, too small to really have any health impact unless you're consuming unrealistic quantities and you shouldn't do that because it's salt and we eat too much salt already. Additionally, many of the minerals that are in pink Himalayan salt in those trace amounts are actually easily obtained from other healthy foods. Now, some of the health claims you may have heard about pink Himalyan salt, improves sleep, balances your body's pH, boosts energy. But the truth is, there's little scientific evidence to support those specific benefits. Now, to be fair, it'd be really hard to do a study like that, but there just isn't the scientific data to support these claims. Now, this idea about adding it to water. That is actually a trend people are doing. It's called sole, sole water. It's made by adding pink salt dissolved in water and often consumed with lemon. People say that it boosts energy, it detoxifies the body, but again, there's not solid science behind those claims. What is important to know again, is that most people already consume way more sodium than they need. So drinking sole water just adds even more sodium into your diet, which can actually have risks, high blood pressure, kidney issues. So bottom line, is pink Himalayan salt better than regular salt? Not really. It's a fine natural option if you prefer it, but it doesn't offer any proven meaningful health advantages, and it does tend to cost more. Plus, as I mentioned, it typically does not contain added iodine, which is really important to your health. So if you're using pink Himalayan salt exclusively, do make sure you're getting your iodine from foods like seafood or dairy or seaweed. In the end, whatever salt you choose, it is still salt. Moderation is key. Hope that helps, Fran! Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:08:41 'And thanks to everyone who sent in questions, your curiosity, your stories, your voices, I love hearing it, and that's what brings this show to life. So keep it coming. If there's something health-related you've been wondering about, send it to us. We might answer it next week! Record a voice memo, email it to AskSanjay@ or give us a call, 470-396-0832 and leave a message. Thanks for listening. I'll be back next Tuesday.


Forbes
22 minutes ago
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