14 DAY TRIAL // New studies have shown that the alleged harm produced by sleep depravation is mostly a myth. According to psychiatry professor Daniel Kripke of the University of California, San Diego, this myth is largely propped up by the drug industry which has interests in selling sleeping pills. Experts at a recent National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference have agreed that people can get sufficient sleep by improving their sleep habits and attitudes and that this strategy is preferable to using sleeping pills. However, unsurprisingly, the drug companies are not promoting such habits that naturally lead to a good night sleep.
The sleep deprivation myth: People sleeping less than 8 hours a day are at serious risk
In fact, several studies have shown just the opposite. Kripke has conducted a six-year study on more than a million adults ages 30 to 102 and found that people who sleep only 6 to 7 hours a night have a lower death rate than those who get 8 hours of sleep. "There is really no evidence that the average 8-hour sleeper functions better than the average 6- or 7-hour sleeper," he said.
The study even showed that people with serious insomnia or who only get 3.5 hours of sleep per night, live longer than people who get more than 7.5 hours.
The dangers of the sleeping pill
Moreover, according to the study, taking sleeping pills increases the risk of death. Kripke said that taking sleeping pills 30 times or more a month was equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Moreover, although the sleeping pills developed in the 1990 are less addictive and dangerous than the previous ones, they still are addictive and have numerous side-effects. Most sleeping pills, especially when taken over long periods of time, stay in the bloodstream, giving a hangover the next day, impairing memory and performance on the job and at home. The use of sleeping pills has also been linked to an increased risk of being involved in a car crash as they appear to reduce the fear of risky behavior, such as driving fast.
The expert's recommendations
If you want to sleep well, Daniel Kripke recommends some habits: - Don't take sleeping pills. Taking sleeping pills can get you addicted and if that happens you will be able to sleep only by taking sleeping pills. - Stop worrying about not sleeping. Don't go to bed unless you are sleepy. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed later or getting up earlier. In several days you will get to be sleepy enough and then you will be able to get into a good sleep routine. And if you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, get out of bed and return only when you are sleepy. - Get up at the same time every morning, even after a bad night's sleep. The next night, you'll be sleepy at bedtime. - Avoid associating the bed with various worrying things. Don't watch TV, read scary books, and do other things in bed besides sleeping and sex. If you worry, read thrillers or watch TV, don't do it in the bedroom or in a bed. - Do not drink or eat anything caffeinated within six hours of bedtime. - Avoid alcohol. Although it may relax you at first, you will wake up when it clears your system - and this can happen in the middle of the night. - Spend time outdoors. People exposed to daylight or bright light therapy sleep better.