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SleepDeprivationandDeficiency
Sleepdeprivation(DEPrihVAshun)isaconditionthatoccursifyoudon'tgetenoughsleep.Sleep
deficiencyisabroaderconcept.Itoccursifyouhaveoneormoreofthefollowing:
Youdon'tgetenoughsleep(sleepdeprivation)
Yousleepatthewrongtimeofday(thatis,you'reoutofsyncwithyourbody'snaturalclock)
Youdon'tsleepwellorgetallofthedifferenttypesofsleepthatyourbodyneeds
Youhaveasleepdisorderthatpreventsyoufromgettingenoughsleeporcausespoorquality
sleep
Thisarticlefocusesonsleepdeficiency,unlessotherwisenoted.
Sleepingisabasichumanneed,likeeating,drinking,andbreathing.Liketheseotherneeds,sleepingis
avitalpartofthefoundationforgoodhealthandwellbeingthroughoutyourlifetime.
Sleepdeficiencycanleadtophysicalandmentalhealthproblems,injuries,lossofproductivity,and
evenagreaterriskofdeath.

Overview
Tounderstandsleepdeficiency,ithelpstounderstandhowsleepworksandwhyit'simportant.The
twobasictypesofsleeparerapideyemovement(REM)andnonREM.
NonREMsleepincludeswhatiscommonlyknownasdeepsleeporslowwavesleep.Dreaming
typicallyoccursduringREMsleep.Generally,nonREMandREMsleepoccurinaregularpatternof
35cycleseachnight.
Yourabilitytofunctionandfeelwellwhileyou'reawakedependsonwhetheryou'regettingenough
totalsleepandenoughofeachtypeofsleep.Italsodependsonwhetheryou'resleepingatatimewhen
yourbodyispreparedandreadytosleep.
Youhaveaninternal"bodyclock"thatcontrolswhenyou'reawakeandwhenyourbodyisreadyfor
sleep.Thisclocktypicallyfollowsa24hourrepeatingrhythm(calledthecircadianrhythm).The
rhythmaffectseverycell,tissue,andorganinyourbodyandhowtheywork.(Formoreinformation,
goto"WhatMakesYouSleep?")
Ifyouaren'tgettingenoughsleep,aresleepingatthewrongtimes,orhavepoorqualitysleep,you'll
likelyfeelverytiredduringtheday.Youmaynotfeelrefreshedandalertwhenyouwakeup.
Sleepdeficiencycaninterferewithwork,school,driving,andsocialfunctioning.Youmighthave
troublelearning,focusing,andreacting.Also,youmightfindithardtojudgeotherpeople'semotions
andreactions.Sleepdeficiencyalsocanmakeyoufeelfrustrated,cranky,orworriedinsocial
situations.
Thesignsandsymptomsofsleepdeficiencymaydifferbetweenchildrenandadults.Childrenwhoare
sleepdeficientmightbeoverlyactiveandhaveproblemspayingattention.Theyalsomight
misbehave,andtheirschoolperformancecansuffer.
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Outlook
SleepdeficiencyisacommonpublichealthproblemintheUnitedStates.Peopleinallagegroups
reportnotgettingenoughsleep.
AspartofahealthsurveyfortheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,about719percentof
adultsintheUnitedStatesreportednotgettingenoughrestorsleepeveryday.
Nearly40percentofadultsreportfallingasleepduringthedaywithoutmeaningtoatleastoncea
month.Also,anestimated50to70millionAmericanshavechronic(ongoing)sleepdisorders.
Sleepdeficiencyislinkedtomanychronichealthproblems,includingheartdisease,kidneydisease,
highbloodpressure,diabetes,stroke,obesity,anddepression.
Sleepdeficiencyalsoisassociatedwithanincreasedriskofinjuryinadults,teens,andchildren.For
example,driversleepiness(notrelatedtoalcohol)isresponsibleforseriouscarcrashinjuriesand
death.Intheelderly,sleepdeficiencymightbelinkedtoanincreasedriskoffallsandbrokenbones.
Inaddition,sleepdeficiencyhasplayedaroleinhumanerrorslinkedtotragicaccidents,suchas
nuclearreactormeltdowns,groundingoflargeships,andaviationaccidents.
Acommonmythisthatpeoplecanlearntogetbyonlittlesleepwithnonegativeeffects.However,
researchshowsthatgettingenoughqualitysleepattherighttimesisvitalformentalhealth,physical
health,qualityoflife,andsafety.

WhatMakesYouSleep?SleepDeprivation
andDeficiency
Manyfactorsplayaroleinpreparingyourbodytofallasleepandwakeup.Youhaveaninternal
"bodyclock"thatcontrolswhenyou'reawakeandwhenyourbodyisreadyforsleep.
Thebodyclocktypicallyhasa24hourrepeatingrhythm(calledthecircadianrhythm).Twoprocesses
interacttocontrolthisrhythm.Thefirstisapressuretosleepthatbuildswitheveryhourthatyou're
awake.Thisdriveforsleepreachesapeakintheevening,whenmostpeoplefallasleep.
Acompoundcalledadenosine(ahDENoseen)seemstobeonefactorlinkedtothisdriveforsleep.
Whileyou'reawake,thelevelofadenosineinyourbraincontinuestorise.Theincreasinglevelofthis
compoundsignalsashifttowardsleep.Whileyousleep,yourbodybreaksdownadenosine.
Asecondprocessinvolvesyourinternalbodyclock.Thisclockisinsyncwithcertaincuesinthe
environment.Light,darkness,andothercueshelpdeterminewhenyoufeelawakeandwhenyoufeel
drowsy.
Forexample,lightsignalsreceivedthroughyoureyestellaspecialareainyourbrainthatitisdaytime.
Thisareaofyourbrainhelpsalignyourbodyclockwithperiodsofthedayandnight.
Yourbodyreleaseschemicalsinadailyrhythm,whichyourbodyclockcontrols.Whenitgetsdark,
yourbodyreleasesahormonecalledmelatonin(melahTONEin).Melatoninsignalsyourbodythat
it'stimetoprepareforsleep,andithelpsyoufeeldrowsy.
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Theamountofmelatonininyourbloodstreampeaksastheeveningwearson.Researchersbelievethis
peakisanimportantpartofpreparingyourbodyforsleep.
Exposuretobrightartificiallightinthelateeveningcandisruptthisprocess,makingithardtofall
asleep.ExamplesofbrightartificiallightincludethelightfromaTVscreen,computerscreen,ora
verybrightalarmclock.
Asthesunrises,yourbodyreleasescortisol(KORtihsol).Thishormonenaturallypreparesyour
bodytowakeup.
Therhythmandtimingofthebodyclockchangewithage.Teensfallasleeplateratnightthanyounger
childrenandadults.Onereasonforthisisbecausemelatoninisreleasedandpeakslaterinthe24hour
cycleforteens.Asaresult,it'snaturalformanyteenstopreferlaterbedtimesatnightandsleeplater
inthemorningthanadults.
Peoplealsoneedmoresleepearlyinlife,whenthey'regrowinganddeveloping.Forexample,
newbornsmaysleepmorethan16hoursaday,andpreschoolagedchildrenneedtotakenaps.
Youngchildrentendtosleepmoreintheearlyevening.Teenstendtosleepmoreinthemorning.Also,
olderadultstendtogotobedearlierandwakeupearlier.
Thepatternsandtypesofsleepalsochangeaspeoplemature.Forexample,newborninfantsspend
moretimeinREMsleep.Theamountofslowwavesleep(astageofnonREMsleep)peaksinearly
childhoodandthendropssharplyafterpuberty.Itcontinuestodeclineaspeopleage.
Formoreinformationaboutwhatmakesyousleep,gototheNationalHeart,Lung,andBlood
Institute's"YourGuidetoHealthySleep."

WhyIsSleepImportant?SleepDeprivation
andDeficiency
Sleepplaysavitalroleingoodhealthandwellbeingthroughoutyourlife.Gettingenoughquality
sleepattherighttimescanhelpprotectyourmentalhealth,physicalhealth,qualityoflife,andsafety.
Thewayyoufeelwhileyou'reawakedependsinpartonwhathappenswhileyou'resleeping.During
sleep,yourbodyisworkingtosupporthealthybrainfunctionandmaintainyourphysicalhealth.In
childrenandteens,sleepalsohelpssupportgrowthanddevelopment.
Thedamagefromsleepdeficiencycanoccurinaninstant(suchasacarcrash),oritcanharmyouover
time.Forexample,ongoingsleepdeficiencycanraiseyourriskforsomechronichealthproblems.It
alsocanaffecthowwellyouthink,react,work,learn,andgetalongwithothers.

HealthyBrainFunctionandEmotionalWellBeing
Sleephelpsyourbrainworkproperly.Whileyou'resleeping,yourbrainispreparingforthenextday.
It'sformingnewpathwaystohelpyoulearnandrememberinformation.
Studiesshowthatagoodnight'ssleepimproveslearning.Whetheryou'relearningmath,howtoplay
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thepiano,howtoperfectyourgolfswing,orhowtodriveacar,sleephelpsenhanceyourlearningand
problemsolvingskills.Sleepalsohelpsyoupayattention,makedecisions,andbecreative.
Studiesalsoshowthatsleepdeficiencyaltersactivityinsomepartsofthebrain.Ifyou'resleep
deficient,youmayhavetroublemakingdecisions,solvingproblems,controllingyouremotionsand
behavior,andcopingwithchange.Sleepdeficiencyalsohasbeenlinkedtodepression,suicide,and
risktakingbehavior.
Childrenandteenswhoaresleepdeficientmayhaveproblemsgettingalongwithothers.Theymay
feelangryandimpulsive,havemoodswings,feelsadordepressed,orlackmotivation.Theyalsomay
haveproblemspayingattention,andtheymaygetlowergradesandfeelstressed.

PhysicalHealth
Sleepplaysanimportantroleinyourphysicalhealth.Forexample,sleepisinvolvedinhealingand
repairofyourheartandbloodvessels.Ongoingsleepdeficiencyislinkedtoanincreasedriskofheart
disease,kidneydisease,highbloodpressure,diabetes,andstroke.
Sleepdeficiencyalsoincreasestheriskofobesity.Forexample,onestudyofteenagersshowedthat
witheachhourofsleeplost,theoddsofbecomingobesewentup.Sleepdeficiencyincreasestherisk
ofobesityinotheragegroupsaswell.
Sleephelpsmaintainahealthybalanceofthehormonesthatmakeyoufeelhungry(ghrelin)orfull
(leptin).Whenyoudon'tgetenoughsleep,yourlevelofghrelingoesupandyourlevelofleptingoes
down.Thismakesyoufeelhungrierthanwhenyou'rewellrested.
Sleepalsoaffectshowyourbodyreactstoinsulin,thehormonethatcontrolsyourbloodglucose
(sugar)level.Sleepdeficiencyresultsinahigherthannormalbloodsugarlevel,whichmayincrease
yourriskfordiabetes.
Sleepalsosupportshealthygrowthanddevelopment.Deepsleeptriggersthebodytoreleasethe
hormonethatpromotesnormalgrowthinchildrenandteens.Thishormonealsoboostsmusclemass
andhelpsrepaircellsandtissuesinchildren,teens,andadults.Sleepalsoplaysaroleinpubertyand
fertility.
Yourimmunesystemreliesonsleeptostayhealthy.Thissystemdefendsyourbodyagainstforeignor
harmfulsubstances.Ongoingsleepdeficiencycanchangethewayinwhichyourimmunesystem
responds.Forexample,ifyou'resleepdeficient,youmayhavetroublefightingcommoninfections.

DaytimePerformanceandSafety
Gettingenoughqualitysleepattherighttimeshelpsyoufunctionwellthroughouttheday.Peoplewho
aresleepdeficientarelessproductiveatworkandschool.Theytakelongertofinishtasks,havea
slowerreactiontime,andmakemoremistakes.
Afterseveralnightsoflosingsleepevenalossofjust12hourspernightyourabilitytofunction
suffersasifyouhaven'tsleptatallforadayortwo.
Lackofsleepalsomayleadtomicrosleep.Microsleepreferstobriefmomentsofsleepthatoccur
whenyou'renormallyawake.
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Youcan'tcontrolmicrosleep,andyoumightnotbeawareofit.Forexample,haveyoueverdriven
somewhereandthennotrememberedpartofthetrip?Ifso,youmayhaveexperiencedmicrosleep.
Evenifyou'renotdriving,microsleepcanaffecthowyoufunction.Ifyou'relisteningtoalecture,for
example,youmightmisssomeoftheinformationorfeellikeyoudon'tunderstandthepoint.Inreality,
though,youmayhavesleptthroughpartofthelectureandnotbeenawareofit.
Somepeoplearen'tawareoftherisksofsleepdeficiency.Infact,theymaynotevenrealizethatthey're
sleepdeficient.Evenwithlimitedorpoorqualitysleep,theymaystillthinkthattheycanfunction
well.
Forexample,drowsydriversmayfeelcapableofdriving.Yet,studiesshowthatsleepdeficiency
harmsyourdrivingabilityasmuchas,ormorethan,beingdrunk.It'sestimatedthatdriversleepiness
isafactorinabout100,000caraccidentseachyear,resultinginabout1,500deaths.
Driversaren'ttheonlyonesaffectedbysleepdeficiency.Itcanaffectpeopleinalllinesofwork,
includinghealthcareworkers,pilots,students,lawyers,mechanics,andassemblylineworkers.
Asaresult,sleepdeficiencyisnotonlyharmfulonapersonallevel,butitalsocancauselargescale
damage.Forexample,sleepdeficiencyhasplayedaroleinhumanerrorslinkedtotragicaccidents,
suchasnuclearreactormeltdowns,groundingoflargeships,andaviationaccidents.

HowMuchSleepIsEnough?Sleep
DeprivationandDeficiency
Theamountofsleepyouneedeachdaywillchangeoverthecourseofyourlife.Althoughsleepneeds
varyfrompersontoperson,thechartbelowshowsgeneralrecommendationsfordifferentagegroups.
Age

RecommendedAmountofSleep

Newborns

1618hoursaday

Preschoolagedchildren

1112hoursaday

Schoolagedchildren

Atleast10hoursaday

Teens

910hoursaday

Adults(includingtheelderly)

78hoursaday

Ifyouroutinelylosesleeporchoosetosleeplessthanneeded,thesleeplossaddsup.Thetotalsleep
lostiscalledyoursleepdebt.Forexample,ifyoulose2hoursofsleepeachnight,you'llhaveasleep
debtof14hoursafteraweek.
Somepeoplenapasawaytodealwithsleepiness.Napsmayprovideashorttermboostinalertness
andperformance.However,nappingdoesn'tprovidealloftheotherbenefitsofnighttimesleep.Thus,
youcan'treallymakeupforlostsleep.
Somepeoplesleepmoreontheirdaysoffthanonworkdays.Theyalsomaygotobedlaterandgetup
laterondaysoff.
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Sleepingmoreondaysoffmightbeasignthatyouaren'tgettingenoughsleep.Althoughextrasleep
ondaysoffmighthelpyoufeelbetter,itcanupsetyourbody'ssleepwakerhythm.
Badsleephabitsandlongtermsleeplosswillaffectyourhealth.Ifyou'reworriedaboutwhether
you'regettingenoughsleep,tryusingasleepdiaryforacoupleofweeks.
Writedownhowmuchyousleepeachnight,howalertandrestedyoufeelinthemorning,andhow
sleepyyoufeelduringtheday.Showtheresultstoyourdoctorandtalkabouthowyoucanimprove
yoursleep.YoucanfindasamplesleepdiaryintheNationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute's"Your
GuidetoHealthySleep."
Sleepingwhenyourbodyisreadytosleepalsoisveryimportant.Sleepdeficiencycanaffectpeople
evenwhentheysleepthetotalnumberofhoursrecommendedfortheiragegroup.
Forexample,peoplewhosesleepisoutofsyncwiththeirbodyclocks(suchasshiftworkers)or
routinelyinterrupted(suchascaregiversoremergencyresponders)mightneedtopayspecialattention
totheirsleepneeds.
Ifyourjobordailyroutinelimitsyourabilitytogetenoughsleeporsleepattherighttimes,talkwith
yourdoctor.Youalsoshouldtalkwithyourdoctorifyousleepmorethan8hoursanight,butdon't
feelwellrested.Youmayhaveasleepdisorderorotherhealthproblem.

WhoIsatRiskforSleepDeprivationand
Deficiency?SleepDeprivationandDeficiency
Sleepdeficiency,whichincludessleepdeprivation,affectspeopleofallages,races,andethnicities.
Certaingroupsofpeoplemaybemorelikelytobesleepdeficient.Examplesincludepeoplewho:
Havelimitedtimeavailableforsleep,suchascaregiversorpeopleworkinglonghoursormore
thanonejob
Haveschedulesthatconflictwiththeirinternalbodyclocks,suchasshiftworkers,first
responders,teenswhohaveearlyschoolschedules,orpeoplewhomusttravelforwork
Makelifestylechoicesthatpreventthemfromgettingenoughsleep,suchastakingmedicineto
stayawake,abusingalcoholordrugs,ornotleavingenoughtimeforsleep
Haveundiagnosedoruntreatedmedicalproblems,suchasstress,anxiety,orsleepdisorders
Havemedicalconditionsortakemedicinesthatinterferewithsleep
Certainmedicalconditionshavebeenlinkedtosleepdisorders.Theseconditionsincludeheartfailure,
heartdisease,obesity,diabetes,highbloodpressure,strokeortransientischemicattack(ministroke),
depression,andattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(ADHD).
Ifyouhaveorhavehadoneoftheseconditions,askyourdoctorwhetheryoumightbenefitfroma
sleepstudy.
Asleepstudyallowsyourdoctortomeasurehowmuchandhowwellyousleep.Italsohelpsshow
whetheryouhavesleepproblemsandhowseveretheyare.Formoreinformation,gototheHealth
TopicsSleepStudiesarticle.
Ifyouhaveachildwhoisoverweight,talkwiththedoctoraboutyourchild'ssleephabits.
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WhatAretheSignsandSymptomsofProblem
Sleepiness?SleepDeprivationandDeficiency
Sleepdeficiencycancauseyoutofeelverytiredduringtheday.Youmaynotfeelrefreshedandalert
whenyouwakeup.Sleepdeficiencyalsocaninterferewithwork,school,driving,andsocial
functioning.
Howsleepyyoufeelduringthedaycanhelpyoufigureoutwhetheryou'rehavingsymptomsof
problemsleepiness.Youmightbesleepdeficientifyouoftenfeellikeyoucoulddozeoffwhile:
SittingandreadingorwatchingTV
Sittingstillinapublicplace,suchasamovietheater,meeting,orclassroom
Ridinginacarforanhourwithoutstopping
Sittingandtalkingtosomeone
Sittingquietlyafterlunch
Sittingintrafficforafewminutes
Sleepdeficiencycancauseproblemswithlearning,focusing,andreacting.Youmayhavetrouble
makingdecisions,solvingproblems,rememberingthings,controllingyouremotionsandbehavior,and
copingwithchange.Youmaytakelongertofinishtasks,haveaslowerreactiontime,andmakemore
mistakes.
Thesignsandsymptomsofsleepdeficiencymaydifferbetweenchildrenandadults.Childrenwhoare
sleepdeficientmightbeoverlyactiveandhaveproblemspayingattention.Theyalsomight
misbehave,andtheirschoolperformancecansuffer.
Sleepdeficientchildrenmayfeelangryandimpulsive,havemoodswings,feelsadordepressed,or
lackmotivation.
Youmaynotnoticehowsleepdeficiencyaffectsyourdailyroutine.Acommonmythisthatpeople
canlearntogetbyonlittlesleepwithnonegativeeffects.However,researchshowsthatgetting
enoughqualitysleepattherighttimesisvitalformentalhealth,physicalhealth,qualityoflife,and
safety.
Tofindoutwhetheryou'resleepdeficient,trykeepingasleepdiaryforacoupleofweeks.Writedown
howmuchyousleepeachnight,howalertandrestedyoufeelinthemorning,andhowsleepyyoufeel
duringtheday.
Comparetheamountoftimeyousleepeachdaywiththeaverageamountofsleeprecommendedfor
youragegroup,asshowninthechartin"HowMuchSleepIsEnough?"Ifyouoftenfeelverysleepy,
andeffortstoincreaseyoursleepdon'thelp,talkwithyourdoctor.
YoucanfindasamplesleepdiaryintheNationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute's"YourGuideto
HealthySleep."

StrategiesforGettingEnoughSleepSleep
DeprivationandDeficiency
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Youcantakestepstoimproveyoursleephabits.First,makesurethatyouallowyourselfenoughtime
tosleep.Withenoughsleepeachnight,youmayfindthatyou'rehappierandmoreproductiveduring
theday.
Sleepoftenisthefirstthingthatbusypeoplesqueezeoutoftheirschedules.Makingtimetosleepwill
helpyouprotectyourhealthandwellbeingnowandinthefuture.
Toimproveyoursleephabits,italsomayhelpto:
Gotobedandwakeupatthesametimeeveryday.Forchildren,haveasetbedtimeanda
bedtimeroutine.Don'tusethechild'sbedroomfortimeoutsorpunishment.
Trytokeepthesamesleepscheduleonweeknightsandweekends.Limitthedifferencetono
morethanaboutanhour.Stayinguplateandsleepinginlateonweekendscandisruptyourbody
clock'ssleepwakerhythm.
Usethehourbeforebedforquiettime.Avoidstrenuousexerciseandbrightartificiallight,such
asfromaTVorcomputerscreen.Thelightmaysignalthebrainthatit'stimetobeawake.
Avoidheavyand/orlargemealswithinacouplehoursofbedtime.(Havingalightsnackis
okay.)Also,avoidalcoholicdrinksbeforebed.
Avoidnicotine(forexample,cigarettes)andcaffeine(includingcaffeinatedsoda,coffee,tea,
andchocolate).Nicotineandcaffeinearestimulants,andbothsubstancescaninterferewith
sleep.Theeffectsofcaffeinecanlastaslongas8hours.So,acupofcoffeeinthelateafternoon
canmakeithardforyoutofallasleepatnight.
Spendtimeoutsideeveryday(whenpossible)andbephysicallyactive.
Keepyourbedroomquiet,cool,anddark(adimnightlightisfine,ifneeded).
Takeahotbathoruserelaxationtechniquesbeforebed.
Nappingduringthedaymayprovideaboostinalertnessandperformance.However,ifyouhave
troublefallingasleepatnight,limitnapsortakethemearlierintheafternoon.Adultsshouldnapforno
morethan20minutes.
Nappinginpreschoolagedchildrenisnormalandpromoteshealthygrowthanddevelopment.
Formoreinformationabouthealthysleephabits,gototheNationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute's
"YourGuidetoHealthySleep."

StrategiesforSpecialGroups
Somepeoplehaveschedulesthatconflictwiththeirinternalbodyclocks.Forexample,shiftworkers
andteenswhohaveearlyschoolschedulesmayhavetroublegettingenoughsleep.Thiscanaffecthow
theyfeelmentally,physically,andemotionally.
Ifyou'reashiftworker,youmayfindithelpfulto:
Takenapsandincreasetheamountoftimeavailableforsleep
Keepthelightsbrightatwork
Limitshiftchangessoyourbodyclockcanadjust
Limitcaffeineusetothefirstpartofyourshift
Removesoundandlightdistractionsinyourbedroomduringdaytimesleep(forexample,use
lightblockingcurtains)
Ifyou'restillnotabletofallasleepduringthedayorhaveproblemsadaptingtoashiftworkschedule,
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talkwithyourdoctoraboutotheroptionstohelpyousleep.
Whenpossible,employersandschoolsmightfindithelpfultoconsideroptionstoaddressissues
relatedtosleepdeficiency.

HowToDiscussSleepWithYourDoctorSleep
DeprivationandDeficiency
Doctorsmightnotdetectsleepproblemsduringroutineofficevisitsbecausepatientsareawake.Thus,
youshouldletyourdoctorknowifyouthinkyoumighthaveasleepproblem.
Forexample,talkwithyourdoctorifyouoftenfeelsleepyduringtheday,don'twakeupfeeling
refreshedandalert,orarehavingtroubleadaptingtoshiftwork.
Togetabettersenseofyoursleepproblem,yourdoctorwillaskyouaboutyoursleephabits.Before
youseethedoctor,thinkabouthowtodescribeyourproblems,including:
Howoftenyouhavetroublesleepingandhowlongyou'vehadtheproblem
Whenyougotobedandgetuponworkdaysanddaysoff
Howlongittakesyoutofallasleep,howoftenyouwakeupatnight,andhowlongittakesyou
tofallbackasleep
Whetheryousnoreloudlyandoftenorwakeupgaspingorfeelingoutofbreath
Howrefreshedyoufeelwhenyouwakeup,andhowtiredyoufeelduringtheday
Howoftenyoudozeofforhavetroublestayingawakeduringroutinetasks,especiallydriving
Yourdoctoralsomayaskquestionsaboutyourpersonalroutineandhabits.Forexample,heorshe
mayaskaboutyourworkandexerciseroutines.Yourdoctoralsomayaskwhetheryouusecaffeine,
tobacco,alcohol,oranymedicines(includingoverthecountermedicines).
Tohelpyourdoctor,considerkeepingasleepdiaryforacoupleofweeks.Writedownwhenyougoto
sleep,wakeup,andtakenaps.(Forexample,youmightnote:Wenttobedat10a.m.wokeupat3
a.m.andcouldn'tfallbackasleepnappedafterworkfor2hours.)
Alsowritedownhowmuchyousleepeachnight,howalertandrestedyoufeelinthemorning,aswell
ashowsleepyyoufeelatvarioustimesduringtheday.Sharetheinformationinyoursleepdiarywith
yourdoctor.YoucanfindasamplesleepdiaryintheNationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute's
"YourGuidetoHealthySleep."
Doctorscandiagnosesomesleepdisordersbyaskingquestionsaboutsleepschedulesandhabitsand
bygettinginformationfromsleeppartnersorparents.Todiagnoseothersleepdisorders,doctorsalso
usetheresultsfromsleepstudiesandothermedicaltests.
Sleepstudiesallowyourdoctortomeasurehowmuchandhowwellyousleep.Theyalsohelpshow
whetheryouhavesleepproblemsandhowseveretheyare.Formoreinformation,gototheHealth
TopicsSleepStudiesarticle.
Yourdoctorwilldoaphysicalexamtoruleoutothermedicalproblemsthatmightinterferewithsleep.
Youmayneedbloodteststocheckforthyroidproblemsorotherconditionsthatcancausesleep
problems.
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ClinicalTrialsSleepDeprivationand
Deficiency
TheNationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute(NHLBI)isstronglycommittedtosupportingresearch
aimedatpreventingandtreatingheart,lung,andblooddiseasesandconditionsandsleepdisorders.
NHLBIsupportedresearchhasledtomanyadvancesinmedicalknowledgeandcare.Forexample,
thisresearchhasuncoveredsomeofthecausesofvarioussleepdisordersandwaystodiagnoseand
treatthesedisorders.
TheNHLBIcontinuestosupportresearchaimedatlearningmoreaboutsleepandsleepdisorders.For
example,theNHLBIcurrentlysupportsstudiesthatexplore:
Howwelllightandnonlighttherapiesregulatesleepcyclesandimprovesleepquality.
Thebiologicalfactorsthatdeterminehowmuchsleeppeopleneed.
Waystoimprovesleephabitsandreducetheriskofpoorsleepinchildrenfromminorityor
disadvantagedpopulations.
Howreducedamountsofsleepaffectinsulininthebody.(Insulinisahormonethathelpsmove
bloodsugarintocells,whereit'susedforenergy.)
InNovemberof2011,theNationalInstitutesofHealth(NIH)releasedits"2011NIHSleepDisorders
ResearchPlan."Theplanexpandsuponpreviousandcurrentresearchprogramsandidentifiesnew
researchopportunities.
TheNHLBI'sNationalCenteronSleepDisordersResearchwillcoordinatethisresearchacrossthe
NIHandotherFederalagencies.Theresearchwillfocusonsleepandthebody'snatural24hourcycle,
theroleofgenesandtheenvironmentonsleephealth,andwaystoimprovetheprevention,diagnosis,
andtreatmentofsleepdisorders.
Muchofthisresearchdependsonthewillingnessofvolunteerstotakepartinclinicaltrials.Clinical
trialstestnewwaystoprevent,diagnose,ortreatvariousdiseases,conditions,andhealthproblems.
Forexample,newtreatmentsforadiseaseorcondition(suchasmedicines,medicaldevices,surgeries,
orprocedures)aretestedinvolunteerswhohavetheillness.Testingshowswhetheratreatmentissafe
andeffectiveinhumansbeforeitismadeavailableforwidespreaduse.
Bytakingpartinaclinicaltrial,youmaygainaccesstonewtreatmentsbeforethey'rewidely
available.Youalsowillhavethesupportofateamofhealthcareproviders,whowilllikelymonitor
yourhealthclosely.Evenifyoudon'tdirectlybenefitfromtheresultsofaclinicaltrial,the
informationgatheredcanhelpothersandaddtoscientificknowledge.
Ifyouvolunteerforaclinicaltrial,theresearchwillbeexplainedtoyouindetail.You'lllearnabout
treatmentsandtestsyoumayreceive,andthebenefitsandriskstheymaypose.You'llalsobegivena
chancetoaskquestionsabouttheresearch.Thisprocessiscalledinformedconsent.
Ifyouagreetotakepartinthetrial,you'llbeaskedtosignaninformedconsentform.Thisformisnot
acontract.Youhavetherighttowithdrawfromastudyatanytime,foranyreason.Also,youhavethe
righttolearnaboutnewrisksorfindingsthatemergeduringthetrial.
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Formoreinformationaboutclinicaltrialsrelatedtosleepdeficiency,talkwithyourdoctor.Youalso
canvisitthefollowingWebsitestolearnmoreaboutclinicalresearchandtosearchforclinicaltrials:
http://clinicalresearch.nih.gov
www.clinicaltrials.gov
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/studies/index.htm
www.researchmatch.org
Formoreinformationaboutclinicaltrialsforchildren,visittheNHLBI'sChildrenandClinicalStudies
Webpage.

LinkstoOtherInformationAboutSleep
DeprivationandDeficiencySleepDeprivation
andDeficiency
NHLBIResources
"2011NationalInstitutesofHealthSleepDisordersResearchPlan"
NationalCenteronSleepDisordersResearch
SleepStudies(HealthTopics)
UpdatedNIHSleepDisordersResearchPlanSeeksToPromoteandProtectSleepHealth
(NationalInstitutesofHealthNewsRelease,November2011)
"YourGuidetoHealthySleep"

NonNHLBIResources
SleepandSleepDisordersFactSheets(CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention)
SleepDisorders(MedlinePlus)

ClinicalTrials
ChildrenandClinicalStudies
ClinicalTrials(HealthTopics)
CurrentResearch(ClinicalTrials.gov)
NHLBIClinicalTrials
NIHClinicalResearchTrialsandYou(NationalInstitutesofHealth)
ResearchMatch(fundedbytheNationalInstitutesofHealth)

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/book/export/html/4979

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