Happy Day!

It’s the 25^th and here in my house,

There’s gratitude—no fires to dowse.

There might be a mouse that’s creeping around,

But way down the hill where the grasses abound.

Stockings still hang from the mantle, I see⸺

Now that lights are back on⸺and happy are we!

The sun’s shining through a light misting of rain,

And the temperature really is quite humane.

Delightful odors of food in the air,

Ensure we’ll enjoy our holiday fare.

Deliberately add to your memory’s store,

With hugs and fun and laughter galore.

Because in the end—and time goes by fast—

The love of true friends is what really does last.  

Wherever you are and whatever you do,

I’m sending good wishes from me to you.

Sleep Duration Studies

The first CDC state-specific estimates of the prevalence of a ≥7 hour sleep duration in a 24-hour period was reported in the MMWR. It showed geographic clustering of lower prevalence estimates for this duration of sleep in the southeastern United States and in states along the Appalachian Mountains. These are regions with the highest burdens of obesity and other chronic conditions. Non-Hispanic black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial populations report a lower prevalence of ≥7 hours sleep compared with the rest of the U.S. adult population. The highest prevalence was observed in the Great Plains states. . Liu Y., et al. Healthy Sleep Duration among Adults – United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:137-141. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwer.mm6506a1external icon

Quality and Quantity of Sleep

Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are that 35% of Americans are getting insufficient sleep—and that this is not only a serious problem but may be getting worse. The quality of sleep is important as well as the quantity of sleep., both of which can be related to developing healthy sleep habits. Studies have shown that “sleep extension” as well as napping can boost athletic performance (and likely performance in general) as well as recovery from the performance. Sleep extension (obtaining extra sleep for a few nights or even weeks) can help with reparation.

Sleep and Winning

According to the Sleep Foundation, the key to winning for athletes is often the quality and amount of sleep they receive. REM sleep in particular provides energy to both the brain and body. If sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to repair memory, consolidate memory, and release critical hormones. “A study in the journal SLEEP confirms the role of sleep in performance with results that show declines in split-second decision making following poor sleep. Results also showed increased accuracy in well-rested subjects.” No surprise, exercise depletes energy, fluids, and breaks down muscle. Plenty of water and quality nutrition for fuel are part of training and recovery. So is adequate quality sleep. Together they help maintain endurance, speed, and accuracy. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-athletic-performance-and-recovery

Sleep and Sports

In an article by Kate Robards, she pointed out several instances where sufficient sleep was believed to contribute to athletic success. Meeta Singh, a sleep doctor, has worked with the Nationals since 1917 to improve their sleep routines. Together they have focused on creating better sleep schedules and rethinking travel arrangements to prioritize a good night’s sleep. She wrote, “It’s not just baseball players who recognize that sleep is key to achieving peak performance. Representing a wide variety of sports, athletes such as Usain Bolt, Maria Sharapova, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry and Lindsey Vonn . . . have opened up about their sleep habits.” So, yes. Sufficient amounts of quality sleep are being linked with athletic success. http://sleepeducation.org/news/2019/11/12/is-sleep-the-secret-to-athletic-success

Leep and Teenagers

Sleep plays a critical role for everyone, but especially for teenagers. It impacts their health, mental set, grades, and and doing well in sports. Studies have linked electronics with sleep deprivation. An increased amount of screen time throughout the day has been linked to insomnia and symptoms of depression in adolescents. This can include social messaging, web surfing, watching TV, and gaming, in addition to using the internet for schoolwork. The presence of electronic devices in the lives of human beings—teenagers and athletes included—is here to stay. Therefore, success strategies include understanding the important of sleep to performance and developing habits that provide the appropriate balance between sleep and wakefulness.

Sleep-Athletic Link

What’s this about sleep being linked with success in athletics? I’ve read that sleep is independently linked with longevity, but athletic endeavors? Bottom line: sufficient sleep for brain is way more important than many would believe. And, yes, studies are beginning to link adequate amounts of sleep with how successful an individual is athletically. Short sleep duration of less than seven hours per night is associated with a greater likelihood of developing obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, frequent mental distress, reduced athletic performance, and even a shortened life. There are some interesting pieces to this puzzle. For example, athletic performance appears to be best in the evening when one’s core body temperature is highest. On the other hand, training exercises done late at night interferes with the brain’s circadian rhythm. This can make it more difficult to fall asleep and, depending on when you get up in the morning, can actually result in insufficient sleep.