Sleepy docs experience 2X more lapses of attention than when rested.

Do you perform at your best when you are sleep deprived? None of us do, including our healthcare providers, according to a sentinel event alert from the Joint Commission. When residents work recurring 24 hours shifts, there were 36% more adverse events than when they worked only 16 hours at a time. They also made five times the number of significant diagnostic mistakes. 

PositiveTip: Adequate sleep is necessary for optimal performance. No one can claim an exception!

Self-medicating for anxiety with alcohol and drugs can quickly lead to abuse.

Alcohol and drug abuse is often associated with anxiety disorders, but which came first?  A study of 34,653 adults followed for 3 years may help answer this question. Participants having anxiety disorder at the beginning of the study and self-medicated with alcohol and/or drugs, were 2.5 times as likely to develop alcohol abuse, and had a five fold risk of drug abuse problems within three years.  These substances tend to weaken the ability to deal with life issues by making sound, reasonable choices--thus compounding stressful life situations.

Insomnia increases death rates in men four fold.

The Penn State Cohort Study of over 741 men followed for 14 years finds that men suffering from insomnia and sleeping less than 6 hours nightly had 4 times the risk of dying than men that had normal sleep. A trend of insomnia and short sleep coexisting with diabetes and/or hypertension brings with it increased risk of over 7 fold. In women their was no increase in deaths associated with insomnia or short sleep.

PositiveTip: If you suffer from insomnia do not ignore it. Set regular sleep/wake times, exercise daily at least 30 minutes, avoid caffeinated beverages, and skip late, large meals.

For healthy brain development infants and toddlers need at least 12-14 hours of sleep daily.

The American Academy Sleep Medicine recommends that infants get a minimum of 14 hours of sleep per day and toddlers 12 to 14 hours for healthy development. Parents are urged to make this a priority in starting their child’s health habits on the right foot. Even if your toddler fusses in an attempt to stay up, stick with it until it is a habit.

PositiveTip: Young children need their sleep! If you struggle in accomplishing this, check out these excellent tips.

Early bedtimes during preschool years reduces risk of ADHD.

Children who do not get early, adequate sleep before the age of 4 are more likely to develop ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). A study of 6868 preschool children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort has found that early, regular bedtimes is a strong predictor of normal development.  Lack of regular sleep in this age group leads to inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and ultimately lower academic performance.

PositiveTip: The long-term benefits of getting your young children to bed early are significant--in spite of the challenges.

Sleep improves athletic performance = faster sprints, more accuracy & better reaction times.

Stanford athletes have been working with the Stanford Sleep Research Center to get adequate sleep. After several weeks of sleep extension, players were found to sprint faster, free throw more accurately, score more goals, have faster reaction times, and feel less fatigued.

PositiveTip:  Sleep impacts every aspect of our lives including athletic performance. How are you doing?

Kids who watch violent media any time of day have more sleep problems.

Preschoolers who watch television, play with computers or play video games after 7:00 PM report more sleep issues such as repeated awakenings, nightmares and daytime tiredness. Watching violent content at any time was also associated with sleep problems. Having a TV in the child's room increased viewing of violent content. Nonviolent daytime viewing did not increase sleep problems.

PositiveTip: Carefully monitor and control the media your children view and play, and find positive substitutes for evening media use.

Inadequate sleep has serious risks for teens and young adults.

Teens and young adults who don't get adequate sleep are at higher risk for automobile crashes, poor grades and performance in school, depressed moods, and problems with peer and adult relationships.

PositiveTip: Take sleep seriously, set regular times for going to sleep and waking up, and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Only 10% of teens get the recommended 9-10 hours of sleep per night.

In a preliminary analysis of 16,410 teens who participated in the 2009 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that teens who slept the least were the most likely to be the heaviest users of video games and web browsing. They also found that more than one third of teens were not getting the recommended one hour of daily exercise and only 10% achieved 9-10 hours of sleep.

PositiveTip: Sleep is vital for growth, mood, immunity and other key health factors. Are you or your teens getting enough?