There aren't many sounds worse than the blare of the alarm clock after another sleepless night--but the scream of an ambulance is one of them, especially when it's coming for you.
You might not think those two sounds would have a lot in common--but a new study finds a powerful and frightening link: People who sleep the least have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
British researchers examined data on 470,000 sleepers from eight countries--including the United States--and calculated the tragic number to be six, as in six hours.
Get less than six hours of sleep a night, and you'll face a 48 percent boost in the risk of heart disease and death by heart disease, while your risk of stroke shoots up by 15 percent.
Hormones go haywire
As the researchers point out in the European Heart Journal, poor sleep does so much more than just leave you tired. It can throw hormone levels out of whack--especially ghrelin and leptin, which help control your appetite.
That sets the ball into motion: Skip sleep, eat more. Skip more sleep, eat even more.
Miss out on sleep night after night, and next thing you know you're facing metabolic syndrome--and all the risks that come along with it.
With up to 70 million Americans suffering from chronic sleep problems, we don't need statins and blood pressure meds to fend off obesity and its related heart problems.
Maybe we just need better mattresses.
Poor sleep has also been linked to stress, anxiety, depression and dementia. One new study finds it can even cause rheumatoid arthritis patients to suffer higher levels of pain and disability.
Too little sleep, too much pain
Researchers examined 162 RA patients who had been suffering from the condition for an average of 14 years, and found an endless chain of sleeplessness and pain.
It's as if the two conditions feed each other: You're in pain so you can't sleep... and because you can't sleep, you're in more pain--making you even less able to sleep.
Overall, the researchers found that 61 percent of RA patients didn't sleep well, and 33 percent were woken up by pain at least three times a week, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
I know some people out there are thinking "three times a week? That's nothing--I wake up in pain three times a night!"
And if that sounds like you, then maybe it's time for a new approach.
Despite what you've heard, it's possible to take on RA and win--and you can do it without drugs or painkillers.
In many cases, the condition is caused or worsened by food allergies. A skilled naturopathic physician can help find the foods that are causing your pain--and help you eliminate them from your diet.
You won't just feel better than you have in years--you'll sleep better, too.
End sleepless nights--for good!
If you're not battling RA, getting sleep will require a different approach--but in most cases, basic lifestyle changes will do the trick.
Those changes can be as simple as avoiding late-day caffeine, or as complex as defeating stress.
But it doesn't have to involve drugs and their side effects.
Instead, try something your body needs anyway: A 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, taken in the evening, can work wonders.
Other people swear by a little valerian root or valerian tea about half an hour before bedtime.
And one new study finds simple talk therapy can do the trick in as little as two sessions and two phone calls.
Sounds a lot better than dreading the blare of the alarm clock... or worrying about when the ambulance might come for you.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
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