Why Can't I Sleep? 10 Sleep Myths Debunked

Get eight hours of shut-eye a night. Drink milk before bedtime to fall asleep faster. Mom's advice not working for you? If you're still wondering why you can't sleep, separate fact from fiction with these 10 common sleep myths... Spending another night tossing and turning in bed? So are 40 million Americans. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that 30% of adults have insomnia, most of them women. It’s no wonder that sleeping aids are a $20-billion industry and that Ambien is one of the top five prescriptions written in the U.S. Sleep is as important to your health as eating right and exercising. It helps repair, refuel and refresh the body and mind. But before you lose precious sleep over not getting enough shut-eye, find out how much you really need or if a scotch or sleeping pill is better to get you to Snoozeville. Here’s the truth behind 10 common sleep myths: 1. Everyone needs at least eight hours of sleep a night. False! Eight is not the magic number. Some women thrive on only seven hours; others need more to feel refreshed, according the National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes better sleep. In fact, studies show that those who sleep seven hours may live longer than those getting eight or more hours, says Gregg D. Jacobs, M.D., an insomnia specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Massachusetts and author of Say Goodnight to Insomnia (Holt Paperbacks). Too much sleep is linked to chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes, he says. If you’re snoozing 12 or more hours a day, talk to your doctor. You could have depression or chronic fatigue syndrome. The average woman gets about 6.5 hours a night, says Donnica Moore, M.D., president of the Sapphire Women's Health Group and a consultant for the National Sleep Foundation. And they’re “walking around with a chronic sleep deficit.” So how do you know if you’re getting enough zzz's? Are you irritable during the day? Do you feel sad or have mood swings? Trouble concentrating? They’re signs of sleep deprivation. 2. More women suffer from insomnia than men. True! Women are twice as likely to have insomnia as men, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Why? Blame life and women’s bodies. Menstrual cycles, menopause, hormones, age, stress, work, health, mood, parenthood, even being single, can disturb sleep. A 2009 University of Pittsburgh study of 360 middle-age women found those in stable marriages slept better than singles. Sleep was most elusive for those who had recently lost a partner. Not surprisingly, newlyweds reported restless slumber. And as any bleary-eyed new mom knows, motherhood also makes women lose snooze time. A 2009 study published in the journal Sleep suggests that postpartum depression may aggravate already impaired sleep. 3. A good stiff drink will give you a good night’s sleep. False! Put away the shot glass. At first, that hot toddy will make you feel drowsy and calm, but you’ll pay for it later. It’ll increase the number of times you wake up during the night, Moore says. Alcohol also can make snoring louder and exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea, Jacobs says. And never use it if you’re taking a sleeping pill. Popping Ambien after a few glasses of wine, for example, can lead to blackouts, memory loss and erratic behavior. “Two plus two isn’t four – it’s more like 10,” says Neil Capretto, D.O., medical director of Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, PA. “You’re pushing your nervous system in different directions at the same time." 4. You can get hooked on sleeping pills. True! Sleeping pills — particularly newer non-benzodiazepine hypnotics — are safe for a few days to help you get over such sleep-depriving situations as a breakup or job loss, or to “break the cycle of insomnia,” Jacobs says. But don’t use them longer than a month, he warns. People can “become more psychologically dependent on them,” he says, and “in high enough doses… physically dependent.” They also have side effects, such as daytime drowsiness, memory loss and can impair driving. Adopting better sleep habits is a far better approach to curing insomnia, but “good habits require more energy than medications do,” Schulman says. Jacobs recommends cognitive behavior therapy to learn how to relax and sleep. 5. Napping means you’re sick or lazy. False! Many of us feel a mid-afternoon slump, but don't blame the double-cheeseburger you had for lunch. It occurs because we’re meant to have a nap, Jacobs says. Daytime catnaps of about 45 minutes can improve your mood and memory, according to a 2008 Harvard Medical School study published in the journal Sleep. If you’ve slept badly the night before, a siesta will help restore your energy and alertness, Jacobs says. They’re more effective when they’re part of your daily routine, Moore says. But watch out: Don’t take one after 4 p.m. because it may disrupt your night’s rest. And some people get “sleep inertia,” a temporary grogginess or confusion when awakening from a nap. 6. If you have trouble sleeping, watching TV, working on your laptop or reading in bed will make you sleepy. False! If you use your bed as a workstation, you’re asking for trouble. That’s because you’ll associate your bedroom as a place to be active, not to relax and leave the day behind. “Your bed should be only for sleep and sex,” Schulman says. What if you’re tossing and turning? Get out of bed after 30 minutes, Jacobs advises. Distract yourself with an activity in another room and then try sleeping again. “This allows the brain to relax and lets you fall asleep more quickly,” he says. Also, when you turn in, turn down the thermostat: It’ll help you sleep soundly, Schulman says. 7. If I lose sleep during the week, I can make it up on the weekend. False! It’s a common but useless strategy, because once you lose sleep, it’s gone. “You can’t make that up on the weekends, holidays or vacations,” Moore says. If you suffer from insomnia, sleeping in on weekends is like hopping a plane from New York to Los Angeles. “You’re creating the equivalent of jet lag because you’re disrupting your sleeping cycles — just as if you were taking a trip across country every week,” Jacobs says. “It’s better to establish a consistent sleep rhythm.” And don’t worry about occasional sleeplessness, he says. It usually goes away on its own. In fact, getting anxious about not sleeping is worse than losing it, he says. That sets up “a cycle of stress that will disturb sleep.” 8. Sleep can help you lose weight. True! Sleepless people pack on the pounds, Moore says. Scientists don’t know why but suspect lower levels of appetite-controlling hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin, may play a role. Or maybe we tend to gobble more food when we’re tired. Many women work frantically until 10 p.m., and then, after the kids and husband are snoozing, they scarf up everything in the kitchen, Moore says. “If you’re tired, you need to go to bed – not eat.” 9. If I sleep on a problem, the answer will be clear in the morning. True! You may think your brain is working on solving problems as you sleep, but actually answers come because you're more refreshed and can concentrate better in the morning, Schulman says. Some researchers think the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep stage may help our brains sort out, process and consolidate information and memories. “There’s something to letting your subconscious work it out and letting the answer come to you,” Moore says. “Anytime you have to do problem solving or deal with any stressful situation, you are better off if you are well rested.” 10. A warm glass of milk will help you sleep. True! Who can argue with Mom? But it may not be the warm milk. Although it has the amino acid tryptophan, which the body converts to the sleep-inducing hormones melatonin and serotonin, it’s not enough to bring in Mr. Sandman. It’s a psychological association – the ritual of heating the drink and pouring it into a favorite cup – that makes your eyelids feel heavy, Moore says.