You don’t have to be an expert in politics to know that the last two years of the presidential candidates’ lives have been a whirlwind. As they attend rallies, debates, and other media opportunities, they stint on one of life’s undeniable essentials: sleep. And it shows. Getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep on consecutive nights can lead to sleep “debt.” Sleep debt produces irritability and cognitive impairment. People get snappish and the ability to think, respond, and reason are all diminished.
Perhaps sleep debt is why candidates on the campaign trail make so many verbal blunders from the amusing (McCain’s “I’m a conservative liberal Republican” and Obama’s “Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s”), to the alarming (McCain’s reference to the nonexistent “Iraq-Pakistan border” and Obama’s to the “57 states”).
Not only candidates but also average Americans keep schedules that are simply exhausting. In fact, over the past century, the amount of sleep that Americans get has decreased by 20 percent. Because of advances in technology, we now live in a 24/7 society. Cable television and the Internet are available 24 hours a day. Workers carry Blackberry devices and are accessible to their employers on nights and weekends. Kids stay up texting their friends. It’s as though we’ve all adopted a “campaign trail” schedule. Lack of sleep has many serious effects including:
· Driver fatigue and a 20 percent increase in car crashes
· Impaired judgment, cognitive speed, spatial orientation and motor function
· Obesity
· Depressed mood, poor memory and difficulty concentrating.
As the election approaches, I’ll be blogging about sleep deprivation symptoms that I’ve observed the candidates demonstrating along the campaign trail. It’s my hope that by doing so, we’ll all come to realize the signs of sleep deprivation more easily, and will adjust our schedules to make sure we’re getting the proper rest we need to avoid sounding like an exhausted presidential nominee. I’ll provide tips that the candidates, and you, can use to work proper sleep habits into busy schedules. This will help you to avoid embarrassing goofs, but it’s also critical if you want to keep yourself in good health.
Check back soon for the first installment of the Candidate Sleep Watch.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
ADD, ADHD or...a sleep disorder?
Here’s a common situation that plays itself out often around the country – a parent takes their child to the doctor, and explains that their child has difficulty focusing on schoolwork or is unable to accomplish simple tasks at home. After receiving a quick rundown of the symptoms, the doctor diagnoses the child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). What follows this disturbing diagnosis is usually a prescription for the ADD/ADHD medication-of-the-month, and a feeling of guilt from most parents for having to medicate their children in such a way.
But what if all that wasn’t necessary? There’s a disturbing trend developing - the misdiagnosis of sleep disorders as ADD or ADHD. Many parents, AND doctors, are simply unaware of that fact that ADD and ADHD share many of the symptoms as sleep disorders. Most doctors are more aware of and educated on ADD and ADHD, so their first instinct is to assume a child is suffering from one of those disorders and to recommend a medication to solve the problem. In reality, the problem may be as simple as the child not getting an adequate amount of sleep because of a sleep disorder they’re unknowingly suffering from.
According to recent research published in the journal Pediatrics, children with increased daytime sleepiness and other symptoms of sleep disordered breathing have an increased chance of inattention and hyperactivity (often associated with ADD or ADHD)—especially young boys. The study also concluded that between 7 and 12 percent of children snore regularly, putting them at high risk for sleep disordered breathing problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea. When children do not get the sleep their bodies require, they are at risk for health, performance and safety problems, often resulting in difficulties at school.
Here’s a real-life example for you – I treated a young boy, whose mother had been told he was suffering from ADHD. Ever since he was a baby, her son would go to sleep and wake up every two hours. This continued as he grew, and resulted in his waking up for school totally exhausted. By 9:30 in the morning, he was staring into space and falling asleep in class. As a result, he wasn’t focusing in school, his grades were slipping and he had become extremely irritable. My patient’s mother was told that her child was “a candidate for referral” – meaning he should be evaluated for a disorder such as ADD or ADHD. He underwent a full battery of evaluations – visiting with a variety of different medical professionals. He was ultimately prescribed medication for ADHD, which affected him quite adversely – it made him jerky, caused his pupils to tremble, and affected his sleeping patterns so that he actually slept LESS. Eventually, his neurologist suggested that he undergo a sleep study, and it was determined that what was originally believed to be ADHD was actually a sleep disorder. After beginning his treatment for the sleep disorder, his mother has seen a complete change in his schoolwork, behavior and health.
So please don’t ignore any symptoms your child may be exhibiting – make sure to educate yourself about ALL the possible culprits. If your doctor immediately diagnoses your child with ADD or ADHD after hearing the symptoms, make sure to discuss the possibility of a sleep disorder with them. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and it may just save your child from additional suffering. The sooner you begin asking questions, the sooner you may see a change in your child’s behavior, grades, and more importantly, their health.
But what if all that wasn’t necessary? There’s a disturbing trend developing - the misdiagnosis of sleep disorders as ADD or ADHD. Many parents, AND doctors, are simply unaware of that fact that ADD and ADHD share many of the symptoms as sleep disorders. Most doctors are more aware of and educated on ADD and ADHD, so their first instinct is to assume a child is suffering from one of those disorders and to recommend a medication to solve the problem. In reality, the problem may be as simple as the child not getting an adequate amount of sleep because of a sleep disorder they’re unknowingly suffering from.
According to recent research published in the journal Pediatrics, children with increased daytime sleepiness and other symptoms of sleep disordered breathing have an increased chance of inattention and hyperactivity (often associated with ADD or ADHD)—especially young boys. The study also concluded that between 7 and 12 percent of children snore regularly, putting them at high risk for sleep disordered breathing problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea. When children do not get the sleep their bodies require, they are at risk for health, performance and safety problems, often resulting in difficulties at school.
Here’s a real-life example for you – I treated a young boy, whose mother had been told he was suffering from ADHD. Ever since he was a baby, her son would go to sleep and wake up every two hours. This continued as he grew, and resulted in his waking up for school totally exhausted. By 9:30 in the morning, he was staring into space and falling asleep in class. As a result, he wasn’t focusing in school, his grades were slipping and he had become extremely irritable. My patient’s mother was told that her child was “a candidate for referral” – meaning he should be evaluated for a disorder such as ADD or ADHD. He underwent a full battery of evaluations – visiting with a variety of different medical professionals. He was ultimately prescribed medication for ADHD, which affected him quite adversely – it made him jerky, caused his pupils to tremble, and affected his sleeping patterns so that he actually slept LESS. Eventually, his neurologist suggested that he undergo a sleep study, and it was determined that what was originally believed to be ADHD was actually a sleep disorder. After beginning his treatment for the sleep disorder, his mother has seen a complete change in his schoolwork, behavior and health.
So please don’t ignore any symptoms your child may be exhibiting – make sure to educate yourself about ALL the possible culprits. If your doctor immediately diagnoses your child with ADD or ADHD after hearing the symptoms, make sure to discuss the possibility of a sleep disorder with them. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and it may just save your child from additional suffering. The sooner you begin asking questions, the sooner you may see a change in your child’s behavior, grades, and more importantly, their health.
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