$Unique_ID{BRK00678}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Is a Good Night's Sleep Really Essential to Good Health?}
$Subject{sleep health healing immune immunity lifestyle lifestyles muramyl
peptide interleukin-1 deprivation irritability fatigue remembering
coordination visual tactile hallucinations hallucination illusion illusions
REM rapid eye movement}
$Volume{U-23}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Is a Good Night's Sleep Really Essential to Good Health?


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QUESTION:  Although my wife and I have very different sleep habits we both
seem to be doing fine.  However she sleeps for eight to ten hours each night,
and has a good sleep.  I only sleep for about four hours, it seems.  We would
like to know if is it true that a good night's sleep is really essential to
good health?

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ANSWER:  A good night's sleep, one that is restful and calm, is high on the
list of priorities of many readers, and so your question is an interesting
one.  More and more researchers are finding that a good night's sleep is
actually very important in fighting disease.  While there is a great variety
in actual sleep requirements from individual to individual, most doctors feel
6 to 9 hours of total sleep in a 24-hour period is the proper amount for
adults.
     Many aspects of sleep remain a mystery to researchers.  Some even used to
wonder if sleep was necessary at all.  Recent research, however, has shown a
link between sleep and the immune system.  In experiments at the University of
Chicago, white rats deprived of sleep died in an average of 19 days.  During
the deprivation period, the rats developed brown fur and ulcers of the paws
and tail.  In 1980, researchers John Pappenheimer, James Kreuger and Manfred
Karnovsky isolated the chemical that induces sleep, muramyl peptide.  This is
a chemical known to activate cells called macrophages, which rush to sites of
infection, where they remove bacteria and other foreign bodies from blood and
tissues.
     Macrophages in turn make interleukin-1, a chemical which is known to
influence temperature regulation and fever.  Macrophages also signal to other
disease fighting cells called lymphocytes, that they are needed at the site of
an infection.
     Research into human sleep deprivation shows that it usually leads to
irritability and fatigue, difficulty in concentrating and remembering, poor
muscle coordination and visual or tactile hallucinations and illusions.  Thus
a bad night, with poor sleep patterns or little restful sleep, leads to a bad
day, disrupting normal routines and reducing your efficiency.
     Scientists have also experimented with depriving people of one of the two
states of sleep.  They are known as REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, in
which dreaming occurs, and N-REM sleep, or nonrapid eye movement sleep.  REM
deprivation led to irritability, apathy, poor judgement, increased sensitivity
to pain and a decrease in alertness.
     Many people who abuse sedatives, tranquilizers, antidepressants, and
alcohol suffer many of the problems I've just mentioned, because these
chemicals interfere with REM sleep.
     Most doctors agree that sleep helps people to recuperate from illness.
It also has been theorized that REM sleep allows healing of mental activities
and provides preparation for wakefulness.
     So, it seems that sleep is both a period of rest for the body and mind.
There is still much more research necessary to unravel its many mysteries.
Scientists hope to someday understand exactly how sleep works along with the
immune system, and why sleep is part of the daily cycle of life.  In your
cases, since you state that you are both doing well, it is apparent that each
of you is getting sufficient sleep, and so have little to worry about.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.