Sleep and Performance

On this blog we post information about sleep, however, we have not posted much content regarding the data behind the information we are providing. So, in this post I will show you some of the most interesting statistics that we have found up to this point in time. I recently came across several sources of information that provided some interesting statistics found during various studies on human sleep patterns, the environments that influence those sleep patterns, and what effects those patterns have on your performance. 

Pre-Sleeping Habits

• 9 out of every 10 Americans reported using a technological device in the hour before going to sleep
• TV is the most popular device, at 60%,  used before sleep [2.]
• Those under the age of 30 more likely to use cell phones [2.]
• Using these interactive devices makes it significantly more likely to have difficulty falling asleep [2.]
• Using devices also increases the likelihood that that person will have less restful sleep [2.]

• Interactive technological devices are most strongly associated with sleep complaints 

Sleep Deprivation Effects 

• This blog is a big fan of Dr. Charels Czeisler, who is lauded within the community of neuroscientists who study sleep, who was influential in a study regarding the effects sleep deprivation has on cognitive abilities. [1.]
• Sleep deficiency is a “deficit in the quantity or quality of sleep obtained vs. the amount needed for optimal health, performance [1.]
• Sleep deficiency degrades immune, cardiovascular and metabolic function [1.]

Benefits of Sleep

[3.]

Achieving Better Sleep

[3.]

These images were taken from a lecture given  by Dr. Charels Czeisler. If you would like to watch the video, the link is provided in the references section. I would recommend trying to adhere to some of these suggested sleep habits. They are useful, and trust us here at #SleepMatters, it works. If you want to be more alert during the day, just try a few, they work.

Below are the resources used to obtain the information provided in this blog post 

References

1. Pack AI, Dinges DF, Gehrman PR, Staley B, Pack FM, Maislin G. Risk factors for excessive sleepiness in older adults. Ann Neurol. 2006;59:893–904. [PubMed]

2. Dinges & Powell, 1985; Doran, Van Dongen, & Dinges, 2001; Wyatt et al., 1999

3. A Sleep Epidemic: Charles Czeisler at TEDxCambridge 2011   http://youtu.be/p4UxLpoNCxU

What Type of Sleeper Are You?

Chronotype

If you have never heard this term before, you should. The term Chronotype refers to a way that Chronobiologist, those who study the rhythms of sleep in living things, categorize sleepers. There are two groups of Chronotype, larks and owls.

Larks -->  If you consider yourself a morning person, then you are a lark. If you are the type of person who maintains the habit of falling asleep early and waking up early then you are a lark. If you typically fall asleep around 11:30p.m., you are a lark.

Owls  --> If you look at yourself as a night person, then you are an owl. If you know that you are more alert in the evening than you are in the morning, then you are an owl. If you find yourself late at night wondering why you are not sleepy, you are an owl.


There is nothing that you can do to alter your Chronotype, because this is determined genetically. You are born with your sleeping habits. You may come from a family of people who are up until the wee hours of the morning every night, or you may be part of a family who has all of the lights in the house turned out at 10:00 pm. Regardless of what Chronotype you fall into, there is not point in trying to combat your type, as it cannot be changed. So, embrace your Chronotype, whether you are a lark or an owl, embrace the lifestyle you have inherited.

Guess who fits into the respective chronotypes