IF YOU DON'T SLEEP NOW, YOU'LL SLEEP WHEN YOU ARE DEAD!

It was certainly a wake-up call for the corporate world. However, it was even more disastrous for runners. Since he was an avid marathoner (in Feb ‘09, he ran Chennai Marathon), the question came as to why an exceptionally active, athletic person would succumb to a heart attack at 42 years of age.

Was it the stress?

Well, the gentlemen had mentioned that he faced a lot of stressful situations, a common element to many of our lives. I have heard it said and believe that it is true – stress is common to life and positive stress is what matures us as people. Some believe that by being fit, one can conquer the bad effects of stress.

The Real Reason

As much as stress may have played its part as a cause, what was found out is that the gentleman used to make do with 4-5 hours of sleep. He himself admitted that he would love to get more sleep (and that he was not proud of his ability to manage without sleep, contrary to what others garlanded).

• Short sleep duration (<5 or 5-6 hours) increased risk for high BP by 350% to 500% compared to those who slept longer than 6 hours per night. Paper published in 2009. As you know, high BP kills.
• Young people (25-49 years of age) are twice as likely to get high BP if they sleep less. Paper published in 2006.
• Individuals who slept less than 5 hours a night had a 3-fold increased risk of heart attacks. Paper published in 1999.
• Complete and partial lack of sleep increased the blood concentrations of high sensitivity C - Reactive Protein (hs-cRP), the strongest predictor of heart attacks. Even after getting adequate sleep later, the levels stayed high!!
• Just one night of sleep loss increases very toxic substances in body such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (cRP). They increase risks of many medical conditions, including cancer, arthritis and heart disease. Paper published in 2004.
• Sleeping for <=5 hours per night leads to 39% increase in heart disease. Sleeping for <=6 hours per night leads to 18% increase in heart disease. Paper published in 2006.

Barring stress control, the gentleman did everything right i.e. he ate a balanced diet, he exercised regularly and he maintaining a healthy weight, however, he missed getting proper and adequate sleep, minimum of 7 hours per night. This, in my opinion, is what killed him. If you are not getting enough sleep you are playing with fire, even if you have low stress levels.

I always took pride in my ability to work 50 hours at a stretch whenever the situation warranted but after reading about this incident I ensure I do not even set the alarm clock under 7 hours. Now, that is a nice excuse to get some more sleep.

Unfortunately, this true story is not the only one out there, just one of the few published, but many of us are doing exactly the same, perhaps out of ignorance.

Sleep is a very important aspect of life and this is why there are rooms in houses specifically dedicated to this purpose, just as there are for eating. Take some time and re-evaluate your sleeping patterns and if need be make the necessary adjustments. It might give you a few extra years on top of the very few that you are left with.

Be wise and invest in your bright future.