Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.
March 2011
Why are there so many TV commercials for sleep aids? Are we a nation of insomniacs? Are these medications so effective that they are worth the risk of side effects that vary from sleepwalking to suicide?
Humans' sleep patterns evolved tens of thousands of years ago near the equator where light and dark were nearly equal during most of the year. Without artificial light or traffic noise they could have had long periods of uninterrupted sleep — but they didn't. It turns out that hunter-gatherers, known as modern Stone Agers, often wake up for an hour or two in the middle of the night and in some groups about 25 percent of the members are awake at any given time.
Of course, Stone-Agers didn't have to contend with nighttime radio, TV, traffic noise or neighborhood parties and none had to wake up to an alarm clock. Modern humans aim for about 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and resort to prescription or over-the-counter drugs when they can't achieve that.
We'll never get back to sleeping in groups on a silent, dark savannah, a few feet from a protective fire but there are some things that we can do in order to have a more restful sleep.
Daytime physical activity is an effective sleep aid. Exercisers get to sleep faster, sleep longer and awaken more refreshed. Regular exercise staves off obesity, one peril of which is obstructive sleep apnea. This results in poor rest for the victim and his or her bedmate, along with daytime drowsiness and irritability.
Some persons are so sensitive to caffeine that even small amounts early in the day prevent getting a good night's sleep. Chocolate, tea, soft drinks and even decaf coffee may have enough to cause problems in some individuals.
Older persons sometimes nap during the day so it should be no surprise that they will sleep less at night. It's normal for seniors to sleep about one hour less than they did when they were younger, a fact that should not be a cause for concern. The chronic illnesses that are common in the elderly require medications that interfere with sleep.
Don't be concerned if you wake up for a while in the middle of the night. It just might be that Stone Age habit. However, when the lack of sleep leads to poor job performance it's worth having an expert opinion from a sleep specialist.
Philip J. Goscienski, M.D. is the author of Health Secrets of the Stone Age, Better Life Publishers 2005. Contact him at drphil@stoneagedoc.com.