By Torrie Smith, Student Pharmacist and Karen Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1993, the romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, was released. The movie was one of the top grossing films of 1993. The movie was inspired by An Affair to Remember (1957) and Love Affair (1939). Interestingly, Rita Wilson, who is married to Tom Hanks, plays his sister in the movie.

Can being sleepless or having altered sleep patterns affect your health?

The answer is yes! Why is sleep so important?

Cardiometabolic diseases are common, but usually preventable, conditions that impact the heart, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. This group of diseases is referred to as comorbidities and are the most common causes of death worldwide. Healthy lifestyle choices such as a balanced diet, regular physical activity and even sleep patterns have been associated with a decreased risk of developing one of these lifelong diseases. 

A study published in Journal of the American Heart Association found a relationship between the time of sleep onset and the duration of sleep to health and disease outcomes. Sleep onset is the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and is known as sleep latency. Sleep duration is the total length of time in a 24-hour period that one sleeps. This does not have to be continuous sleep but is a sum total of sleep time. Sleep latency and sleep duration are both important in maintaining high-quality sleep. 

In the study, a total of 6,696 people were divided into different groups according to their sleep onset, their sleep duration, and any diagnosed comorbidities. The researchers reported for those falling asleep after midnight and those having less than 7 hours of sleep or greater than 9 hours of sleep were more likely to have comorbidities, especially in the age range of 40-59 years old. These results support other previous study findings that not enough or too much sleep leads to a higher chance of developing cardiometabolic diseases, specifically diabetes and heart disease. 

It is recommended that adults aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to maintain healthy sleep patterns. The American Heart Association (AHA) includes high quality sleep as one of the Essential 8 Healthy Lifestyles to prevent heart disease. The AHA has tips for successful sleeping habits to lower the risk of comorbidities. Some tips include charging your mobile device away from your bed, dimming the screen at night, setting a bedtime alarm to start winding down, app-blocking to decrease your ability to use certain apps at night and blocking notifications by setting your phone to “do not disturb”. 

Some other suggestions for improving your sleeping habits include increasing your physical activity, especially in the morning. Consider eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and balancing your calories during the day. Find a relaxing ritual and create a routine for yourself to help you prepare for sleep. Babies are often on a routine to help them fall asleep, so why not adults?

Other lifestyle choices to improve sleep quality include limiting alcohol, caffeine and tobacco/vaping before bedtime as well as limiting vigorous physical exercise before lying down to sleep. Some foods can be beneficial in helping with sleep, including almonds, which contain naturally occurring melatonin, and milk, with the dual mechanism of melatonin and tryptophan for sleep promotion. Bananas have been recommended for their potassium content, which is important for the sleep-wake cycle in the body.

Sleep is an important healthy habit, so make sure not to be sleepless!

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