14 Wednesday, January 27, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Sleep is key to vitality and good health By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief When it comes to health and well- being nothing is more important than sleep. Consistent, sufficient qual- ity sleep is critical to our mental and physical health; in fact, it9s literally a matter of life and death. In a society that prizes productiv- ity, the <down time= that sleep repre- sents has not been held in very high esteem. <Historically, we9ve been pretty callous about it,= said Dr. David Dedrick, medical director for St. Charles Health System9s Sleep Center. For many, it9s a point of pride to get by on little sleep; a mentality expressed by the late, great Warren Zevon: <I9ll sleep when I9m dead.= In reality, if you don9t get enough sleep, chances are you will be dead, before your time. Recent research makes it clear: sleep is vital and nothing to be fooled around with. <The field has made some just stunning movement in terms of just understanding the physiological importance of sleep,= Dr. Dedrick said. <The wheels, quite simply come off the cart when you don9t get the right amount of sleep& It9s really irrefutable at this point in time.= Our brains and bodies flush toxic metabolites as we sleep, and sleep is when we tend to our DNA. Inadequate sleep can exacerbate high blood pres- sure and depression, alter our mood for the worse, make us more impul- sive 4 and research shows that chronic inadequate sleep shortens our lifespan. So how much sleep do we need? <You really want to be getting around seven (hours) 4 in the ball- park,= Dr. Dedrick said. Anything less than six hours a day is problematic. <People will trick themselves: 8I do fine with five hours of sleep,9= he said. <They9re not.= How do you ensure that you get those seven hours, night after night? <We have to follow the rules,= Dr. Dedrick said. <And, unfortunately, the rules are boring.= Those rules are: " Maximum of one alcoholic drink, no closer than four hours before bedtime. " Limit caffeine consumption and stay away from it in the afternoon. " Stay off screens for several hours before bedtime. Little devils of alcohol and caffeine Alcohol is seductive, because, as a sedative, it makes us sleepy. But ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/PORTFOLIO/FIZKES alcohol is a drug, and its effects are insidious. Withdrawal, which happens later in the sleep cycle, creates agita- tion, wakefulness, and anxiety. <(Alcohol) might be the number one offender in sleep problems,= Dr. Dedrick said. <Because one thing we9re doing more of during the pan- demic is drinking. And it9s not helping us when it comes to sleep.= Most people recognize that a cup of coffee late in the day is not a good idea. Caffeine can persist in the body for as much as six hours. We9re less cognizant of how much our addiction to our phones affects our sleep. The light stimulation throws off our circadian rhythms, Dr. Dedrick notes. Those are the physical cues that let us know that it9s time to go to sleep. It9s not just the light that causes a problem though. The content of what See SLEEP on page 23 Back In Action Fitness Equipment Central Oregon’s Premier Fitness Equipment Dealer • New & used residential & commercial equipment • Servicing all brands of equipment • Delivery, installation, removal, recycling • Trade-ins welcome • Many brands to choose from — 541-420-5985 — www.backinactionfi tnessequipment.com Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1310 SE Reed Market Rd., Ste. 100, Bend Let me help design a custom itinerary, off the beaten path... Active, Outdoor Adventures! 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