Q: I'm going through a prolonged bout of trouble sleeping. I'm not sure why -- stress, having to pee, who knows what. I'm 57. Should I be worried about how it affects my health? -- Jon R., Chicago
A: Sleep is a complex process that provides your body with a chance to reset, repair, refuel and do some housecleaning while you're passing through various sleep stages. They include non- rapid-eye-movement stages that last from one to 40 minutes and a REM stage that lasts 10 to 60 minutes. If you get 6.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep nightly, that takes you through all the stages multiple times a night, and it bolsters your immune system, memory and heart health and clears out "brain waste."
One example of how important quality sleep is comes from a metastudy in Trends in Neuroscience. Researchers found that getting too little sleep leads to brain damage and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. The severity of neural injury (that's what too little quality sleep does to the brain) varies by type and duration of sleep disruption, age and genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative processes, but in any circumstance, it does damage.
Another testimony to the health risks of poor sleep is the American Heart Association's recent revision of their Life's Simple 7 ways to prevent heart disease. It now is Life's Essential 8. AHA added sleep as an important component of heart health.
Your first task is to figure out why you have poor sleep. Is it because of stress (daily physical exercise eases that, as does cognitive behavioral therapy, if needed), physical discomfort (see an orthopedist for achy joints, get physical therapy for sore, tight muscles), poor sleeping conditions (too much noise or blue or white light in the bedroom, digital devices) or sleep apnea (ask your doctor for an evaluation)? Whatever the reason, keep a log of your nightly sleep experiences and book an appointment with a sleep professional -- it's that important
Q: I'm startled by how many people, myself included, are overweight. What's going on? What's different from when I was a kid? It was very unusual then. -- Jackie J., Bethesda, Maryland
A: For a society to see so many folks become overweight or obese, it takes a growing number of weight-triggering environmental and biological issues. In the environment, there's the lack of safe recreational spaces; too much driving, not enough walking; and lousy foods that are cheap and easy to get that are filled with additives that fuel weight gain and increasing stressors. Biologically, those environmental assaults alter the gut and trigger chronic inflammation and epigenetic changes (genes switching on and off) that promote obesity for many folks.
A new article in the Journal of Obesity lays out just how much the obesity epidemic is expanding -- 42.4% of U.S. adults are now obese. In the 1960s and 1970s, only 13% of U.S. adults were. The researchers also found that more than half of American adults gained 5% or more body weight over a 10-year period, and almost a fifth gained 20% or more. Age and weight gain were also related: From age 20 to 29, folks averaged a weight gain of 17.6 pounds; from age 30 to 39, 14.3 pounds; age 40 to 49, 9.5 pounds, and 50 to 59, 4.6 pounds. Over a lifetime, that could add up to more than 45 excess pounds.
All this means that you have to be extra-vigilant about the food you eat, the amount of activity you get, the negative stress you put on your body and your lack of sufficient quality sleep.
Switching to a plant-based, minimally processed diet with seven servings of fruits and veggies a day, getting 300 minutes of aerobic exercise and two 30-minute strength-training sessions weekly, and managing stress and sleep issues can help fight off or reverse weight gain. Sign up at my upcoming website www.greatagereboot.com for information to support your efforts.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow." Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email [email protected].
King Features Syndicate