Even if you eat nutritious meals and exercise every day, you might be missing out on an equally-important function of health: sleep.

Sleep gives us superpowers. With quality sleep, our cognitive function and memory improve, hormones are better regulated and the risk of heart disease falls, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Sleep impacts our physical, mental and emotional health, and it allows our bodies to restore and repair themselves, cell by cell.

Mike Baker, owner of Sleep Analysts — a sleep testing center network with a location in Cape Girardeau — says when a person “misses” sleep, it takes away from the time the body and brain need to regenerate.

Baker has been in the “sleep business” for 16 years, and his company has performed more than 80,000 sleep studies in Sleep Analysts centers throughout the country. Through his work, Baker says he has seen sleep affect many aspects of health, such as blood pressure, diabetes, migraines and even the amount of time it takes wounds to heal.

Mary Morton, lead technician for SoutheastHEALTH’s Sleep Diagnostic Center, says if one’s sleep is not adequate, it will affect overall health negatively.

“Not getting enough sleep makes you less productive during the day, it affects your mood, it affects your blood pressure. It can affect your libido. It can affect a lot of things,” Morton says.

Baker believes sleep is one of the most under-treated segments of the human health care system. He estimates roughly 30% of the population experiences problems with sleep or sleep disorders at some point during their lives. This estimate is quite accurate, according to The Center for Disease Control, which states one-third of adults in the United States report getting less than the recommended amount of sleep.

__How much sleep is enough?__

There are four stages of sleep in one cycle. According to The Sleep Foundation, stage one is when an individual first falls asleep. This stage lasts the least amount of time, between one and seven minutes.

Stage one may only occur once throughout the night, de- pending on the individual; stage two is when brain activity begins to slow and muscles relax. During stage three, also known as delta or deep sleep, brain activity is further reduced. The next and final stage, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, is when brain activity is at its highest. Baker says this is when the most vivid dreams typically occur.

Baker says all four stages may take place within 50 minutes, but can take more or less time depending on the individual. He also says the amount of sleep someone needs can vary — but between four to eight cycles in a night is recommended.

Baker says the way a person feels in the morning can depend on what cycle of sleep they’re in when they wake up. He says the best time to wake up is after an REM cycle, instead of during an REM cycle.

“Ever set your alarm and sometimes, you’re really sluggy waking up, and other times, you can pop up [out of bed]? [If you wake up sluggy,] that’s ‘cause you woke up in mid-REM cycle,” Baker says.

Morton says getting between seven and nine hours of sleep per night is recommended. Typically, adolescents and children require more sleep than adults, which supports their physical growth and brain development.

Morton says it’s not just the time spent sleeping that matters, it’s also the quality of sleep an individual is getting — which can be impacted by sleep disorders.

“Especially with our sleep apnea patients, they might be sleeping 10 to 12 hours a day, but they’re always exhausted,” Morton says. “If you’re sleeping that long but you’re not breathing, you’re having those airway obstructions and oxygen desaturations and increases in your heart rate all night long, it’s not a good amount of sleep. Even if it’s long enough, it’s not good enough.”

__Sleep disorders and health__

Sleep disorders are issues with the timing and quality of sleep, which could include difficulties falling and remain- ing asleep. Insomnia — the inability to fall or stay asleep — is often cited as the most-common sleep disorder. Other sleep disorders include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea, periodic limb movement, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy.

Both Baker and Morton say they see obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often in patients. Obstructive sleep apnea involves a partial or complete collapse of airways during sleep; to put it simply, Baker says the back of the throat closes while an individual is sleeping, restricting their airflow. This means oxygen levels decrease, which causes the body to release adrenaline in response, contributing to high blood pressure.

Morton says untreated sleep apnea will “almost always” result in high blood pressure and could make diabetes worse.

“That’s why those people who are un- regulated and have sleep apnea, sometimes when they’re treated, the diabetes can be modified,” Baker says.

Vicki Sadler, Cape Girardeau resident and retired Saint Francis Healthcare System employee, says she started to have major cardiac problems in 2018. She received a diagnosis for her heart condition, did a sleep study and discovered she had OSA.

It was recommended that she start using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine during sleep to improve airflow and oxygen levels. Sadler says it took her a while to get used to the mask and to find one that fit properly, but now, her sleep quality has “doubled.”

She says once all of her problems were diagnosed and she found a CPAP mask that fit properly, she slept for almost 12 hours; she hadn’t slept that long in more than eight years. Before receiving treatment for OSA, Sadler says her snoring was “terrible,” she couldn’t stay asleep and she kept waking her husband up. Now, she says everything about her sleep quality has improved.

“My awareness during the day [is better]; I don’t want to nap during the day. I have a better performance [in] what I want to do ... less chance of accidents. And my mood is always better when I get sleep, and it’s just a whole quality of life for me is better. It impacts everything,” Sadler says.

Completing a sleep study is the best way to know if you have a sleep disorder, but Baker says there are a few signs to watch for at home — specifically for those with OSA.

“If you wake up with dry mouth all the time or a lot of the time, that’s the No. 1 sign. If you wake up with a headache in the morning, that’s a big sign,” Baker says. “If you wake up after eight hours of sleep and you’re still tired, you’ve got a problem.”

Morton says during a sleep study, her team monitors muscle tone on various

parts of the body, cardiac rhythm, oxygen levels, limb movements and breathing patterns; this helps reveal the quality of sleep and any sleep disorders or nighttime seizures patients may not know they have. This knowledge leads to treatment, which hopefully leads to improved quality of sleep and overall wellness.

__Getting a good night’s rest__

There are a few steps individuals can take to ensure they’re getting those seven to nine hours of “good, continuous sleep” that Morton recommends.

First of all, if you are experiencing chronic sleep problems or suspect you have a sleep disorder, make an appointment with your physician. If a sleep disorder is not the cause, start by finding ways to decrease stress, especially in the evening leading up to bedtime. Then, examine your diet, physical activity, caffeine intake, technology usage and daily routine, as all of these factors impact the quality of your sleep.

If you have pulled a couple of late nights in a row, Baker says your body will need to “catch up” in order to replenish those cells and rejuvenate fully.

“I’m sure you’ve heard someone saying, ‘I have to catch up on my sleep.’ ... We refer to it as the ‘sleep bank.’ ... You can go a day or two with three, four, five hours of sleep. We’ve all done that. Then, the next couple days, we want to sleep nine or 10 hours. That’s what you’re doing. You’re restoring the sleep bank,” Baker says.

Getting consistent, quality sleep is not just about feeling rested, it’s also about improving every aspect of health, regulating pre-existing conditions and achieving a better quality of life.

Sadler says she didn’t realize how badly she was sleeping before she began treatment; then, her whole world changed.

“It’s for a whole better quality of life. You can just do more when you’re awake and not dozing all the time,” Sadler says. “I don’t mind going to bed now. I can sleep.”

__5 Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep__

Whether you’re dealing with a sleep disorder or simply looking to improve the quality of your sleep, here are a few ways to work toward a more restful night:

1. Routine, routine, routine.

“Keeping a routine is the biggest thing,” says Mary Morton, lead sleep technician for SoutheastHEALTH’s Sleep Diagnostic Center. “Keep a schedule for your meals, your medications, your chores. Keep your bedtime the same; keep your get-up time the same. Routine is good.”

2. Restrict caffeine.

Limit caffeine intake six hours before bedtime. According to The Sleep Foundation, half of the caffeine is cleared from your system within four to six hours of consuming it. However, this can change, depending on the individual. If you know caffeine affects you for a longer period of time, try switching to decaffeinated drinks earlier in the day.

3. Turn off technology.

Turn off your phone, television and computer approximately an hour before bedtime. Morton says this “allows a bit of downtime to relax your body.” Mike Baker, an owner of Sleep Analysts, says sleeping with the television turned on can be disruptive to sleep. If something loud happens on the television while you’re asleep, he said it could wake you up and disrupt the REM cycle.

4. Be mindful of mealtimes.

Consuming large meals too close to bedtime can affect digestion and sleep quality. The Sleep Foundation advises against late mealtimes, both for sleep purposes and because consistently consuming the majority of one’s calorie intake late in the day is linked to obesity.

5. Talk to your physician.

If you experience sleep difficulties regularly, schedule a visit to see your physician. They may recommend a sleep study if your symptoms point to a sleep disorder.

__Common Sleep Disorders__

According to Sleep Analysts owner Mike Baker and SoutheastHEALTH Sleep Diagnostic Center’s lead sleep technician Mary Morton, these are three of the more common sleep disorders they see in their patients.

__Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)__

According to the National Institute of Health, obstructive sleep apnea is defined as a complete or partial collapse of airways, which causes a decrease in oxygen saturation and arousal from sleep.

Symptoms:

-Dry mouth

-Headache

-Diabetes

-High blood pressure

-Snoring

-Waking up tired after eight or more hours of sleep

Possible treatments:

-Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) (See physician)

-Dental devices

-Sleep laterally (If symptoms are mild)

-Elevate head (If symptoms are mild)

__Periodic Limb Movement__

According to the National Institute of Health, periodic limb movement is defined as repetitive limb movement during sleep.

Symptoms:

-Frequent waking

-Daytime sleepiness

-Limb movement during sleep

Possible treatments:

-Medication (See physician)

-Limit caffeine or alcohol intake

-Add more iron to diet

-Create a more consistent sleep routine

__Insomnia__

Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or both. There is no singular cause of insomnia — it could be due to stress, medication usage, medical conditions or sleep disorders. According to The Sleep Foundation, women are more likely to suffer from insomnia.

Symptoms:

-Daytime sleepiness

-Trouble falling asleep

-Frequent waking

Possible treatments:

-Medication (See physician)

-Limit caffeine or alcohol intake

-Try stress management techniques

-Create a more consistent sleep routine