Sleep problems should be taken seriously

"I can't sleep." How often have we said or heard that lament?

We can't fall asleep; we can't stay asleep.

Sleep is so basic a function that we tend to obsess over not getting enough. And with recent studies warning that lack of sleep can lead to anything from being overweight to heart disease, the harrumph of the snorer and the drone of the guy counting sheep no longer seem funny.

Despite our best efforts to cuddle in the arms of Morpheus, insomnia plagues many of us on occasion. That contributes to the popularity of over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol PM and supplements like melatonin.

About insomnia

Insomnia is a condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep, problems staying asleep, waking prematurely, or feeling that the sleep was non-restorative.

The National Institutes of Health reports that about a third of us complain of sleep problems, and about 10 percent say we can't function well during the day because of sleep disruption. That percentage is even higher in a poll recently released by the National Sleep Foundation, which found in a random sampling of about 1,500 adults that about half complained of daytime sleepiness.

Sleep problems can be transitory -- coming and going -- writes Michael Krugman, author of the new book, The Insomnia Solution ($13.95, Warner Books).

That type of sleeplessness usually results from stress. "Did I mail the car payment? Did I tell Bobby's teacher he won't be in school? What if I get fired?"

"Falling asleep involves a decrease in metabolism and a gradual cessation of readiness for action," writes Krugman, "whereas the stress response involves a rapid increase in metabolism, sending the organism into a state of preparedness for action."

It's obvious, he points out, that these are antagonistic processes; the one fights the other, disrupting our chances for sleep. And people who suffer this way are those he targets in his book, although he invites anyone to practice his "drug-free way to a good night's sleep."

Such methods to induce good sleep appeal to Kerting Baldwin, who has suffered from insomnia for seven years.

The mother of two youngsters, 4 and 2, she thinks her sleeplessness is related to her busy lifestyle: running a household and having a full-time job, director of media relations for Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla.

"Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. and can't go back to sleep. I toss and turn thinking of all the different assignments I need to do at work, all the calls and e-mails I need to return, so I lay there worrying about these mundane things and can't go to sleep," she says. "Sometimes, I turn on the TV and watch a little, hoping that the need to sleep will return, but when I realize there is no way I'm going back to sleep, I get up, log on to my job's network and begin answering e-mails and getting a jump start on my work day."

She hasn't seen a doctor, she says, but has cut back on her caffeine -- a known sleep disrupter -- especially after 3 p.m., and is seeking to increase her daytime exercise.

She doesn't blame any physical or mental illness, such as depression, for her hectic sleep schedule, but doctors advise that if insomnia continues for more than a week to seek medical care.

Sleeplessness may be unrelated to the stress that knocks us out of bed for a night or two. Most cases of insomnia, says the National Institutes of Health, are linked with conditions such as psychiatric diseases -- particularly depression -- cardiopulmonary disorders, and other conditions that may disrupt sleep.

Health danger: Sleep apnea

And disruptive sleep patterns can be bad for your health. Sleep apnea, where a sleeper holds his or her breath and suddenly gasps loudly for air, is linked to heart disease and blood pressure problems, for example.

Two years ago, National Football League legend Reggie White's sudden death was attributed in part to sleep apnea. With this condition, the pauses in breathing during sleep are brief and usually last 10 to 30 seconds, but an individual can cease breathing hundreds of times in one night.

Sleep apnea affects approximately 15 to 20 million Americans, and a majority of individuals suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed and untreated, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Because of the prevalence and seriousness of sleeping problems, sleep labs have been established around the country to identify and treat those whose sleep problems may be more complicated than occasional floor-walking.

"They are literally sleeping for as long as they can hold their breath," says Mark Pingolt, chief technologist of the Sleep Disorders Center at Martin Memorial Medical Center in Stuart, Fla. "I've seen people with (breath-holding) two- and three-minute apneas that can be life threatening."

Treatment ranges from weight loss in overweight sufferers to breathing machines to surgeries.

The bottom line is that sleeping problems no longer are, nor should they be, the punch line in jokes. From dangerous daytime sleepiness, to disrupting bed partners, to being linked to life-altering conditions, insomnia can be serious.

"Sleep-challenged people are irritable, inattentive, and accident-prone," says author Krugman. "Fortunately, there is a brighter side. Sleep, when we get the right quantity and quality of it, is nature's best medicine."