Editorial: Lose sleep, lose health

Monday, Oct. 29, 2007 | 7:08 a.m.

A lot is being written these days about something many of us get too little of - sleep.

The Washington-based National Sleep Foundation has conducted polls showing that Americans of all ages are susceptible to sleep deprivation.

And reports by universities, medical journals and government agencies have documented the potential for harm when people consistently get fewer than the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a day (babies, of course, need much more).

Most people who routinely sacrifice sleep probably expect themselves at times to be a little grouchier than they should be. But the risk is far greater.

The journal Current Biology last week published research conducted by University of California-Berkeley and Harvard scientists. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the research shows a connection between lack of sleep and negative thinking.

The report also suggested a connection between a lack of sleep and psychiatric disorders such as depression. One of the report's authors said there could be a connection between lack of sleep and road rage.

Other studies have shown equally troubling connections. Children who do not get enough sleep are prone to moodiness, poorer grades, defiant behavior and lack of concentration.

Among adults, studies have connected insufficient sleep with diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain, heart disease, vulnerability to infection and short-term memory loss.

Obviously, people who simply choose to sacrifice sleep for late-night TV or other nonessential activities can - and should - respond to the emerging information by changing their lifestyles.

It's not so simple for many other people. But it might help if they thought more each day about the future they are working so hard toward, and became determined to arrive there in good health.