Sleeping short of seven hours isn’t good

Q: I’m not a big sleeper, just four to five hours a night. Been that way for the past 40 years, and it doesn’t cause me any trouble. So, why does everyone insist that you have to get seven to nine hours? — Terrance G., Minneapolis

A: Around 30 percent of working adults get six or fewer hours of sleep nightly, and while a minuscule fraction of those folks may be able to stay healthy and alert on less sleep than recommended, almost all short-duration sleepers who deny that it causes them any dysfunction are more exhausted than they realize.

In fact, according a study by University of Utah researchers, functional MRIs of those short sleepers’ brains show they have cerebral functioning similar to someone who’s been drinking. The study says they demonstrate: “diminished wakefulness, potentially indicating inaccurate perception of functionality.”

Our advice: Increase your daily exercise. It will dispel stress and increase sleepiness. Head to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than usual; keep all blue light and digital screens out of the bedroom, and keep the room dark and quiet.

Q: My sister has a 6-yearold son who’s on the autism spectrum. When she was pregnant she ate right, took prenatal vitamins, exercised and never went near alcohol. So how did this happen? — Adele F., Fresno, California

A: Early intervention can make a huge difference in how the child develops, but timely treatment doesn’t change the confusion families feel when they try to figure out WHY this happened to their child.

So what’s the cause? We do know it’s NOT because of vaccines.

Evidence is accumulating that environmental triggers play a huge role. Drexel University researchers recently investigated whether prenatal exposure to two banned chemicals, DDT (the pesticide) and polychlorinated biphenyl or PCB (a compound once widely used in electronics and in heat-transfer fluids), are responsible for the huge spike in autism, from one in 150 children in 2000, to one in 68 in 2010.

How did the moms get exposed to chemicals that were banned in the 1970s? Seems the chemicals are still widespread in water and soil and bioaccumulate in the food chain. And, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Currently, the primary source of exposure to the general population is through the consumption of fatty foods.”

Another great reason to go veggie strong and avoid red meats! Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.