Why quality sleep is important

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-eyemovement 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.