Sleep Tips & Research | Stanford Lifestyle Medicine

What Exactly Does Quality Sleep Mean?

Many understand that nutrition and physical activity are important for maintaining good health. However, the significance of sleep is often overlooked, even though it is vital for our heart and overall health.

A new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session emphasizes the importance of good sleep for heart health, overall well-being, and life expectancy. With data from 172,321 participants, the study examines the impact of poor sleep quality.

The researchers defined quality sleep relative to insomnia: 1) ideal sleep duration of seven to eight hours a night; 2) difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week; 3) trouble staying asleep no more than two times a week; 4) not using any sleep medication; and 5) feeling well rested after waking up at least five days a week.

The results showed that individuals with all five favorable sleep factors were 30% less likely to die for any reason, 21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, 19% less likely to die from cancer, and 40% less likely to die from other causes. Moreover, among men and women with all five quality sleep measures, life expectancy was 4.7 years greater for men and 2.4 years greater for women, compared to those with none or only one favorable sleep factor.

While further research is needed to explore the reasons for the observed sex differences, Frank Qian urges, “even from a young age, if people can develop these good sleep habits of getting enough sleep, making sure they are sleeping without too many distractions and have good sleep hygiene overall, it can greatly benefit their overall long-term health.”

Sleep quality can mean many different things. According to Stanford Lifestyle Medicine expert, Dr. Jamie M. Zeitzer, who is also Co-Director at the Stanford Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, a newer conceptualization is the RU-SATED model developed by Pittsburgh’s Dr. Daniel Buysse. RU-SATED incorporates six conceptual sleep areas: sleep regularity, subjective satisfaction, daytime alertness, timing, sleep efficiency, and sleep duration. Instead of dichotomizing sleep into “good” and “pathological”, Zeitzer explains that the RU-SATED model allows for us to understand sleep as a continuum.

Like many health behaviors, sleeping well is cumulative over time. Whether you already me the sleep factors mentinoed, or are working towards healthier sleep habits, it is time we prioritize and understand the role of quality sleep for a longer and healthier life with quality sleep.

By: Jamie Zeitzer, MD & Helena Zhang, BS

Sources:

https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2023/02/22/21/35/Getting-Good-Sleep-Could-Add-Years-to-Your-Life

Insufficient Sleep and Vaccine Response

Sleep and all that happens in the world of sleep have significant effects on our mind, body, and health. However, in the whirlwind of modern existence, we often cut corners on sleep.

In a recent study, researchers studied the profound impact of sleep on the effectiveness of vaccines. Understanding that vaccination is a critical strategy for controlling the pandemic of COVID-19, the researchers looked at how sleep, as a behavioral intervention, can boost vaccine response.

The researchers first screened and selected studies for their meta-analysis. They then found a consistent pattern: insufficient sleep duration of <6h, for 7 days around inoculation is significantly associated with a weakened antibody response to vaccination. Vaccines in the study included hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza A H1N1 and H3H2, and the effect size was positive, indicating that short sleep is associated with a lower level of antibodies or reduced protection status. These findings underscore the critical role that sleep plays in the choreography of our immune system.

Furthermore, the researchers explored how variations in sex hormone levels can affect the association. In the study “Acute sleep deprivation has no lasting effects on the human antibody titer response following a novel influenza A H1N1 virus vaccination” by Benedict et al., 2012, the association between short sleep periods and a decrease in antibody response was significantly significant. However, the association between insufficient sleep duration and weakened response to vaccination did not reach significance for women. Moreover, through forest plots of multiple studies, the effect size for men was determined to be 0.93 [0.54, 1.33]. On the other hand, the effect size for women is smaller, at 0.42 [-0.49, 1.32].

While the study calls for further research on the disparity between sex in the impact of sleep on our immune response – large-scale, well-controlled studies are urgently needed to define the window of time around vaccination when optimizing sleep duration is the most beneficial. In addition, the question remains, “how much sleep is enough sleep?”. While the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 h of sleep for healthy adults and 7 to 8 h for adults over 65, the exact sleep duration for effective antibody response needs further study.

Overall, the study highlights the importance of adequate sleep for optimal vaccine effectiveness as we face ongoing concerns over Covid and new threats of flu strains. Moreover, sleep profoundly impacts our overall health, and habits must be prioritized for better health outcomes.

By: Helena Zhang, BS

Journal References:

Spiegel, K., et al. (2023) A meta-analysis of the associations between insufficient sleep duration and antibody response to vaccination. Current Biology. doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.017.

Sleep is not a priority for men: many losing sleep to play video games and drink alcohol – AASM

June 14, 2022/in Sleep /by Maya Shetty

This Men’s Health Month, it’s important to focus on an area often overlooked when it comes to overall health: sleep. Sleep is one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle, but men often pass over it in favor of other activities. In fact, a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine finds that 75% of men say they have lost sleep after staying up “past their bedtime” to play video games, and 62% of men say they have lost sleep due to staying up to drink alcohol.

American Heart Association adds sleep to cardiovascular health checklist – American Heart Association

June 14, 2022/in Sleep /by Maya Shetty

Sleep duration is now considered an essential component for ideal heart and brain health. Life’s Essential 8™ cardiovascular health score replaces Life’s Simple 7™, according to a new Presidential Advisory, Life’s Essential 8—Updating and Enhancing the American Heart Association’s Construct on Cardiovascular Health, published today in Circulation, the Association’s flagship, peer-reviewed journal.

Resistance Exercise May Be Best Workout for a Good Night’s Sleep – Medscape

March 10, 2022/in Exercise, Sleep /by Maya Shetty

A randomized trial suggests resistance exercise promotes better sleep than other workouts among inactive adults, particularly those who are poor sleepers.

Strength Training May Be Better Than Cardio for Improving Sleep, Study Suggests – Iowa State University

March 3, 2022/in Exercise, Sleep /by Maya Shetty

If you’re looking to up your workout’s sleep-boosting effects, try strength training, new data says.

Also known as resistance training, it helps you build muscle and improve flexibility, posture, and bone density. Now new research suggests strength training trumps cardio when it comes to better sleep outcomes.

The new data from researchers at Iowa State University found that for people struggling with sleep who were previously sedentary and overweight, consistent strength training workouts helped with falling asleep faster, staying asleep longer, and feeling rested and refreshed the next day compared with aerobic workouts or not exercising at all.

The Importance of Sleep for Health – ACSM

September 15, 2021/0 Comments/in Sleep /by Maya Shetty

When we think about the most important actions that we can take to protect our health, we usually consider behaviors such as partaking in regular physical activity or eating a nutritious diet. Yet, an often-overlooked aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is sleep. Sleep has serious implications for your physical and mental health. Adequate sleep will help you recover from exercise, enable your immune system to fight off pathogens and increase cognitive performance. In fact, to highlight its importance to health, the number of hours that people sleep is included as an indicator in the annual ACSM American Fitness Index (Fitness Index).

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