The key to health? Sleep on it

Following a recent study showing that natural light exposure affects teens' body clocks and their ability to function well in the mornings comes a sleep-related poll shows problems not just among young adults but people of all ages, races and backgrounds. The National Sleep Foundation's "Sleep in America" poll did, however, suggest that getting a good night's rest might be affected by racial and cultural differences.This was the first time the study investigated sleeping patterns by ethnic groups, including Asians, Hispanics, African Americans and whites.

According to USA Today, "That African Americans report the least amount of sleep and that they report needing less sleep each night to perform best during the day bears more research, [foundation chair Thomas] Balkin says. He points out that inadequate sleep is starting to be associated with obesity, heart disease and diabetes, diseases that are more prevalent among African Americans." The poll found that African Americans reported getting the least amount of sleep during the week (a little more than six hours); Asians were the least likely to be diagnosed with sleeping disorders; and whites were the most likely to sleep alone.

In addition to affecting people's enjoyment of their waking hours because of decreased concentration and lower productivity, sleeplessness can manifest itself in the form of physical health problems as well. According to USA Today, lack of sleep means one is "More likely to suffer from pain conditions and gastrointestinal distress. Sufferers are at higher risk for hypertension and heart disease. Also a risk factor for developing diabetes. Sleep loss is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity." Doctors have also started seeing a possible correlation between inadequate sleep and diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Children, teenagers and pregnant women need more sleep than the average adult. Adults typically need about seven to eight hours of sleep per night, although some people can handle as few as five hours per night. "The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Getting too little sleep creates a "sleep debt," which is much like being overdrawn at a bank. Eventually, your body will demand that the debt be repaid. We don't seem to adapt to getting less sleep than we need, while we may get used to a sleep-depriving schedule, our judgment, reaction time, and other functions are still impaired," according to Web MD.

Sleep deprivation is becoming relatively en vogue these days, it seems. The New York Times has recently launched an insomnia-themed health blog, which so far has covered late-night Facebook status updating, power napping, and sleep-related literature.