The importance of adequate sleep — Prisma Health specialists weigh in

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Are you getting enough sleep? Specialists with Prisma Health say most people probably aren’t.

This week is recognized as National Sleep Awareness Week, and doctors are reminding everyone to go to bed!

“When you walk into your bedroom, it should be nice, calm, and relaxing. So making it a place that you look forward to going to, but that also is not distracting, and some of those things like a cell phone. Turn it off, turn it over. TV, kids’ toys, exercise equipment —  makes your brain think about different things, and so you want it to be a relaxing environment,” says Dr. Antoinette Rutherford, Sleep Medicine Physician at Prisma Health.

The goal is to make time for eight hours of sleep each night in a cool and calm space — allowing your body adequate time to reset things like hormones and blood pressure.

“Whether it’s your cortisol or things linked to diabetes, your blood pressure, important things happen at night and your body needs time to reset. So if you’re not sleeping, the things you see during the daytime like high blood pressure or diabetes could be related to the fact that you’re not sleeping at night,” Dr. Rutherford says.

Dr. Yemi Olatunde, Internal and Obesity Medicine Specialist, says lack of sleep can lead to multiple health issues like heart disease, increased risk of dementia, and weight gain.

“When you sleep well, you have more leptin and throughout the day you feel full and don’t feel hungry. As opposed to if you don’t sleep well, there’s a hormone called ghrelin that increases and makes you feel more hungry. So if you don’t sleep well you tend to graze throughout the day or feel more hungry,” says Dr. Olatunde.

They encourage folks to set an alarm to remind yourself to go to bed if need be.

“People who don’t sleep, they do have more of a risk of getting a cold or virus, so this time of the year, make sure you’re getting your sleep for lots of reasons. And if you don’t want to be sick, that’s another reason to make sure you’re getting your sleep at night,” says Dr. Rutherford.

When it comes to snoring, the detrimental effects are felt by the snorer and their bed partner. They recommend trying nose strips, nasal sprays, and dental devices to help.

The specialists don’t, however, recommend a new trend known as mouth taping.

“We all breathe in oxygen, we all breathe out co2. And so if you tape your mouth, you could be building up your co2 levels is not a good thing. It means you’re not getting as much oxygen as you should,” says Dr. Rutherford.

After you’ve eliminated behaviors that might be affecting your sleep, if you still find yourself sleep deprived, you may want to talk to your doctor about setting up a sleep study.

“You might have to eliminate things one after the other. You know, caffeinated drinks, drinking (alcohol), phones, watching TV late into the night… and if you still have problems, talk to your primary care providers,” says Dr. Olatunde.