An important part of people’s health is how they sleep. Too often people awaken from sleep feeling unrested and tired, exactly the opposite of what sleep is expected to accomplish. Although all nature’s creatures require restful sleep, the amount and the timing may vary greatly. With humans, there are some aspects specific to men.
Individual sleep requirements are different from person to person, but on the average, most adults are said to need seven to eight hours each night in order to feel alert and rested.1 According to sleep experts at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), many men simply do not realize they are not getting enough restful sleep. The reason is that sleeplessness with men is so common that they believe it to be the norm. In other words, men get used to being tired and rather than trying to rectify the situation, believe it’s supposed to be that way and they need to put up with it.
The result of not getting enough sleep on a regular basis is functioning at less than optimal levels of energy and focus. Some signs of not getting enough sleep (in both men and women) include:
• Low energy levels during the day.
• Difficulty paying attention in meetings.
• Lack of motivation, trouble moving from task to task.
• Bad temperament—irritability, grouchiness.
• Inability to awaken when the alarm goes off.
• Sleepiness when behind the wheel— as dangerous as texting while driving.
Work demands are considered to be the primary causes of men’s lack of sleep. UCLA findings state that men’s perceptions of their work-life demands often stop them from seeking the needed amount of restful sleep. For example, many men have full work schedules, and for lifestyle balance, they go to the gym regularly to work out. They may also go to sports events, work on projects around the house and help with the kids if they have families. Single men may socialize with their single friends or be on a dating schedule. In other words, in addition to an already full work schedule, men often tend to overlook the need for rest in favor of pursuing more activities that only add to their fatigue.
Another aspect that deters some men from obtaining enough sleep are certain behaviors or habits. Statistically men consume more alcohol, nicotine and caffeine—each of which can disrupt healthy sleep patterns. Big meals and exercising close to bedtime are other sleep disruptors. Men also are known to keep irregular sleep schedules, often going to bed and waking up at different times rather than adhering to a more constant routine. This irregularity can disrupt the internal body clock from producing sound sleep. The antidote to this is to keep the internal clock set at the correct time by sleeping and rising at consistent times daily—this involves not sleeping in late on non-work days. The healthier alternative is to go to bed earlier at night when feeling tired rather than pursuing additional activities. Although men seem to be good nappers, too long a nap may cause more sleeplessness at night, so sleep experts advise keeping naps to less than one hour, and taking them early in the afternoon.
Sleep disorders are pervasive globally, but men suffer from some specific ones more often than others. These are:
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)2: Men are twice as likely as women to have OSA, which is caused when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. The tongue falls back and blocks the airway to cause a temporary pause in breathing that can wake you up or disturb sleep. Primary signs of OSA are loud snoring, snorting and gasping. Many men with OSA are unaware they have it, and since snoring is so often accepted as a norm, the dangers go untended. Sleeping on the side and losing weight sometimes alleviates the condition but severe cases require medical intervention.
• Narcolepsy3: Extreme sleepiness during the day can cause people to suddenly fall asleep even when eating, walking or driving. This condition requires medical treatment to help produce more normal patterns of being asleep and awake.
• Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSP)4: As the name implies, sleep is delayed from normal hours. Usually the delay is for two or more hours, resulting in very late nights and difficulty waking in the morning. DSP may be caused by continually going to bed very late at night and causing the timing of the body’s clock to be thrown off, preventing the ability to fall asleep at an earlier or more acceptable hour. To correct DSP, avoid bright lights in the late afternoon and evening and make sure your sleep environment is dark. Then get as much bright sunlight in the mornings and early afternoons to set the body clock right.
• Jet lag disorder and shift work disorder5: Jet lag is something most people experience when they travel between time zones after spending more than a few days in one and entering into another. The internal body clock doesn’t have time to adjust to a new location right away due to the speed of the travel, making it hard to sleep well. The same thing holds true for people who work rotating, early-morning or night shifts, confusing the body when you try to sleep when the body expects to be awake. The result is trouble sleeping and fatigue.
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1, 2, 3, 4, 5 https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/sleep-disorders/patient-resources/patient-education/sleep-and-men
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