Sleep Challenge
A Bit of Background on Sleep
You are feeling sleepy…
Optimum Sleep Required
The bigger the animal, the less sleep needed
Jerome M. Siegel: Why We Sleep
Scientific American, November, 2003
How Much Sleep?
1. Newborns : 16 to 18 hours
2. By age 1 : 13 to 14 hours
3. Teenagers : < 9 ½ hours
4. Adults : 8 hours and 20 minutes
5. Seniors : 8 hours
National Sleep Foundation Poll in 2000
1. 33% adult Americans > 6.5 hours per night
2. 45% will sleep less to accomplish more
Circadian Rhythm
circadian rhythm:
roughly-24-hour cycle
in the physiological processes
of living beings
Midnight
6 AM
Noon
6 PM
Midnight
Normal Sleep Patterns in
Young Adults
REM Stage
AWAKE
NREM
REM
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Hours of Sleep
5
6
7
8
Adapted from Berger RJ. The sleep and dream cycle. In: Kales A, ed. Sleep
Physiology & Pathology: A Symposium. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott; 1969.
Performance Errors
Meter Reading Errors
Sweden
11,000
N = 74,927
10,000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
Time of Day
Midnight
6 AM
Noon
6 PM
Midnight
Mitler MM, et al. Sleep. 1988.
Vehicle Accident Data
Fatigue-Related Accidents
International Data
1200
N = 6052
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
Time of Day
Midnight
6 AM
Noon
6 PM
Midnight
Mitler MM, et al. Sleep. 1988.
Overlay of Vehicle Accident Data,
Performance Errors, and Circadian
Rhythm
Midnight
6 AM
Noon
6 PM
Midnight
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Situation
Chance of dozing (0-3)
Sitting and reading
0
1
2
3
Watching television
0
1
2
3
Sitting inactive in a public place—for example, a theater or
meeting
0
1
2
3
As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
0
1
2
3
Lying down to rest in the afternoon
0
1
2
3
Sitting and talking to someone
0
1
2
3
Sitting quietly after lunch (when you’ve had no alcohol)
0
1
2
3
In a car, while stopped in traffic
0
1
2
3
Total Score
0 = would never doze
2 = moderate chance of dozing
1 = slight chance of dozing
3 = high chance of dozing
Johns MW. Sleep. 1991.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Narcoleps y
20
Residents
Sleep Apnea
15
Normal
10
Insomnia
5
0
Mean
Normal
Insomnia
5.90
2.20
Sleep Apnea Residents
11.70
Narcolepsy
14.70
17.50
Sleepiness in residents is equivalent to that found in
patients with SERIOUS SLEEP DISORDERS.
Mustafa and Strohl, unpublished data. Papp, 2002 © American Academy of Sleep Medicine
MUM Results
12
10
PhD
MBA
Undergraduate
No category
Normal
CS
8
6
4
2
0
Score
Signs of sleep deprivation
Needing alarm clock
 Trouble getting out of bed in the morning
 Falling asleep within 5 minutes
 Napping
 Irritability

Well rested people:
can get up easily, no alarm clock
 fall asleep after 10-15 minutes
 do not nap
 don't get irritated easily

How to get good sleep, part 1
Keep a regular schedule.
 Be consistent with sleep times, including
weekends.
 Exercise regularly.

How to get good sleep, part 2
Eliminate caffeine and, of course, alcohol
and nicotine.
 Eliminate TV and computer use later in the
evening.
 Don't use your time in bed to plan the next
day.
 Not getting enough sleep, bed 1 or 2 hours
earlier

How to get good sleep, part 3
Switch off lights.
 Don't alter sleep schedule more than hour.
 When you wake in the night, don't panic
and worry that you aren't getting enough
rest. It's natural, so just take it easy and
enjoy your rest.

How to get good sleep, part 4
"Clearly, there's a disconnect between
objective and subjective sleepiness."
 You may need to change your thinking.

Maharishi on Sleep
Sleep is the blessing of God,
Feel love of God,
Lie in the showers of His blessing.
Let your heart melt in the love of God.
Sleep in the thought of God and in the love.
It is not necessary to say anything,
But feeling of God is of maximum value.
The love flows.
Sleep is only at the surface.
Sleep in the warmth of Divine Grace
Without any words -- only this feeling.
--Maharishi, 1962