>> THERE IS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. WE HAVE ALL HAD "-- WE HAVE ALL HEARD "I WILL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD," BUT IT’S REALLY NOTHING TO JOKE ABOUT. SLEEP IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF OUR BODIES AND OUR BRAINS. EVERYTHING SLEEPS. >> EVERY ANIMAL SLEEPS. ♪ FROM YOUR CAT AND YOUR DOG AT HOME, EVEN TINY FRUIT FLIES THAT WE STUDY IN OUR LAB, THEY ALSO SLEEP. SO WHAT IS IT FOR? REPORTER: IT’S A QUESTION JOHNS HOPKINS NEUROLOGY PROFESSOR AND SLEEP RESEARCHER DR. MARK WU HAS SPENT HIS CAREER WORKING TO ANSWER. TWO THINGS ABOUT SLEEP HE’S SURE OF? >> IT IS CLEARLY IMPORTANT. IT IS CLEAR THAT AMERICANS ARE NOT SLEEPING ENOUGH, THEY ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH GOOD QUALITY SLEEP, AND IT’S BAD FOR THEIR HEALTH. REPORTER: THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SLEEP FOUNDATION, IN THE 1950’S, AVERAGE AMERICANS SLEPT 8 TO 9 HOURS A NIGHT. BY THE 2000’S, THAT NUMBER DROPPED TO A LITTLE MORE THAN 6 HOURS. THERE’S A REASON COFFEE HOUSES ARE POPULAR IN OUR CULTURE. >> IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THE CULTURE IS WORK, WORK, WORK, AND IF YOU SLEEP, YOU ARE SOMEHOW WEAKER. >> PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I BARELY SLEEP, I WORK SO HARD. THIS IS NOT GOOD. THAT’S NOT HEALTHY. REPORTER: HE’S RIGHT. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY IN THOSE HOURS OF UNCONCIOUSNESS IS VITAL. DR. RAYA WEHBEH IS A SLEEP DOCTOR AT GREATER BALTIMORE MEDICAL CENTER. >> THE RESTORATION OF BODY TISSUES, INCLUDING MEMORY CONSOLIDATION, GETTING RID OF WASTE, INCLUDING STRENGTHENING YOUR IMMUNITY, IN GENERAL YOUR MOOD IS BETTER WHEN YOU GET OUT OF SLEEP, SO THERE’S A LOT OF FUNCTIONS THAT HAPPENED DURING SLEEP. REPORTER: NOT ALL SLEEP IS THE SAME. THERE ARE DIFFERENT STAGES. AS YOU DRIFT OFF, FIRST COMES LIGHT SLEEP. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, YOU ENTER DEEP SLEEP -- THIS IS CRITICAL. SLOW BRAIN WAVES LITERALLY WASH OUT WASTE THAT YOUR CELLS MAKE. >> SO JUST IMAGINE THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF NEURONS IN YOUR BRAIN UNDERGOING THESE SLOW WAVES. AND THERE’S ANOTHER STAGE OF SLEEP THAT WE ALSO UNDERGO CALLED REM SLEEP, RAPID EYE MOVEMENT SLEEP, AND THAT IS ALSO WHEN WE ARE DREAMING. VIVID DREAMS, LIKE IN A MOVIE. AND OUR BODIES ARE PARALYZED ACTUALLY. REPORTER: PARALYZED, EXCEPT FOR OUR EYES, HENCE THE NAME RAPID EYE MOVEMENT. WHEN YOU MEASURE REM BRAINWAVES, THEY LOOK REMARKABLY LIKE BRAINWAVES OF SOMEONE AWAKE. THINK YOU DON’T DREAM? YOU DO. EVERYONE DOES. YOU JUST DON’T REMEMBER. THIS CYCLE OF LIGHT SLEEP, DEEP SLEEP, THEN REM SLEEP REPEATS ITSELF SEVERAL TIMES A NIGHT. >> BUT ONE THING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT INTERESTING IS THAT THE FIRST THIRD OF YOUR NIGHT IS MOSTLY COMPRISED OF SLOW WAVE OR DEEP SLEEP, AND THE LAST IS REM SLEEP, WHICH IS MUC -- WHICH IS WHY SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT FIND THAT YOU REMEMBER YOUR DREAM BETTER IN THE MORNING. REPORTER: HOW MUCH SLEEP IS ENOUGH? EXPERTS SAY 7 HOURS FOR MANY PEOPLE, BUT SOME NEED 10, OTHERS ONLY 6. PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU FEEL. AND WHEN YOU SLEEP IS IMPORTANT, TOO. >> EVEN IF YOU SLEPT EIGHT HOURS FROM 6 P.M. TO 2:00 A.M., YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FEEL RESTED BECAUSE YOU ARE SLEEPING AT THE WRONG TIME. REPORTER: BOTH DR. WEYBEH AND DR. WU SAY THE CONSEQUENCES FOR NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP AT THE PROPER TIME CAN BE SERIOUS. IT SLOWS METABOLISM, CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN. WEAKENS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, WORSENS BRAIN CONDITIONS LIKE MIGRAINES AND EPILEPSY, DIMINISHES CONCENTRATION, LEARNING, AND MEMORY. >> IF YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP, IT IS BAD FOR OVERALL BRAIN HEALTH, LIKE TOXIC PROTEINS THAT MAY LEAD TO ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. REPORTER: MORE ON ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH IN A LATER REPORT. >> SLEEP IS ONE OF THE PILLARS OF HUMAN HEALTH, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT DIET AND EXERCISE, WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT SLEEP AS THE OTHER PART THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF TO OPTIMIZE THE HEALTH OF NOT ONLY OUR BODIES, BUT OUR BRAINS AS WELL. REPORTER: NEW MOM KIM SCARFE WOEFULLY HIT OR MISS. >> ON THE DAYS THAT I AM NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP, IT’S JUST LIKE, EVERYTHING SUCKS. IT’S LIKE, I CAN’T DO ANYTHING. I’M A TERRIBLE PERSON. AND THEN I AM SORT OF IN THAT MINDFRAME AND I STOP MYSELF AND I’M LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, DID YOU GET SLEEP LAST NIGHT? AND I’M LIKE, OH, NO, I DIDN’T. ♪ REPORTER: A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO PHOTOGRAPHER-EDITOR MIKE FRENCH, WHO WAS WILLING TO VIDEO TAPE HIMSELF AND HIS CATS SLEEPING FOR THIS REPORT. [LAUGHTER] ASHLEY: THAT’S HYSTERICAL. HE’S A CAT LOVER. REPORTER: SO BIG HEADLINE HERE -- IT MATTERS WHAT TIME YOU SLEEP. NOT JUST HOW MUCH, BUT WHAT TIME BECAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. WE WILL GET INTO THAT PIECE AND TALK A LOT ABOUT YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AT A CERTAIN TIME. ASHLEY: THAT IS HARD IF YOU ARE ON A NURSE’S SCHEDULE OR YOU WORK NIGHTS. REPORTER: IT’S A PROBLEM. IT IS AN ISSUE FOR SOMEBODY’S HEALTH. TOMORROW, WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE COMMON AND MORE UNUSUAL SLEEP DISORDER
What's the purpose of sleep? Doctors emphasize importance of sleep, say we're not getting enough
Updated: 8:07 PM EST Feb 13, 2023
How much sleep did you get last night? For many Americans, that answer is, "Not enough."We've all heard the quip, "I'll sleep when I'm dead," joking about not getting enough rest.But sleep experts in Baltimore told sister station WBAL it's really nothing to joke about: Sleep is vitally important to the health of our bodies and our brains.Everything sleeps. But why? It's a question that Johns Hopkins Medicine neurology professor and sleep researcher Dr. Mark Wu has spent his career working to answer."Every animal sleeps, ranging from your cat, your dog at home, but even tiny little fruit flies we study in the lab, they also sleep. So, what is it for?" Wu said.There are two things about sleep for which Wu is sure."Clearly, it's something important," Wu said. "It's clear that Americans are not sleeping enough, they're not getting enough good, quality sleep, and it's bad for their health."| RELATED: You're probably not getting enough sleep. Here's what experts suggest.This is a relatively new problem. According to the National Sleep Foundation, average Americans slept eight to nine hours a night in the 1950s. By the 2000s, that number dropped to a little more than six hours. There's a reason coffee houses are popular in our culture."It feels to me, the culture is work, work, work, and if you sleep, you're somehow weaker," said Kim Scarfe, a new mom.Not all sleep is the sameWhat happens to a person's body in the hours of unconsciousness is vital. Dr. Raya Wehbeh, a sleep doctor at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, explains."Restoration of body tissues, memory consolidation, getting rid of waste, strengthening of immunity. In general, the mood is much better when you get enough sleep. There's a lot that happens during sleep," Wehbeh said.There are different stages of sleep: As you drift off, first comes light sleep. About 20 minutes later, you enter deep sleep, which is critical because slow brain waves wash out waste that cells make."Just imagine hundreds of billions of neurons in your brain undergoing these slow waves, and then there's another stage of sleep we undergo called REM sleep -- or rapid eye movement sleep, the period of sleep when we're dreaming vivid dreams, like in a movie -- and our bodies are paralyzed," Wu said.| RELATED: Surprising sleep hacks that actually workWe're paralyzed except for our eyes, hence the name "rapid eye movement."When measuring REM brainwaves, they look remarkably like brainwaves of someone awake. If you think you don't dream, you do. Everyone does. You just don't remember.This cycle of light sleep, deep sleep, then REM sleep repeats itself several times a night."But one of the things that's a little but interesting is that the first third of your night is mostly comprised of slow wave, or deep sleep, and the last third of your night has more of the REM sleep, which is why, sometimes, you might find that early in the morning, you tend to remember your dreams better," Wu said.How much sleep is enough?Experts recommend seven hours of sleep for many people, but some need 10 while others only need six. Pay attention to how you feel. And, when you sleep is important, too."Even if you slept eight hours from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., you are not going to feel rested because you're sleeping at the wrong time," Wu said.| RELATED: Tips on adjusting your sleep schedule after Daylight Saving TimeBoth Weybeh and Wu said the consequences of not getting enough sleep at the proper time can be serious and can include:Slowed metabolism, causing weight gainWeakened immune systemWorsened brain conditions, like migraines and epilepsyDiminished concentration, learning and memory"If you don't get enough sleep, it's bad for overall brain health, like accumulation of toxic proteins in your brain that may lead to Alzheimer's disease," Wu said. "I think we really have to look at sleep as one of the three pillars of human health. We talk a lot about diet. We talk a lot about exercise. We really need to think about sleep as the other part that we need to take care of to optimize our health, not only our bodies but our brains as well."Scarfe agrees. For her, sleep is woefully hit or miss."On the days I'm not getting enough sleep, everything sucks. I can't do anything. I'm a terrible person. Then, I stop myself and think, 'Did you get sleep last night?' And, I'm like, 'Ohhh, no. I didn't,'" Scarfe said.In Part 2, we explore some of the more common, and more unusual, sleep disorders. Watch for that report Tuesday on 11 News at 4 p.m.| ALSO: Using melatonin for sleep is on the rise, study finds
How much sleep did you get last night? For many Americans, that answer is, "Not enough."
We've all heard the quip, "I'll sleep when I'm dead," joking about not getting enough rest.
But sleep experts in Baltimore told sister station WBAL it's really nothing to joke about: Sleep is vitally important to the health of our bodies and our brains.
Everything sleeps. But why? It's a question that Johns Hopkins Medicine neurology professor and sleep researcher Dr. Mark Wu has spent his career working to answer.
"Every animal sleeps, ranging from your cat, your dog at home, but even tiny little fruit flies we study in the lab, they also sleep. So, what is it for?" Wu said.
There are two things about sleep for which Wu is sure.
"Clearly, it's something important," Wu said. "It's clear that Americans are not sleeping enough, they're not getting enough good, quality sleep, and it's bad for their health."
| RELATED: You're probably not getting enough sleep. Here's what experts suggest.
This is a relatively new problem. According to the National Sleep Foundation, average Americans slept eight to nine hours a night in the 1950s. By the 2000s, that number dropped to a little more than six hours. There's a reason coffee houses are popular in our culture.
"It feels to me, the culture is work, work, work, and if you sleep, you're somehow weaker," said Kim Scarfe, a new mom.
Not all sleep is the same
What happens to a person's body in the hours of unconsciousness is vital. Dr. Raya Wehbeh, a sleep doctor at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, explains.
"Restoration of body tissues, memory consolidation, getting rid of waste, strengthening of immunity. In general, the mood is much better when you get enough sleep. There's a lot that happens during sleep," Wehbeh said.
There are different stages of sleep: As you drift off, first comes light sleep. About 20 minutes later, you enter deep sleep, which is critical because slow brain waves wash out waste that cells make.
"Just imagine hundreds of billions of neurons in your brain undergoing these slow waves, and then there's another stage of sleep we undergo called REM sleep -- or rapid eye movement sleep, the period of sleep when we're dreaming vivid dreams, like in a movie -- and our bodies are paralyzed," Wu said.
| RELATED: Surprising sleep hacks that actually work
We're paralyzed except for our eyes, hence the name "rapid eye movement."
When measuring REM brainwaves, they look remarkably like brainwaves of someone awake. If you think you don't dream, you do. Everyone does. You just don't remember.
This cycle of light sleep, deep sleep, then REM sleep repeats itself several times a night.
"But one of the things that's a little but interesting is that the first third of your night is mostly comprised of slow wave, or deep sleep, and the last third of your night has more of the REM sleep, which is why, sometimes, you might find that early in the morning, you tend to remember your dreams better," Wu said.
How much sleep is enough?
Experts recommend seven hours of sleep for many people, but some need 10 while others only need six. Pay attention to how you feel. And, when you sleep is important, too.
"Even if you slept eight hours from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., you are not going to feel rested because you're sleeping at the wrong time," Wu said.
| RELATED: Tips on adjusting your sleep schedule after Daylight Saving Time
Both Weybeh and Wu said the consequences of not getting enough sleep at the proper time can be serious and can include:
- Slowed metabolism, causing weight gain
- Weakened immune system
- Worsened brain conditions, like migraines and epilepsy
- Diminished concentration, learning and memory
"If you don't get enough sleep, it's bad for overall brain health, like accumulation of toxic proteins in your brain that may lead to Alzheimer's disease," Wu said. "I think we really have to look at sleep as one of the three pillars of human health. We talk a lot about diet. We talk a lot about exercise. We really need to think about sleep as the other part that we need to take care of to optimize our health, not only our bodies but our brains as well."
Scarfe agrees. For her, sleep is woefully hit or miss.
"On the days I'm not getting enough sleep, everything sucks. I can't do anything. I'm a terrible person. Then, I stop myself and think, 'Did you get sleep last night?' And, I'm like, 'Ohhh, no. I didn't,'" Scarfe said.
In Part 2, we explore some of the more common, and more unusual, sleep disorders. Watch for that report Tuesday on 11 News at 4 p.m.
| ALSO: Using melatonin for sleep is on the rise, study finds
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