Sleep Deprivation and Risk Health Issues

Sleep deprived workers may be at increased risk for certain health problems.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "20 percent of American workers are night-shift workers, and th[at] number is growing by about three percent per year." Such workers include "police officers, security guards, truck drivers, office cleaning crews, hotel desk clerks, nurses, pilots, and many others." Previous studies have shown that "[t]hese workers -- and people with more conventionally sleep-deprived lifestyles -- are known to be at higher risk for

1. accidents,
2. sleep disorders, and
3. psychological stress due to daytime demands, such as family and other obligations, that interfere with sleeping."

Moreover, "scientific evidence suggests their disrupted circadian rhythms may also cause a kind of biological revolt, raising their likelihood of

1. obesity,
2. cancer,
3. reproductive health problems,
4. mental illness, and
5. gastrointestinal disorders."

One explanation for this phenomenon is the fact that about "15 percent of human genes function on a schedule, with highly regulated, oscillating patterns of activity." And, by disrupting their circadian rhythms, people impact the functions of these genes.

"Even with sleep increasingly recognized as an important determinant of health, some doctors may resist the evidence. From working round-the-clock shifts during residency to on-call nights to early-morning rounds, they're sleep-deprived -- and proud of it." According to Charles Czeisler, M.D., Ph.D., director of the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, "Organized medicine and the professional medical societies are sanctioning 100,000 people a year to working 30-hour shifts twice a week during their medical education." But, physicians "should care more about sleep -- for their own sake as well as their patients," said Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.

        Lack of sleep increasingly implicated in mental, cognitive problems.

"Night-shift work and chronic sleep deprivation are increasingly implicated in mental and cognitive problems." Specifically, "[a]bnormal insulin levels...may increase the risk for certain neurodegenerative disorders." Resistance to insulin "may cause inflammation in the brain, a key process in the development of Alzheimer's." In addition, "[p]roper alignment between sleep times and internal circadian time is crucial for optimal cognitive performance." Mood can be affected by "[e]ven moderate changes in sleep times," and "serotonin levels -- a key substance for mood stability -- are lower in shift workers than day workers." Finally, "[f]lawed circadian rhythms may be to blame for bipolar disorder," according to genetic research done in mice.

        Study suggests poor sleep may cause more damage to women's hearts.

According to a study published online in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, "[w]omen suffer more damage to their cardiovascular health from poor sleep than men do." Edward Suarez, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues, examined "210 healthy middle-aged women and men without any history of diagnosed sleep disorders." Study "participants filled out a standard sleep quality questionnaire, and were assessed for levels of depression, anger, hostility, and perceived social support." The researchers analyzed participants' blood samples, and found that although "men and women in the study had similar sleep quality ratings," the "[w]omen who were poor sleepers...had higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 -- inflammation biomarkers associated with increased risk of heart disease and higher levels of insulin." Furthermore, Suarez noted that "for women, poor sleep is strongly associated with high levels of psychological distress, and greater feelings of hostility, depression, and anger."