Putting sleep myths to rest

Sleep is essential to our health, yet most of us don’t place that much importance on it. In fact, thanks to several common sleep misconceptions, many think they can get away with just a few hours a night—a dangerous assumption. Here are five of the most common sleep myths and the truth behind them, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:

Myth #1: You can always catch up on missed sleep later.
Truth: Night after night of getting only four, five or six hours of sleep adds to your sleep deficit, making it too big to overcome with a weekend sleep-a-thon. Over time, this lack of sleep hurts the heart, putting you at greater risk of becoming obese and developing high blood pressure and diabetes.

Myth #2: Opening the car window is an effective “wake-me-up” while driving.
Truth: Your best bet is to pull over at a rest area and take a 15- to 45-minute nap. Drinking coffee may stave off drowsiness for a short time, but it can take 30 minutes for the caffeine to kick in.

Myth #3: Insomnia means you can’t fall asleep.
Truth: Insomnia can also mean waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep, frequently waking up throughout the night, or waking up feeling unrefreshed. If you’re dealing with any of these scenarios more than a few times a week, talk with your doctor.

Myth #4: If you’re older, you don’t need as much sleep.
Truth: The average adult—no matter his or her age—needs seven to nine hours of sleep. However, the sleep pattern may change. Older adults, for example, may sleep more during the day than at night.

Myth #5: If you can’t fall asleep, you should stay in bed until you can.
Truth: If you can’t fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing, like reading or listening to soothing music. When you feel drowsy, go back to bed and try again.


Preeclampsia: Not just a pregnancy problem

If you had preeclampsia during pregnancy, you may be at an increased risk of having problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and blood clots for the rest of your life. That’s according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine and the University of Copenhagen, who looked at data on more than 1.3 million women who gave birth between 1978 and 2007. Preeclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension, is marked by high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine after the 20th week of pregnancy. The findings strengthen the link that other studies have found between preeclampsia and heart conditions. There is no known way to prevent preeclampsia—which is why it’s important to get early and regular prenatal care—and the only cure for it is to deliver the baby. If the condition develops early on, your doctor may suggest bed rest or medications to prolong the pregnancy.


Omega-6 fatty acids are good for you!

It’s been the topic of debate among nutrition experts, but an American Heart Association advisory panel is stepping out to proclaim that omega-6 fatty acids are an essential addition to a heart-healthy diet. Omega-6—like its omega-3 kin—is a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that, when used to replace saturated or trans fats in diets, can aid heart and brain function. It’s found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. So what’s the controversy? Omega-6 doubters believe that consuming too much omega-6 can promote inflammation and increase heart disease risk. The advisory panel says omega-6 acids can actually have anti-inflammatory properties that help suppress molecules and proteins that play a part in the thickening and hardening of arteries. The panel reviewed various studies and trials and found that people who ate the most omega-6 fatty acids tended to have the least heart disease. And when saturated fat in diets was replaced with omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol levels and heart disease risk dropped. So how much should you get? That depends on how active you are, your age and gender, but recommendations range from 12 to 22 grams a day. Experts say most Americans already get enough of these oils, though, and suggest focusing on an overall heart-healthy diet instead.


The truth about your cholesterol numbers

Your bad LDL cholesterol level is well within normal limits, so your heart must be doing OK, right? Maybe not. Researchers at UCLA found that almost 75 percent of the 136,905 coronary artery disease patients they analyzed, many of whom had suffered a heart attack, had LDL levels that wouldn’t put them at high risk for heart problems, according to current guidelines. But they also had low levels of good HDL cholesterol, which is known to have some heart-protective benefits at 60 mg/dL and higher. (Less than two percent of the patients had both ideal LDL and HDL cholesterol.) Guidelines set by the National Cholesterol Education Program currently say LDL less than 100 to 130 mg/dL is acceptable for many people. Researchers think the findings should spur experts to lower acceptable LDL ranges and develop better treatments to raise HDL cholesterol. These measures, they say, could ultimately reduce the number of people hospitalized for heart attacks.