Hear that clock!
If you're not sleeping well, your life may be ticking away - aging prematurely.
That's what University of Chicago researchers found after studying eleven men in their twenties who volunteered to sleep only four hours a night.
In fact, the chemistry changes in the body were more typical of a man in his 60's. And there are other sleep studies just beginning here at the University of Utah. One involves burn patients.
Dr. Jane Shelby / U of U Dept of Surgery: "THEY HAVE ABNORMAL SLEEP PATTERNS - SO EVEN THOUGH THEY APPEAR TO SLEEP A LOT AND SLEEP DURING THE DAY AND THEY HAVE HIGHER THAN NORMAL MELATONIN LEVELS DURING THE DAY THEIR SLEEP IS NOT OF A GOOD QUALITY."
Deep sleep where the body does its best repair work - is missing. Researchers want to find out if deeper sleep among these patients could speed up the healing process.
If that proves true, then perhaps they could modify a hospital setting enough to protect intensive care patients from noise and interference. Relaxation therapy could play a significant role.
Stephanie Richardson/ U of U College of Nursing: "YOU'RE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME AT YOU WITH A TEST OR A PROCEDURE AND YOU'RE DREADING IT AND YOU'RE HYPERVIGILANT. WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HELP PEOPLE CALM DOWN AND BE PROPERLY VIGILANT FOR THE SITUATION BUT NOT SO WAKING - WATCHFUL THEY CAN'T SLEEP."
Ear covers and massage may also become tools to induce deeper sleep.
Nurses, neurologists, endocrinologists - they're all designing a combination of studies which could lead to improved sleeping environments. At home, the Harvard Medical School says continually losing sleep may even predispose people to diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and memory loss.
For more information on sleep and sleep disorders:
Universitly of Chicago
MSNBC
