President Obama says he schedules six hours of sleep a night but that is not always possible, and Bill Clinton reported getting five to six hours. How much sleep is needed for senior executives such as our president to have optimal function As a neurologist who has studied sleep for many years, I know that sleep affects our functioning and health. While a very small percentage of people can function with four or five hours of sleep a night, most of us need much more. Scientific research has yet to lead to a “grand unified theory” for the evolutionary purpose and function of sleep, but studies have shown several important functions sleep has on our body and brain. Based on a meta-analysis of medical research literature, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society jointly released a consensus statement last year recommending that adults receive at least seven hours a night to maintain optimal health. This recommendation was based on a systematic review of former studies. It also said that getting fewer than six hours of sleep a night on a regular basis “is inadequate to sustain health”. Over the past several years, there has been emerging evidence illustrating the importance of sleep in diminishing age-related memory loss and progression to mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Animal studies have shown that sleep allows clearance from the brain of waste products such as amyloid. An accumulation of amyloid plaques is considered one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s dementia. There is much interest in this recently recognized sleep-related “brain washing” function of removing toxic products from the brain. Caffeine: The longer we are awake, there is an accumulation of a chemical in the frontal lobes of our brain known as adenosine that correlates with an urge to sleep. It so happens that caffeine blocks these receptors, temporarily preventing the accumulation of adenosine and diminishing the drive for sleep. Naps: There is evidence that suggests that brief naps (ideally no longer than 20 minutes) can enhance alertness and performance. There has been a trend for some executives to utilize these “power naps.“ Having a place in the office or workspace free of interruption where a brief power nap can be utilized for those spare minutes between meetings can be helpful. According to the National Sleep Foundation, there are several presidents who tried to regularly utilize afternoon naps.
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Sunday, February 16, 2025