You probably saw the news: Radiation from cell phones can wreck your sleep.
The researchers say that they have a good study and a good conclusion; the cell phone manufacturers, who sponsored the study say that it is flawed and inconclusive. What's a sleep doctor to do?
The details of the study are not published, as far as I can tell. The study was conducted by researchers in Sweden and in Michigan. The study involved 35 men and 36 women aged 18 to 45. Before sleep they were exposed to radiation similar to that of a cell phone—but not an actual cell phone. Others in the group were treated in the same way but did not receive the radiation (sham radiation or control group). About one-half of the people considered themselves "electro-sensitive," but none of the participants could tell if they were receiving the real or the sham radiation.
Again, I was not able to find details today about the exact protocol used. Sleep was assessed with standard sleep studies as far as I can tell. Subjects who received the radiation took longer to reach sleep wave (deep) sleep, and had less of this deep stage of sleep. The researchers concluded that radiation from a cell phone adversely affects sleep.
I do not know if this is true—it is only one study and it should be considered preliminary. I am not sure if people who are "electrosensitive" are the same of normal people, for example. I will await the final report on this study, and another one before making recommendations.
Could radiation affect sleep? It is theoretically possible. We tested a radiation device from Symtonic a few years ago as a way to treat insomnia, but it did not help. Wikipedia has a good review of the possible health effects of radiation.
For now, it might make sense to use a "hands-free" approach, which places the radiation farther away from your brain, and has also been recommended as safer while driving.
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Sleep, insomnia, and meditation
The most commonly asked question on the Sleep Forums is probably "what can I do to sleep better?" People usually mean that they have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, or waking up too early. Usually they ask because they don't want to take a sleeping pill such as Ambien. Often the questioner wants a non drug therapy or a natural supplement.
Most of us answer that the best method for improving sleep is "cognitive behavioral therapy," or CBT. CBT can be accomplished with a one-on-one therapist or through an on-line site called cbtforinsomnia.com. You can read about it on the Revolution Health pages and try some of the advice on your own.
CBT has several components, but one of them is some sort of relaxation practice or meditation practice. Today, I want to talk about these a little bit, and give some links to CD's that teach meditation, relaxation, or mindfulness techniques.
Regular practice of a relaxation technique is one way to reduce the body's response to stressful life events. A lot of people seem to think that it is a method to get you back to sleep, but this is not really true. Practicing regularly during the daytime can prevent some of the physical changes in the nervous system that perpetuate stress-related conditions such as insomnia and headaches. It might seem strange, but spending 20 minutes relaxing in the morning or during work can help your sleep at night.
A lot of people with insomnia are more fearful of the fear of not sleeping than they are about not sleeping itself. Some people just really hate being awake at night, but accepting this and realizing that it is normal to be awake at night to some degree is essential to long-term improvement of insomnia. For those people who become impatient, frustrated, anxious, or even angry about insomnia, a mental relaxation technique during the night can fill the time and prevent undue bodily responses that make getting back to sleep impossible.
Most of us answer that the best method for improving sleep is "cognitive behavioral therapy," or CBT. CBT can be accomplished with a one-on-one therapist or through an on-line site called cbtforinsomnia.com. You can read about it on the Revolution Health pages and try some of the advice on your own.
CBT has several components, but one of them is some sort of relaxation practice or meditation practice. Today, I want to talk about these a little bit, and give some links to CD's that teach meditation, relaxation, or mindfulness techniques.
Regular practice of a relaxation technique is one way to reduce the body's response to stressful life events. A lot of people seem to think that it is a method to get you back to sleep, but this is not really true. Practicing regularly during the daytime can prevent some of the physical changes in the nervous system that perpetuate stress-related conditions such as insomnia and headaches. It might seem strange, but spending 20 minutes relaxing in the morning or during work can help your sleep at night.
A lot of people with insomnia are more fearful of the fear of not sleeping than they are about not sleeping itself. Some people just really hate being awake at night, but accepting this and realizing that it is normal to be awake at night to some degree is essential to long-term improvement of insomnia. For those people who become impatient, frustrated, anxious, or even angry about insomnia, a mental relaxation technique during the night can fill the time and prevent undue bodily responses that make getting back to sleep impossible.
Safer use of sleeping pills
The recent FDA request for stronger warnings about sleeping pills makes one wonder how safe these medications are. Should I take them at all? How often? What should I watch out for if I do take them?
Until very recently no sleeping pill was approved for long-term use due to fears of impairment and addition. Recently Ambien CR and Lunesta have been approved for long-term use and at the same time prescriptions for sleeping pills have increased tremendously. Some of this is due to direct to consumer advertising. I believe that the large numbers of people taking these agents is the reason that these relatively rare side effects have emerged. Generally they are probably safe. However, for all the hype about how great sleeping pills are, few people really look at the down side. If you want a different perspective, see HERE.
In general, almost all sleep specialists believe that nightly use of any sleeping pill is a last resort. It should only come after trials on other medications, patient education, cognitive therapy, and intermittent sleeping pill use. At that point, nightly use might be appropriate with close monitoring from a physician, understanding that there are risks.
If you are taking or are considering taking a sleeping pill, here are some suggestions to make it safer:
1. When starting a sleeping pill always take the lowest dose at home, preferably with someone present. Do not take it for the first time in a hotel, at a friend’s house, or on a plane. (Next blog: The Ambien traveller arrested for bizarre behavior, a true story.)
2. Do not combine any sleeping pill with other sedative medications including certain antidepressants and certainly alcohol.
3. Make your environment safe if you do try a sleeping pill. Be sure that you could not wander out of the house or even your room. (Don’t’ sleep on the top bunk.)
4. Be aware of what others notice, or be sensitive to possible signs that you were sleep walking. For example, early signs of a problem might include forgetting a conversation or forgetting that you walked to the kitchen. If there are such signs, reduce the dose.
5. Take the sleeping pills intermittently, such as 1 to 5 times per week. Everyone can stand a bad night of sleep—if you think you can’t you need cognitive therapy.
6. The older you are the lower dose you need. So if you’ve been on Ambien for 10 years, the level in your blood now is higher than when you began: Reduce the dose.
Until very recently no sleeping pill was approved for long-term use due to fears of impairment and addition. Recently Ambien CR and Lunesta have been approved for long-term use and at the same time prescriptions for sleeping pills have increased tremendously. Some of this is due to direct to consumer advertising. I believe that the large numbers of people taking these agents is the reason that these relatively rare side effects have emerged. Generally they are probably safe. However, for all the hype about how great sleeping pills are, few people really look at the down side. If you want a different perspective, see HERE.
In general, almost all sleep specialists believe that nightly use of any sleeping pill is a last resort. It should only come after trials on other medications, patient education, cognitive therapy, and intermittent sleeping pill use. At that point, nightly use might be appropriate with close monitoring from a physician, understanding that there are risks.
If you are taking or are considering taking a sleeping pill, here are some suggestions to make it safer:
1. When starting a sleeping pill always take the lowest dose at home, preferably with someone present. Do not take it for the first time in a hotel, at a friend’s house, or on a plane. (Next blog: The Ambien traveller arrested for bizarre behavior, a true story.)
2. Do not combine any sleeping pill with other sedative medications including certain antidepressants and certainly alcohol.
3. Make your environment safe if you do try a sleeping pill. Be sure that you could not wander out of the house or even your room. (Don’t’ sleep on the top bunk.)
4. Be aware of what others notice, or be sensitive to possible signs that you were sleep walking. For example, early signs of a problem might include forgetting a conversation or forgetting that you walked to the kitchen. If there are such signs, reduce the dose.
5. Take the sleeping pills intermittently, such as 1 to 5 times per week. Everyone can stand a bad night of sleep—if you think you can’t you need cognitive therapy.
6. The older you are the lower dose you need. So if you’ve been on Ambien for 10 years, the level in your blood now is higher than when you began: Reduce the dose.
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