100 Year Old Marathon Man, Sleep Deprivation, and Naps

Today Secretariat, Randall, and I ran a short loop.  The Secretariat Man is tapering for his Malibu run this weekend.  Unfortunately, I will be in the desert partying with Jack and Joan Sholl and Jonathan and Tara Jordan .Secretariat’s mother and sister live in Southern California, and he will visit them as well.  Have a safe trip Secretariat.

Randall, almost 57, is intending to run more consistently so that he can increase his mileage and be like Mr. Singh the 100-year-old youngster that ran the marathon. The last mile or so of our run,  Randall continued running, and even did repeats, while  Secretariat and I leisurely walked for our cool down.  In essence, we were door-to-door within the hour.

At about 9:30 Secretariat had his beer and I drank my smoothie.  They also munched on muffins, while we talked.  Incidentally, Randall had to go to work and Secretariat and I smiled.  Randall said something about working to support a lifestyle and retiring.  Keep running Randall.

Yesterday, some of you took the self-assessment test to determine if you are sleep deprived.  Scoring key is as follows: 0-15; no, you’re not sleep deprived. 16-24; you are on your way to sleep deprivation.25-36; yes, you are sleep deprived.

Now for physiological symptoms of sleep deprivation: 1. Increased reaction time or slower response time ;2.  Decreased body temperature; 3.  Decreased immune function, or increase in colds, flu; 4.  Stomach problems, like heartburn indigestion or menstrual irregularities; 5 .Higher blood pressure.

Psychological symptoms: 1. Mood swings, irritability, impatience, anxiety, depression; 2. Fatigue, sleepiness, decreased alertness and concentration, impaired memory; 3. Impaired judgment, increased errors or accidents especially traffic.

Which statistics are you?  A national poll indicated that 65% of people report that they do not get enough sleep.  Are you one of them? Lower marital satisfaction impacts sleep habits according to a poll taken by the National Sleep Foundation.  Almost ½ of those with less marital satisfaction say that they are sleeping less than five years ago, and more than 3/4 are more likely to experience a sleep problem than their more happily married counterparts.  34% of all adults report sleeping alone.  12% of married adults report sleeping alone.  Some medications used for sleep or depression have sexual side effects.

If you are experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness you might consider: 1. if you cannot get enough sleep or feel drowsy, naps as short as 20 minutes can be helpful.  Naps can maintain or improve alertness, performance, and mood.  Some feel groggy after napping, but these feelings usually go away within 1 to 15 minutes, while the benefits may last for hours. 2. Studies show that napping at the workplace is especially effective for workers who need to maintain a high degree of alertness, attention to detail, and who must make quick decisions.

For me, I enjoying naps and recommend it wholeheartedly.  I always feel so much better after a nap.  It helps me to relax and get centered.  Tomorrow, I head for Palm desert, to talk about my book, “It Has Nothing To Do With Age.”