The One Test That Could Save Your Life

Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.

– Shakespeare

British researchers have calculated that 20% of all motor vehicle collisions result from a driver falling asleep at the wheel. In the U.S., one study found almost 80% of truck drivers suffer sleep apnea... which means they're sleep-deprived while driving. Amazingly, some researchers think that falling asleep at the wheel causes more than half of all deaths from collisions.

Sleep is precious and, like time, is worth more than most people realize. Today, I'm going to give you a list of several things to do immediately that will help increase your sleep and change your life.

But first... a bit of history...

Sadly, nothing in my medical training addressed sleep – other than a passing reference in a neurology lecture. Since then, I've rarely seen or heard any clinician talk about sleep directly to patients. Worse, very few doctors are even aware of how important it is for your health.

My interest in sleep began when I was working in London for Goldman Sachs and heard about a case in the U.S. in 1984 where a patient in New York City died quite unexpectedly. Part of the explanation for her death pointed to the sleep deprivation of the medical residents caring for her. The residents had been up for days with very little sleep and supervision... and yet the medical establishment refused to take responsibility for the problem. I was appalled then and remain so now.

What bothers me is, common sense would tell you someone working 100 hours a week and more than 24 hours in a row is not a person you want caring for your loved ones (or monitoring your nuclear power plant). Yet, a Mt. Sinai Medical Journal article written in 2000 about the NYC hospital death once again missed the point. It actually claims sleep deprivation is not a "serious cause of medical misadventures." Wow. Did you know that sleep-deprived doctors respond in driving tests just as if they'd been drinking alcohol?

What happens if animals don't get enough sleep? At the extreme, rats deprived of sleep die within four weeks. And the fascinating thing is that no one knows what happens as a result of the sleep deprivation that kills the rats!

Humans begin to hallucinate after a few days without sleep. Even missing a little sleep each night can lead to a number of problems. Moreover, poor-quality sleep also leads to disease. Here is a list of problems linked to dysfunctional sleep:

Until recently, very little was known about sleep. Only since the 1970s has sleep been truly studied. Turns out, several interesting things happen during sleep:

Are you sleep-deprived? You can perform a simple test at home to see. Try it tonight alone or with your spouse. This test will change your life, I guarantee it.

In the mid-afternoon or early evening, get in your sleep clothes (or whatever you normally wear to bed) and turn down the lights in the room. Get a metal spoon, a ceramic plate, and a metal cookie pan. Put the plate on the pan and the two just below where your hand will hold the spoon over the edge of your bed or couch when you lie down. Look at a clock to note the time, lie down, close your eyes, and let yourself fall asleep with your hand holding the spoon over the plate and pan. The noise of the spoon hitting the plate/pan should awaken you... Record the time at that moment. If this happens in five minutes or less, you're seriously in trouble.

First, you should consider the list of things I do and see if you can increase your sleep quality. If you still have problems, get to a doctor who understands sleep disorders (they are hard to find). Well-rested people should take about 15-20 minutes before the spoon hits the plate/pan.

When it comes to sleep... what do I do to maintain my health, vitality, and a strong immune system?

Here's to our health,

Dr. David Eifrig Jr.