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Getting Enough Sleep: The Question of Drug Therapy

© Stephen Weistling

At the turn of the century (19th to 20th) most people slept nine hours per night. Due to changes in lifestyle and technology, those nine hours have been transformed to less than seven for many of us. And with shiftworkers, those numbers can be even less.

It is well documented that when a person tries to operate on small quantities of sleep, that person is apt to have trouble concentrating, remembering, and their judgment is impaired. These compromised processes can lead to accidents, injuries, and loss of performance.

Recently, researchers have begun to look beyond the mental aspects of sleep deprivation to the physical well being of their subjects. The latest data suggests that among “short” sleepers, weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, and premature aging are increasing.

Many of the studies investigate the production and regulation of various hormones in the human system. Hormones are the regulating agents in our bodies. They affect how we process food into energy or store it as fat, and also send signals to our bodies on how to grow, repair themselves, and even fight the effects of stress.

The production of hormones is associated with the circadian system. As our bodies live through the twenty-four hour daily cycle, the production of hormones follow a systematic ebb and flow just as our need to be awake or asleep. In addition, the connection between hormone production and sleep is causing scientists to take a look at the amount of sleep we get, and how it affects the production of important hormones.

For instance, the presence of growth hormone helps keep our skin in good condition and our bones solid. We also know that the hormonal profile of older persons suggests the production of glucose is subnormal. This is why many older people have trouble controlling their weight, even though they might eat less and continue to exercise. The bottom line is that some researchers now suggest that it is very important to get as much sleep as possible in order to allow the maximum potential of essential hormone production. And, if you are sleep deprived, it may explain why you are having trouble losing weight!

One solution for shiftworkers who don’t get enough sleep is to prescribe some sort of drug that induces or enhances sleep. One such suggestion has been to prescribe L-tryptophan (LTP), which increases the production of serotonin. Serotonin is supposed to help induce sleep.

You may have heard of the L-tryptophan disaster. LTP is an amino acid that occurs in proteins and has many vital roles as an essential amino acid. In 1989 it was marketed as a boost for athletes and body builders. This product was also taken by persons as a sleep aid or for premenstrual symptoms. However, many of these people became seriously ill with severe rashes, muscle and joint pain, respiratory problems, and gastric trouble. More than thirty persons died and more than 1,500 people developed serious chronic illness. It was recalled in November of 1989, and the ban still applies.

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