Welcome to my blog. Today we are going to clear up some medical myths and “facts” that some people hear about but don’t know if it’s true. We have all heard of something over the years and think all this time that it’s true only to find out later that it wasn’t. So this blog topic today is on just that. I like to do the research on these topics and then present them to you all so you can get the most accurate and up-to date information there is available. I’m not perfect and I try to use reliable websites and research journals, etc. but there might be an occasional error so forgive me. Oh and just for the record……..your eyes are not going to stay crossed and you won’t need glasses sitting too close! Let’s check some of these out!
Myth #1
You need 8 hours of sleep
As we all know there are many aspects of human biology, and when it comes to the body and sleep, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Overall, research from the sleep health journal (https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(15)00015-7/fulltext) states for healthy young adults and adults with normal sleep, 7–9 hours is an appropriate amount. However, the study goes into the different stages of life at the “appropriate” amount. So it will vary depending on the person and age, and what their body requires. For example for infants it’s between 12-15 hours and for teenagers it’s between 8-10 hours. Another myth that goes along with this is that you can “train” your body to require less sleep……no. Sorry it doesn’t work that way.
According to experts, it is very rare for anyone to need fewer than 6 hours’ sleep to function. Even if you work for (or own) Tesla! Although there are some people who claim to feel “fine” with limited sleep, scientists believe they are more likely used to the negative effects of reduced sleep. People who sleep for 6 hours or less each night become accustomed to the effects of sleep deprivation, but this does not mean that their body needs any less sleep. I have done another blog about sleep and dieting if you want to go back and check it out.
Myth #2
All Animals Sleep
Because humans sleep, and our companion animals appear to sleep, many people assume all animals do the same. This is not true. The authors of a paper entitled “Do all animals sleep?” from the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California explains:
“Some animals never exhibit a state that meets the behavioral definition of sleep. Others suspend or greatly reduce ‘sleep’ behavior for many weeks during the postpartum period or during seasonal migrations without any consequent ‘sleep debt.’”
Going back to human biology, sleep is not simply a lack of consciousness, but a rhythmic cycle of distinct neural patterns. It’s a challenge to really distinguish whether or not an animal sleeps.
“[F]ewer than 50 of the nearly 60,000 vertebrate species have been tested for all of the criteria that define sleep,” the authors explain. “Of those, some do not meet the criteria for sleep at any time of their lives, and others appear able to greatly reduce or go without sleep for long periods of time.”
Myth #3
IBD and IBS is the same thing
IBD is a condition that affects the gastrointestinal system. The symptoms often include abdominal cramps, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea and can fluctuate that may last for days, weeks, or months at a time. According to the CDC, in 2015, an estimated 3 million people in the United States had IBD.
Some of the most common forms of IBD that people experience are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which both involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Despite the high prevalence of IBD, there is a great deal of misinformation and misunderstanding. Here, we find the truth with the facts. According to Dr. Abhik Bhattacharya, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, IBD is a disease of a dysregulated immune system that attacks your own intestinal tract where as IBS is a disorder of the interaction (connection) between the gut and the brain. This interaction, or lack thereof, causes bloating, constipation, and pain just to name a few. So you can see they are similar but not really the same.
Also, some people believe as did some doctors up until recently, that stress caused IBD, which in fact does not. This confusion is due to the fact that stress causes flare ups in IBD and could make it worse, but is not the root cause. The science also tells us that Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are the two most common forms of IBD but they are two very distinct conditions and a person cannot have both. In addition to that, many people have believed that there are no treatments for IBD which is not true either. There are a number of treatment options available according to Dr. Bhattacharya.
Well we have come to the conclusion and I hope this helps clear up some confusion or misunderstanding about a couple things. I will have more on “What does the science say” in future blogs. If there is a special topic or subject that you want me to clarify or just explain in better terms just let me know and I will be glad to find out what the science says behind it.
Thanks again for reading my blogs and I hope this blog helps you to live a happier, healthier life.
Remember..You only get one body…………..Make the change!
Take care,
Darren
Harmony Shift 