Facial characteristics offer cues to health issues caused by sleep deprivation

Sleep

Marsha Hunt---If you haven’t had enough sleep, research says there are signs in your face that tell the story of potential health problems.

There are certain characteristics  that show uniqueness in the eyes, mouth and skin that give cues about sleep loss.

Hanging eyelids, red and swollen eyes, dark circles around the eyes, paler skin, wrinkles and fine lines, droopy mouth corners and a look of sadness are some of the characteristic facial characteristics shown in those with sleep deprivation.

"Since faces contain a lot of information on which humans base their interactions with each other, how fatigued a person appears may affect how others behave toward them," said Tina Sundelin, MSc, lead author and doctoral student in the department of psychology at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden. "This is relevant not only for private social interactions, but also official ones such as with health care professionals and in public safety."

This new information can help guide health professionals to diagnosing and treating sleep disorders that can lead to other physical health problems.  For example,  loss of sleep impacts mortality, morbidity, performance, accidents, injuries, emotional well being and quality of life.  Obesity and hypertension can also occur among those with chronic sleep disorders

According to NCBI sources there are approximately 90 different sleep disorders that can lead to hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, depression and stroke and other health maladies. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/

About 30% or 50 to 70 million adults complain of having trouble sleeping.  So this newest research allows medical professionals additional insight into a common complaint that can lead to closer observation of a person’s face as insight into the condition of health.

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Marsha Hunt is a free-lance writer and retired nurse who enjoys writing about issues related to health and other concerns that impact people in ways that affect their ordinary lives.

Kids who bully likely to have sleep problems

[caption id="attachment_5407" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Children sleeping"][/caption]

Carol Forsloff - “What this study does is raise the possibility that poor sleep, from whatever cause, can indeed play into bullying or other aggressive behaviors – a major problem that many schools are trying to address,” is  a summary statement researchers say is good information for prevention of  bullying behavior.

Louise O’Brien, Ph.D., assistant professor in U-M’s Sleep Disorders Center and the departments of Neurology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery maintains further, “Our schools do push the importance of healthy eating and exercise, but this study highlights that good sleep is just as essential to a healthy lifestyle.”

Some of the children involved in the study reported by the University of Michigan had breathing problems during sleep, leading to daytime drowsiness.  O’Brien believes that improving sleep can help inhibit bullying behavior and that additional research is needed in this area as part of prevention programs and to further refine understanding of aggression in children and the various causes of it.

This information coincides with other expert findings about the nature of sleep and its impact on behavior.  For example, sleep problems have been found in children with Attention Deficit Disorder.  Parents with ADHD children report 50% of them have sleep problems.

In a study of 184 young adult and adolescent offenders reported in PubMed,  it was found that anger and aggression correlated highly with sleep difficulties.  Both reduced quality and quantity of sleep were involved in the relationships found.  Increased hostility and aggression was found to be associated with reduced hours of sleep or particular difficulties in the quality of sleep.

Aggression was found to relate both to the quantity and quality of sleep reported, with reduced quantity and quality predicted by increased overall aggression. Across aggression subscales, only increased hostility was predictive of reduced current hours of sleep and increased problems in sleep quality. Apnea risk scores were not predicted by aggression, anger, or impulsivity. Differences in sleep behavior before and during prison were demonstrated, with evidence for increased poor sleeping habits within detention. No differences were observed between young and juvenile offenders.