Sleep experts Professor Franco Cappuccio and Dr. Michelle Miller from the University of Warwick’s Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom, have written a new book about sleep deprivation and how it can damage people’s health if they get less than six hours of sleep per night.
Now that the festive season is upon us, they have turned their attention to St. Nicholas, the red-coated, fur-trimmed, overweight gentleman who stays up all night once a year to bring children all over the world their Christmas presents. Could he be putting his health at risk by indulging in such selfless altruism?
University of Warwick experts say there are short-term risks to his ‘all nighter’.
“Considering that he only stays up once a year, it may not be too bad for his long-term health. However, in the short term, there are risks. Lack of sleep will make him drowsy, his vigilance will fade and his ability to think and remember will diminish. There is risk for himself and others: He could fall asleep at the reins and crash his sleigh, he could even end up delivering the wrong present to the wrong person. So let’s hope he will listen to what we have to say," the authors say.
But what if Santa slept longer in the run up to Christmas? If he crashed out for a long time beforehand, he’d have more energy to stay up all night. The experts are skeptical. Who would have time to sleep when they have to make all those presents, wrap them all and plan the logistics of delivering presents to every single child in the world?
“I doubt Santa would have the time to sleep in preparation for Christmas. I know he and his team are busy going through the lists coming from all over the world, sorting presents and loading his sleigh. I expect they have a few sleepless nights ahead of Christmas Eve too but it would be good for him to be as well rested as possible," the book states. "Whilst a little nap on a rooftop here and there (no more than 20 minutes) might help in the short-term, it is no substitute for a good eight hours a night sleep. Santa also has a responsibility towards his most valuable staff, elves and reindeers. My advice would be to recruit more of them so that he could organize a rotation with each elf on no more than a 10-hour shift, with rest and sleep in between. I do realize, however, that it would be impossible to replace Rudolph!”
How many of us have downed a large coffee when we are on a long journey or travelling along a hideously boring motorway? Surely, a few coffees or some kind of stimulant sports drink would be the answer to all Santa’s problems!?
“A large cup of coffee (not de-caf please) could be a quick solution for a little while. It will usually have an effect after about 20 minutes, so have a nap before setting off again. Do not rely, however, on repeating this several times. The effect will reduce with time and he may also suffer unpleasant side effects, like palpitations and high blood pressure," the book says.
There’s also animal welfare to consider. Isn’t it cruel for Santa to keep his reindeers up all night and force them to fly with extremely heavy loads and no sleep?
“Every single living creature sleeps, and for a reason. However, both the duration and the patterns vary considerably from species to species. In general, wakefulness in animals is a survival function needed to feed and to keep predators away. Deer normally nap during the day and are quite active at night. For Rudolph and his mates, as long as they are well rested beforehand, they should be ready for the long trip night-time around the world.”
We’ve all left a mince pie and a glass of wine out for Santa to say thank you to him for bestowing his charity upon our homes. But are we encouraging drink driving? And won’t all the food and alcohol just make him drowsy?
“Santa will definitely feel hungry after a sleepless night, since sleep deprivation increases appetite, so he appreciates a bit of grub to keep him going. Since sleep debt also leads to obesity, his pot belly is not a surprise to us. Don’t leave him any booze, though! His sleepiness and tiredness already brings his attention to the level of someone who is over the alcohol limit, and there would be a real risk of him crashing his sleigh.”
Can you imagine how you’d feel if you stayed up all night, overate on junk food with minimal nutritional value and drank way too much alcohol? While we are all tucking into our turkey (or nut roast if you’re a vegetarian), Santa must be crouched with his head down the nearest toilet! Should he just sleep it off?
“Surely Santa will feel jet-lagged at the end of his trip! To deliver presents at exactly mid-night all around the world he will have to spend 24 hours in trans-meridian travel with rapid changes in time zones and little time for his body clock to adapt. He will travel in darkness all the time, so he will be more likely to fall asleep. Catch-up sleep helps to recover from the short-term tiredness and fatigue, but will not help avoid the long-term consequences of sleep deprivation. If he were to do this all year round, he would definitely run the risk of dying prematurely. However, children be reassured: He only does it once a year for us all, and by following my instructions he will remain fresh and zippy!”
Perhaps one of us should be kind enough to repay Santa’s favor and buy him a copy of Cappuccio and Miller’s book to leave under the tree this year. It may well save his life!
The information contained in this article is based on scientific evidence. For a full account on the effects of poor quantity and quality of sleep on health please consult the recently published book: Sleep, Health and Society, Cappuccio FP, Miller MA & Lockley SW eds. Oxford University Press, 2010; pp. 1-471 (ISBN 978-0-19-956649-4).
Joanna is a freelance health writer for The Mother magazine and Suite 101 with a column on infertility, http://infertility.suite101.com/. She is author of the book, 'Breast Milk: A Natural Immunisation,' and co-author of an educational resource on disabled parenting, in addition to running a charity for people damaged by vaccines or medical mistakes.