CHAPTER 19: SLEEP LOSS & ACCELERATED AGING

By DARIUS CREED

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There are a lot of misconceptions about the aging process. One example is the notion that once we all reach a certain age, the body begins falling apart, and that it’s an inevitable part of life that we have no control over. Yet, there are countless examples of older individuals who have maintained much of their youthful attributes despite their age. Sure, genetics can play a role. But that isn’t always the case.

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Case Study: Catherine Divingian

I would like to briefly talk about a case study of an individual who exemplifies what I am talking about. Catherine Divingian (“Dr. D”), this book’s contributing author, is one of the few ladies who proudly proclaims her age of 55 (as of the time of this book’s publication). The reason she isn’t uncomfortable with her age is because she has implemented strategies to counter the aging process. And she is NOT genetically gifted.

Dr. D comes from a background of extensive musculoskeletal disabilities that at one time necessitated the use of a wheelchair (a cane on a good day). She had osteoporosis, degenerative disk disease, and knee problems, among others. And she had a shoebox full of meds.

But now, she consistently engages in weightlifting, calisthenics, running, and rucking (walking or jogging with a rucksack) with no osteoporosis or degeneration of her disks. She has successfully overcome nearly all of her injuries with numerous therapeutic methods; her diet is on point; and she takes supplements and peptides for added joint protection. She hasn’t had any need for medication for the last 15 years.

I’ve observed her doing strict dead-hang pull-ups with an added 45-pound plate, one-arm push-ups (chest to the deck), and 500-pound leg presses. She has emphatically stated that she is stronger with better health now in her mid-50s than she was in her 20s and 30s.

Moreover, at an age when most folks are winding down, she fulfilled a lifelong dream and graduated medical school at 50 and got back into the military as an Army Reserve Captain when she was 51. And now she wears multiple hats as a physician and businesswoman. Age is just a number to her.

Yet, as an emergency- and internal-medicine physician, she has explained to me that she routinely examines and treats patients who are sometimes half her age whose bodies are racked with degenerative conditions. Why? Quite frequently (not always) because they simply let themselves go. They took their health for granted, and they paid for it.

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Lifestyle—Including Sleep—Impacts How We Age

Although everyone ages, the rate of speed that we do so has more to do with how we take care of ourselves than an arbitrary timeline. And that is one of the reasons why some people look years younger than their age and why others look old before their time.

My point is that age is NOT some force beyond our control. There are numerous actions we can take to extend our youth. You know what they are: cardiovascular exercise and resistance training, a healthy diet, and the ability to manage stress are among the obvious lifestyle strategies we can all implement, just as Dr. D has. Of course, sleep is near the top of the list.

Chronic Sleep Loss is Aging on Steroids

There are countless ways that sleep deprivation impacts how we age. For one thing, it can cause skin to appear dull, lead to fine lines and wrinkles, and cause dark circles under the eyes (Oyetakin-White et al., 2015). Duh, right? So, sleep debt can make you look like a tired old man or woman long before your time (and you would be).

But as we all know, aging is more than appearances. Chronic sleep deficiency is also correlated with a rise in free radicals (oxidative molecules) that cause cellular damage (Atrooz & Salim, 2020). Moreover, sleep insufficiency shortens telomeres, which are DNA protein structures associated with lifespan (Sabot et al., 2023). Long telomeres are connected with long life, while short telomeres are linked with shorter lifespans.

Although our bodies can get away with decades of abuse before we experience the most obvious consequences, researchers have found that even a single night of sleep loss activates gene expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that set the stage for accelerated aging. According to the lead author of the study, “Our data support the hypothesis that one night of not getting enough sleep in older adults activates important biological pathways that promote biological aging” (Carroll et al., 2016).

Let’s not forget all the other health problems mentioned in Part III, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension (HTN), heart disease (HD), and cancer, that sleep deficiency can lead to, which all play a role in shortening lifespan. You could say that this entire section (Part III) of the book is about all the major ways that sleep deprivation shortens life. No point in rewriting all those chapters here.

So, if you want to increase the odds that you will experience a longer, healthier life, just simply do the reverse of all the bad habits that this book discusses. I know. Easier said than done. But believe me when I say that the effort is well worth it.

I realize that there are plenty of individuals who have done everything they could to be healthy, and they still came down with degenerative conditions. A healthy lifestyle does not guarantee a long and healthy life. But. An unhealthy lifestyle nearly guarantees a shorter life that is rife with diseases.

No junk food tastes as good as “lean and mean” feels. No amount of slothful comfort comes close to the feeling of victory of completing a challenging workout or the self-respect that that’s earned from self-discipline. No puff of a cigarette feels as good as the vitality that comes from radiant health. And in a world of opportunity, no job is worth giving up your sleep and health, at least not for the long-term.

NOTE

What you are reading is a small portion of a book I put together with Dr. Catherine Divingian. Most chapters were written by me, while other chapters were written by her. Some of the material was written by both of us.

I originally wanted to post the entire ebook at once, but given its size, I came to realize that is not practical. There are four main parts to this book, each with its corresponding chapter/s. Every day, I will post a chapter until the entire book has been fully posted into LinkedIn. The first day will be the book Title, Medical Disclaimer, Table of Contents, Preface, How to Use This Book, and Introduction. The next day forward will be all the Part intros and the chapters, one per day.

Most of the chapters are fairly short. No long stories. We make it a point to get to the point. This is deliberate. We wanted to keep the chapters short so you can make the most of the information without burning up too much of your time doing so. For busy professionals this is a good thing.

Anyone who wants a copy of the ebook—in its entirety—is free to DM me. We will be happy to send you a digital copy as our gift to you.

Rest well.

Darius Creed (& Dr. D)

SOURCES

Atrooz, F., & Salim, S. (2020). Sleep deprivation, oxidative stress and inflammation. Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology, 119, 309–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs .apcsb.2019.03.001

Carroll, J. E., Cole, S. W., Seeman, T. E., Breen, E. C., Witarama, T., Arevalo, J. M. G., Ma, J., & Irwin, M. R. (2016). Partial sleep deprivation activates the DNA damage response (DDR) and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in aged adult humans. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 51, 223–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2015.08.024

Oyetakin-White, P., Suggs, A., Koo, B., Matsui, M. S., Yarosh, D., Cooper, K. D., & Baron, E. D. (2015). Does poor sleep quality affect skin ageing? Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 40(1), 17–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.12455

Sabot, D., Lovegrove, R., & Stapleton, P. (2023). The association between sleep quality and telomere length: A systematic literature review. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, 28, 100577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100577

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