Week 22: The Doctor is In (An interview with Elizabeth Spomer, M.D)

(Picture from Charles M. Schulz)

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy, and My load is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Geoff:  Hello, sister!  How are you?

Betsy Spomer, M.D. (“Dr. B.”): Doing great! The girls have a day off from school and we are working together to make a special dessert for dinner tonight. I just love these days!

Geoff: That’s awesome!  I should stop by, and by the way, thank you for taking some time away from dessert preparation to visit about the intersection of medical science and Biblical faith.  Specifically, do you see any health benefits to our Lord’s call to rest?

             

Dr. B: Absolutely! Exercise is good, but remember Muscles need rest, too. Physical exercise (such as cardio and weight training) “damages” muscle fibers and causes soreness. Muscles need about 48 hours to recover and become stronger and larger. Too much cardiovascular conditioning and not enough rest or recovery time can negatively impact physical and mental health, as well. In extreme cases people can see muscle wasting and weakening of the heart muscle.

           

In addition, mental rest, such as daydreaming, contributes to strengthening memories of events, storage of information, and improves future learning. Deep relaxation (such as meditation), when practiced regularly, relieves stress and anxiety, improves mood, decreases blood pressure, relieves pain, and increases immune and cardiovascular function.

There is now evidence that rest or breaks while at work are beneficial for work performance. If a person gets about a 10 minute break every 2 hours (e.g. getting outdoors and/or just moving) they will have less stress and lower body weight.   In addition, it has been shown that vacation decreases stress and the risk for heart disease. Those who use their vacation time tend to have a better outlook on life and tend to be more highly motivated- leading to increased productivity, higher morale, and better retention. Even the vacation planning process helps to boost happiness.

Geoff: Hmm. Interesting. It sounds counter-intuitive, but I hear you saying that “rest” actually increases productivity and well-being…even lowering stress.

Dr. B: That is true, brother. Rest is very important in reducing stress. Did you know that chronic stress can increase the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity (due to increases in the stress hormone Cortisol), heart disease, headache, poor sleep, appetite irregularities, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, immune problems, and tremors?

Geoff: Wow! That sounds serious.  You have often said that I need more sleep than the average person.  Have I been on to something all these years?

Dr. B: Maybe…with proper sleep (somewhere between 6-9 hours for most adults), the risk for heart disease seems to diminish and  hormone balance improves (e.g. growth hormone levels go up resulting in more energy, less pain, and even weight loss). Sleep also helps your ability to learn and process memories.

Just don't forget that too much sleep...greater than 9 hours...can actually be detrimental and you start to lose the benefits that you gained from your good night's sleep! 

Geoff: Ok, point taken: get enough sleep, but not too much.  But with so much going on in our lives, can’t we cut corners a little bit on sleep?

Dr. B: In our busy world, sometimes our sleep suffers. I get that, but we should never make a regular practice of “cutting corners” on our sleep.

Geoff: You make it sound like we are unintentionally hurting ourselves if we choose not to get the right amount of sleep.  Is that true?

Dr. B: Yes! There is definitive scientific evidence that there are negative consequences to a lack of sleep, both short-term and chronic sleep deprivation. These detrimental effects can impact a person both psychologically and physically.

Psychologically, a person who hasn’t had enough sleep will often have increased tension, anxiety, depression and even confusion. As a consequence, persons with chronic sleep deprivation are at increased risk for decreased work performance (fewer promotions, increased work errors or accidents, increased absenteeism) and drug or alcohol abuse. These people will often cut back on activities that they enjoy and overall their quality of life can be diminished.

Adverse physical effects of chronic sleep deprivation include sleepiness or fatigue, elevated blood pressure, increased risk for heart disease (e.g. heart attacks), increased blood sugars and diabetes, and increased risk for obesity (particularly increased central or abdominal fat due to higher levels of the stress hormone Cortisol). Chronic pain is more common as well.

Geoff: So, we can increase our quality and length of life through proper sleep habits. Are there things that we can do while awake?

Dr. B: Yes, this is the part I like!  We can begin with "intentional practices of joy" (such as love, emotional connection, listening to good music, laughing, and the human touch) that release the body’s “feel-good” hormones - serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin. As a result, a person may have less pain, less anxiety, improved moods, and lower a heart rate and blood pressure.

Geoff: You are pretty smart, Sis. There is a lot for me to process here.  Thanks again for sharing your medical insights and your time. Would you be willing to come back next week and talk about how you incorporate rest/Sabbath into your own life?

Dr. B:  I would be happy to!