August begins the fifth year of this monthly series and partnership among the New Pittsburgh Courier, Community PARTners (a core service of the University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute—CTSI), the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and the UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion. These pages provide you with valuable research information on health topics that may affect you, your family or friends and connect you to research opportunities and local health resources. All articles can be accessed online at the New Pittsburgh Courier website.
This month, the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on the importance of sleep and how it affects our overall health. Jennifer R. Jones, MPH, community engagement coordinator at Pitt and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League, discussed this important topic.
JJ: Good morning, Ms. Bush. I’m excited to sit down with you as we begin our fifth year of these “Take Charge of Your Health Today” pages! Can you believe it has been that long?
EB: Jennifer, I’m thrilled to see these health pages continuing in the Courier. I’m so proud of this partnership. Providing the community with current research information on important health topics is fundamental to our mission of working to enable African Americans to achieve self-reliance.
JJ: We’re proud to partner with you in that work, Ms. Bush. There’s so much research happening at the University of Pittsburgh and throughout Allegheny County, and the community needs to know about it. I know that each month I learn something new! Our August page focuses on the importance of sleep. Prior to this month, I didn’t think much about how important sleep really is to our bodies and our health.
EB: Believe me, Jennifer, I respect the value of sleep. I know that I probably don’t sleep the recommended seven hours each night. Dr. Buysse emphasizes a few key things about sleep. Sleep research shows that adults who don’t get enough sleep have higher rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. We need to start talking about sleep importance, just as we know we need to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Our brains need sleep, and a regular sleep pattern is helpful.
JJ: Yes. It’s really amazing to stop and think about all the positive benefits sleep has for our bodies. In excess, “sleep thieves,” like alcohol, screen time and caffeine, can prevent restful sleep. It’s really important for adults, children and especially adolescents to get the right quality and quantity of sleep. Research also shows that adolescents who get fewer sleep hours have worse standardized test scores, more car accidents and even more incidences of suicide.
EB: I’m really glad we are focusing on sleep, especially as we look around the bend to the end of summer and school starting back up again. There are currently multiple sleep research opportunities at the University of Pittsburgh. I encourage everyone to review these opportunities, and if you know you have a problem with sleep, don’t brush it to the side. Talk to your health care provider about your concerns.
JJ: That’s great advice, Ms. Bush. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to discussing next month’s topic—pregnancy health.
If anyone has questions about the information on this page, e-mail PARTners@hs.pitt.edu.
Related Articles
The importance of sleep and how it affects our overall health
https://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2015/08/05/the-importance-of-sleep-and-how-it-affects-our-overall-health/
Adolescent Sleep Research Opportunities
https://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2015/08/05/adolescent-sleep-research-opportunities/
Insomnia and Heart Disease Risk
https://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2015/08/05/insomnia-and-heart-disease-risk/