Good Snooze For Men

August 20, 2000

It's a classic comic strip image: Dagwood napping soundly on the living room couch.

Now some University of Chicago researchers are suggesting that Blondies of the world should let their men sleep deeply.

Otherwise, the women risk waking up to somebody who is fat, wrinkly and falling apart.

In a study of 149 men, researchers concluded that, as men age from their late 20s, their deep sleep decreases. So does their bodies' production of human growth hormone (HGH). That hormone tells the body to burn fat, build muscle and tighten skin.

Some experts are blaming the effects of aging on changes in sleep patterns.

As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the research showed that men who get less deep sleep create less HGH, regardless of age. Hard-driven, sleep-deprived go-getters should therefore wake up and, well, go back to bed.

"Sleep is the forgotten child in America," researcher Eve Van Cauter said.

Middle age may be a key time for intervening in this process, some researchers say. More aggressive treatment then might lead to fewer physical problems later, in effect extending the lease on an active (and attractive) life.

Some doctors favor HGH replacement therapy, currently used to combat muscle loss, as a way to prevent the effects of low HGH levels. Some even see so tight a link, they feel increases in HGH might increase the amount of deep sleep too.

However, Van Cauter discounts that link, and says HGH replacement therapy doesn't get to the root cause--lack of deep sleep.

She envisions a new class of sleeping medications. Sleeping pills available now help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, but actually decrease deep slow-wave sleep if used over time. And, unfortunately, the one experimental medication that currently is showing the capability of increasing deep sleep has the dangerous reputation of being known as the date-rape drug.

The University of Chicago research had no applicability to women. There is no evidence in women of a direct relationship between deep sleep and HGH secretion, researchers say. Also, women don't seem to have the same changes in sleep quality as men until women reach menopause.

Up until then, beauty rest is just another one of those male gender things.