Counting sheep in the White House

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Sept 28, 1998 | by Eli Lehrer

Among the problems plaguing the president may be one that can afflict even nonadulterers: sleep deprivation. Experts say Clinton is a prime candidate for the disorder.

Irritability, impaired judgment and bags under the eyes all are symptoms of sleep deprivation -- symptoms some claim to see in a certain chief executive of the United States.

"I don't know Mr. Clinton personally and I'm not privy to the details of his sleep patterns, but it's fairly obvious that he's under a great deal of stress" says James Maas, a professor of psychology at Cornell University and author of this year's hot-selling Power Sleep. "The circles under his eyes indicate to me that he isn't getting enough rest." Maas, one of the country's foremost experts on sleep, says that most people almost intuitively know the symptoms of sleep deprivation: "People suffering from sleep deprivation have trouble thinking, analyzing and with everything from fine motor skills to personal relations" he says.

Maas adds that the president's travel schedule also could be a source of sleeping problems. "On one hand it's a lot easier to travel all over the world if you have a plane at your command with a bedroom in it. On the other hand, he usually has to hit the pavement and press the flesh immediately. There's not a lot of downtime for him." Maas points to a long history of political leaders having problems on foreign trips because of lack of sleep.

Clinton is known for his love of late nights and early mornings. "There's no set schedule, but he's incredibly hardworking" a White House spokeswoman tells Insight. "I typically see him working at all hours of the night and early in the morning." A White House insider tells Insight that the president often has late nights with his family and friends. "He'll sit up to all hours watching old movies" the source says.

Maas says that a White House staffer approached him during Clinton's first term with the proposal that the Cornell psychologist come to the Executive Mansion to talk about sleep deprivation. "Clinton was bragging that he could get by on five hours of sleep. [The White House aide] and her friends, even at that early stage, thought that he was burning the candle at both ends." Maas says in his book that it's important to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night and set regular turn-in and wake-up times.

Eric Dyken, a sleep-disorder expert at the University of Iowa, says that like all presidents Clinton is in a catch-22: "If he's not there, things can crumble; it's not like a neurosurgeon who doesn't necessarily have to see 30 patients a day" Dyken says. "That may be part and parcel of the job. It may be better for the country if he attempts to do something when he's very sleepy than not to do anything at all."

But Dyken tells Insight that some physical deterioration stemming from lack of sleep is common for those in positions of power. "Have you ever seen photos of Lincoln when he took office and near the end?" he asks. "The difference is really big." Others cite a similar deterioration by Franklin Roosevelt during the World War II years.

But remedies are as ready to hand as they are various, say health professionals. Some even are natural. "He might try melatonin or kava kava. Both are pretty gentle and might help him get some rest" says Jim Davis, vice president of Body Systems Inc., a producer of natural and herbal remedies. "Aside from that there's a new product with a mixture of herbs that a bunch of health-food stores are pushing they say it helps the body naturally adjust to the effects of jet lag."

Max Hirshkowitz, who directs a sleep-research center for the Department of Veterans Affairs, suggests sleeping pills might help the president when he travels. "I use them myself for trans-Atlantic flights," he says. "A sleeping pill is like a chain saw -- in the right hands it's a very valuable tool but if you don't know what you're doing you can make a really big mess"

James DeWitt, a former mattress salesman in upstate New York, says he thinks the president might do better if he traded up his mattress. "You know, I didn't hear anything about the president bringing much of his own furniture into the White House -- it's possible he's sleeping on some old mattress left over from the Hoover administration that's begun to sag. Maybe it even keeps him up nights with back problems" DeWitt says.

Suggestions abound, some less sympathetic than others. "A new mattress might not help" says Thomas Pirrone, a New York advertising and marketing consultant who works closely with the bedding industry. "He could probably have a better night's sleep if he returned to his traditional sleeping partner. There's nothing like a 21-year-old airhead to give a fellow insomnia."