Sleep.... we all have a different experience of it. Different routines, different amounts of sleep required and of course, our general emotional relationship with it.
The benefits
Sleep has many physiological benefits to how we function as a human being. Sleep constitutes the recuperative process of our central nervous system and brain physiology. Sleep also initiates peripheral anabolic processes with the secretion of growth hormone and testosterone (essential for cellular repair and growth) whilst suppressing catabolic processes such as the secretion of cortisol and catecholamines (hormones released by the adrenal glands when experiencing physical or emotional stress/fight or flight mode).
So what does that mean!!? Sleep is the principal method by which our body repairs and restores back to “normal metabolic levels”, not just physically, but mentally too. It is common knowledge that the more active we are through the day, the more physically weary and mentally impaired we become. Restoring our physical and mental alertness, hormonal balance and cellular repair is essential to ensure we are functioning to our optimal level.
Sleep Impaired?
Being sleep impaired is essentially the physiological reverse of what was mentioned above! The use of the brain during wakefulness will lead to depletion of energy in the cortical areas locally responsible for activity. The level of depletion is monitored, and sleep is initiated when critical levels are reached. With sleep deprivation present, our body will not be restoring back to our normal levels efficiently. Cellular restoration will still occur to some degree with rest, just not close to optimal levels compared to quality sleep. The metabolic and catabolic processes will be in reverse. Our adrenal glands will be over-active as our body struggles to regain hormonal balance back into the parasympathetic nervous system. Resulting in a higher chance of feeling emotionally drained, depressed, stressed, less alert alongside physically fatigued. It’s not all doom and gloom, the human body is resilient, and we can cope with temporary periods of sleep reduction or deprivation. However, the effects of long-term sleep deprivation are more concerning. Increased risk of metabolic disease, depression physical burn-out and weight gain are all publicized concerns associated with sleep deprivation.
Promoting healthy sleep
Don’t fear! The amount of research available on the effects of irregular sleep is equally combatted with scientific research promoting and educating healthy sleeping habits! We can educate and condition ourselves to have a more positive relationship with sleep. Becoming anxious about lack of sleep can be as damaging as the lack of sleep itself! It can become a “thing” attaching worry/anxiety to sleep.
There are many among us who can turn the lights out and be asleep in a few minutes. How lucky they are! But for those among us who take a little longer falling asleep, or regularly wake in the middle of the night, there are methods to prepare ourselves for that restful sleep we crave!
Circadian rhythm
We have a body clock in our brain known as the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, which regulates ourcircadian rhythm. The CR can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, eating habits and digestion, body temperature, and other important bodily functions. The (SCN) is in fact located behind the eyes, as a result, it becomes sensitive between light and dark. If surrounded by artificial light throughout the majority of the day, this can disrupt our ability to sleep at the correct times. In the same logic as too much blue light before bedtime. Getting outdoors surrounded with natural light throughout the day has a positive impact on our sleep.
Creating a regular sleep alongside this will allow your circadian rhythm to become more in tune with your habits and result in a deeper, more restorative sleep. Turning devices to “sleep mode” or wearing very sexy “blue-light omitting” glasses can reduce the impact of direct artificial light that can prevent us from feeling ready for bed. Best to avoid devices 2 hours prior to getting into bed.
Alcohol and Caffeine
Both alcohol and caffeine can have a significant effect on our overall quality of sleep, and most importantly, the ability to fall asleep. Caffeine is a stimulant and plays a part in preventing us to fall asleep quickly. Although not everybody has this problem, if you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine consumption, best avoid it after 1pm.
Alcohol has been said to aid healthy individuals fall asleep quicker, which has been known to be used by insomniacs as a sleep-aid. However, it prevents rapid eye movement sleep (the cycle when we are dreaming), which typically occurs 90 minutes after falling asleep and is thought of as the most restorative sleep. If restorative sleep is disturbed, it can lead to short term memory loss, lack of concentration, drowsiness and a general lack of alertness (otherwise known as a hangover!) Alcohol also suppresses breathing efficiency, leading to traits of sleep apnea, loud disruptive snoring and pauses in deep restorative breathing.
Create a Sleep Sanctuary
I was told the bedroom is good for two things, sex and sleep!! Watching TV, working, and even sitting up in bed discussing the trials and tribulations of the day can for some be disruptive to a decent night sleep. Reading a book, listening to music or having a slow, deep breathing stretch can be much more effective in preparing for a restorative sleep. A temperature conducive to a good night sleep has been known to be around 20 degrees, as dark as possible and clutter-free. Being consciously aware of mess and clutter in the sanctuary has been proven to mirror that in the mind, resulting in an active brain! There is an abundance of education out there on how to promote healthy sleep, but at the end of the day, it is all dependent on what works for you as an individual! I know people who can have an expresso before bed and sleep blissfully. The trick is to work out what is effective for you and staying consistent with it in order to gain regular sleeping patterns.
Don’t let not sleeping become a “thing”
As eluded to earlier, if you are experiencing random episodes of disruptive sleep, or generally sleep quite poorly, do not panic! Research has shown that we can still go into restoration mode whilst being awake and therefore still allow the body to recover and repair to a degree. Developing an anxious attachment to sleep can become much more complicated to reverse than merely changing a few habits consistently. You will benefit more by using your energy to become mindful of what you could change to promote better sleep as opposed to wasting energy on worry.
Having said that, the most disruptive element preventing good quality sleeping patterns is stress. Being “wired” without sufficient time to “wind down” can play a huge part in becoming sleep deprived. Spending large periods of the day in your sympathetic nervous system “fight or flight” mode can impact the time it takes you to make that shift back into your parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calm to end the day. Mindfulness and meditation practices are certainly a great way to start in combating unhealthy stress levels. Guided mediation would be a good place to start but be mindful this is not for everybody and requires patience and practice.
If you are lying awake try to avoid looking at the clock, this will only cause your mind to start working and heighten stress levels. Focus on slowing your breath down and take deep breaths lasting 3-4 seconds inhaling and exhaling. This will lower stress levels and will most likely cause you to fall asleep.
If you are still unable to sleep be assured that when we slow the heart rate down and mimic the type of deep breaths taken during sleep, our body is still able to get some rest and go into a restorative state.
To conclude, sleep plays another pivotal role in holistic well-being. Our body does not recover, re-build and restore when we are active. Being mindful to what methods we have in place conducive to slowing-down in preparation for sleep is essential in optimizing our ability to function at our very best. Again, it is easy to get carried away in pushing our bodies to their limits with work, exercise and family. That is great, so long as we create enough time on the other side to eliminate the risk of metabolic disfunction, hormonal imbalance and most commonlyknown, burnout, both physically and emotionally.