Sleep-An Essential Part Of A Healthy Life

Experts say one of the MOST alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet! So I will try and keep this one a little shorter.

Sleep, and how it relates to the way we function as a species, is one of the biggest mysteries in the human body. There is no concrete definition for why humans sleep. Humans are among the few animals that take their sleep in one shot. The rest of the animal kingdom consists of polyphasic sleepers; they alternate sleep and wake cycles throughout a 24 hour period. However, one thing is for sure, sleep is an essential part of life. When we sleep, the body releases hormones which fix damaged tissues throughout the body and help restore us to a balanced state.Listed below are just some of the effects we get from sleep or lack of sleep.

-Sleep reduces the body’s amount of stress hormones.

-Sleep adjusts the hormones in our body that control appetite and boosts the immune system.

-Being sleep deprived impairs daytime alertness and memory; it can lead to mood problems such as anxiety or sadness and promotes obesity and diabetes.

-Sleep and weight gain; research shows how metabolic changes, that occur due to loss of productive sleep, may alter your sense of hunger, thus making you want to eat more. According to sleep expert Michael Breus PHD, people who stay up late and sleep late also tend to eat more fast food and consume more of their calories after 8pm as compared to normal sleepers. Most studies show the more you eat after 8pm the higher your body mass index and body fat levels will be.

-Sleep helps boost testosterone levels in men. Research has shown that this nightly testosterone replenishment is most effective (and morning testosterone levels are highest) in men getting 8 or more hours of sleep.

-Insufficient sleep increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. In fact, a study from 2008 demonstrated that those who slept longer, had a lower likelihood of coronary artery disease. (the risk reduction was 33% per hour of sleep, equivalent to the risk reduction of lowering your blood pressure by 16.5 mmHg!).

How much do we need?

The generic recommendation for the amount of sleep a night is generally 7-9 hours for adults. However, sleep requirements are based on a wide range of factors like age, sex, immune systems, will power, activity levels, and many others. This is an important issue because as a society we are chronically sleep-deprived. Some studies suggest the average US adult gets less than 7 hours of sleep a night and more than one-third of adults report daytime sleepiness so severe that it interferes with work or social functioning for at least a few days each month.

Sleep recommendations

-Try and stay away from the computer, phone, and TV before bed-The blue light emitted by these devices stimulate your brain making it harder to fall asleep. Most sleep experts recommend giving up screen time for at least 1-2 hours before bed.

-Evaluate your sleep hygiene-Avoid watching TV, eating, or working in bed. Make the bedroom a sanctuary for sleep. Keep the temperature a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house and hide bedroom clocks so you’re not constantly checking the time as you try to fall asleep.

-Get active -Thirty minutes of exercise each day (at least 5 to 6 hours before bedtime) will help you get more restful sleep at night.

-Avoid triggers-Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and large meals before bedtime, can disrupt your ability to fall asleep and remain asleep throughout the night. Though many people use alcohol to get to sleep initially, alcohol actually compromises the quality of sleep you get overnight.

-Get into a routine- This will help your body know when to sleep and is much more efficient to your overall daily schedule.

Conclusion

This was a tough topic to cover because of the wide range of information and studies available coupled with the variance in opinions by top professionals. If there is one thing I have found it is there is no “right” or “wrong” way to sleep. If you are someone who feels perfectly rested and has no daytime consequences on 6 1/2 to 7 hours of sleep per night, and are unable to extend your sleep beyond this period, then you should not be striving to sleep 8 hours/night. Equally so, if you sleep 8 hours/night but are still sleepy during the day, you may not be fulfilling your nightly requirements or may need a daytime cat nap. The take home message is: You need what you need. Each individual is different. Experiment with some different sleep schedules and positions to see what works best for you and implement those practices in a sleep routine. Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.