Sleep

Photo by Александар Цветановић

Importance of Sleep;

• Regulation of glucose levels & replenishment of glycogen stores

• Restoration of white blood cells

• Focus on anabolic processes of metabolism (building process)

  • Tissue maintenance, repair, growth

  • Production of hormones & neurotransmitters

  • Max secretion of growth hormone, prolactin, testosterone, & thyroid stimulating hormone

• Rest and rejuvenation of musculoskeletal structures

• Central nervous system maintenance

  • Protein synthesis

  • Clean up redundant synapses

  • Organization/update of working memory (mental desk)

  • Deep sleep consolidates declarative memory (facts)

  • REM consolidates procedural memory (skills, implicit knowledge)

  • Emotional restoration & processing

• Learning & brain development

  • REM increases in circumstances of skill learning

Effects of Poor Sleep;

• Promotes weight gain, changes usual appetite/ thurst urges

• An increase in susceptibility to heart disease, heart conduction abnormalities, hypertension

• Impaired immunity

• Impaired tissue health & tissue repair - higher likelihood of injury

• Thermoregulatory abnormalities

• Promotes digestive disorders

• Impairs stress management/ coping & sociability

• Has a chicken & egg relationship w/ anxiety & depression

• Intensifies/ prolongs pain & other symptoms, increases symptom distress (suffering)

• Impairs recovery from illness & management of chronic conditions

• Disordered memory & learning

• increases incidence of poor judgment, moral lapses, social dysfunction, promotes distance & dysfunction in relationships

• increases the incidence of accidents – work & driving

• Can impair fetal growth & development

• Promotes sleep disorders

Recommendations for Good Sleep;

• The room should be distraction-free – pets, television, study

• Comfortable sleeping temperature & noise level

  • Use fan/ white noise as needed

• Established bed & wakening time

• Wind down time should begin 60-90min before the designated bedtime

  • If TV is a part of this, it can’t be stimulating content – news

  • Be mindful of backlighting (blue light)

• Writing down cares/ worries from the day

• Deep breathing exercises

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol

  • They act as central nervous system depressors but have a wakening effect later in the night

• Physical exertion within 2h before bed

• Avoid daytime naps

• No food within ~2h before sleep

  • The food needs to be in the intestines, not the stomach so the blood can be in other places

• Avoid clock watching

  • Don’t stay in your room while having an emotional reaction

• Mattress & Pillows

  • New mattress every 5-10 years

  • New pillow every 6 months

  • Linens should be washed/ changed every 2 weeks and pillows should be washed every 3 weeks

  • Posture matters - type of mattress & pillow used, sleep position

    • back sleeper - small pillow under knees

    • side sleeper - pillow between knees/ankles, thin towel roll between the bottom of ribs and top of hips for those with wider hips

• 40min of strong light exposure after wakening