Why Sleep is Important and How to Make the Most of it
Sleep! It can be one of the best things in the world, but life is so busy that we often struggle to manage our time, and our sleep suffers. Loss of sleep affects both our mental and physical health. While we sleep, our bodies are doing more than just resting. Our bodies are busy performing tasks that help us refuel and regenerate so we are ready for the next day.
Research suggests that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night to adequately give the body the fuel it needs to function. But what is really happening while we snooze? Over the next several posts, we will discuss how sleep is vital to our brains and bodies to function optimally. First, let’s learn a bit more about sleep at its core.
While You Were Sleeping
While you sleep, your brain processes and stores information, “dumping” unnecessary information to free up space for you to learn. In addition to processing and storing information, our body works to clean the brain and body of toxins and release hormones that help to stabilize your moods, improve your immune and cardiovascular system as well as repair damage to your muscles and vital organs. Simply put: sleep rocks!
Sleep is composed of two main categories: Non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Every 90 minutes your body cycles through four stages of sleep. Ideally, you need 4-5 cycles of sleep to adequately prepare your body for the next day. Let’s take a look at the stages and what happens in each.
Stage 1: Initial sleep
(lasts about 7 min) during which…
Your brain waves slow
Your heart rate decreases and
Your eye movements slow down
Stage 2: Light Sleep
You spend most of the night in this stage! During which, your…
Body temp decreases
Eye movement stops
Heart rate and muscles continue to relax
Brain waves briefly spike then slow
Stage 3: Deep Sleep
Arousal from sleep difficult
Heartbeat and breathing are at their slowest rate
No eye movement
Body is fully relaxed
Delta brain waves are present
Tissue repair and growth and cell regeneration occurs
Immune system strengthens
Stage 4: REM Sleep
This is your dreaming time and starts about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. It generally lasts only about 10 minutes the first time and increases time with each REM Cycle. The final cycle of REM sleep lasts roughly 60 minutes. During this time your body reacts with:
Rapid eye movement side to side
Increased breathing and heart rate
Limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed
Increased brain activity
Your brain processes information during this stage so it is important for learning and memory
Your body depends on you to provide enough time to sleep so that the body can clean and restore so it is ready to face the next day. Inadequate sleep is linked to the presence of many disorders, which we’ll talk more about in more detail as we move on!
Sleep suggestions
Over the next few blogs, we will explore what improvements you can make to start getting good sleep. In the meantime, treat yourself to a good night’s sleep tonight! Here are some suggestions from the National Sleep Foundation to help you sleep more and better:
Develop a schedule and stay with it, even on the weekends (sleeping in can cause symptoms similar to jet lag!) If you are getting enough sleep you should wake up naturally without an alarm.
Find a relaxing routine to wind down such as practicing a relaxation technique, taking a warm shower or bath, or dimming the lights and listening to relaxing music.
Exercise during the day to ensure you are suitably tired at night
Improve the sleep environment by controlling the room temperature, reducing noise, having a comfortable bed and reserving your bed for sleeping and sex.
Avoid the sleep stealers of alcohol and caffeine and avoid big meals before bed.
Turn off electronics at least one hour before bedtime. Bright screens and blue light can be disruptive to our natural circadian rhythm.
Control your exposure to light. Melatonin, a hormone responsible for creating drowsiness is released when it is dark. If you wake to bright sunlight or bright natural light in the morning this will help set the natural clock!
Reach out!
As always, if you have any questions about sleep or need more guidance about the difference good sleep can make in your life, contact me through the CoreFit website or our Facebook page!
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash