Sleep yourself well
Sleep plays an intrinsic role in our lives in ensuring that we feel, look and function at our best. According to the author of ‘Why We Sleep’, Matthew Walker, “There does not seem to be one major organ within the body, or process within the brain, that isn’t optimally enhanced by sleep (and detrimentally impaired when we don’t get enough).”
Critical activities occur when we sleep. It is an opportunity for restoration that enables our body to repair tissues, remove toxic compounds and grow muscles. Protein synthesis primarily occurs during sleep. New pathways are formed in the brain that improve our ability to learn, focus, make decisions, recall experiences and create new memories. Elsewhere in the body, it assists with weight regulation, appetite control, improving immunity, maintaining a healthy microbiome and keeping our cardiovascular system healthy. There is a direct link between sleep and improved wellbeing, yet many of us fail to obtain optimal sleep.
Achieving optimal sleep depends on both quantity and quality. Is the time you spend sleeping actually restorative? Our sleep cycle is made up of different stages called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. As you sleep, you naturally progress through these stages. The non-REM stages involve dozing off, slowing down the mind and body and transitioning into a deep sleep where the body recovers. You then enter REM sleep, which is associated with dreaming due to increased brain activity. There are four stages in total, each of which are important in their own right and vary from person to person. The stages can be impacted by factors such as age, alcohol consumption and recent sleep patterns. While you don’t have control over your sleep cycle, you can take steps to improve your chances of progressing through each stage.
Not everyone needs 8 hours
Poor sleep quality is not solely down to quantity. People are either night owls or early birds, meaning they have a genetically determined preference for mornings or evenings. How much sleep we need depends on the individual and age. Everyone is different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Eight hours is an arbitrary figure. Unfortunately, it can cause anxiety and stress if we feel under pressure to sleep a certain amount of hours and we are not. This can ultimately impact our ability to fall asleep (as well as the quality of our sleep), as we become irritated, stressed, less sleepy and end up with more tossing and turning. After all, one of the easiest ways to have a bad night’s sleep is to think about it too much. Generally speaking, between six and nine hours of sleep a night is said to be sufficient. Experiment with your sleep patterns and see what works best for you. If you feel awake and alert with less or more hours, then you’re getting enough sleep. If you find yourself unable to nod off after 20-30 minutes, get out of bed and do something. You can have a warm drink or read a book so that when you return to bed you feel tired. In doing so, your brain associates bed with sleeping rather than lying awake.
Don’t upset the rhythm
Our internal body clocks, known as the circadian rhythms, control many of the body’s essential processes, such as digestion and the sleep-wake cycle. These rhythms keep us healthy so it’s important not to disrupt their natural cycle through irregular meal times and inconsistent sleep schedules. If you are going to adjust your sleep patterns, try to vary the time you go to bed rather than when you wake up. Our circadian rhythms are sensitive to light and release melatonin at night but wake us up when the sun rises and melatonin decreases. They are supposedly more anchored on wake-up times.
The way that you go about your day and night time routine has a part to play in influencing your sleep. Exposure to blue light through devices and artificial lighting can confuse our brain about whether it’s day or night. It suppresses melatonin production, keeps us awake and leads to poor quality sleep. It’s essential that you get natural daylight exposure every day, move your body, perform physical exercise and get your vital nutrients through a healthy diet and supplements. Prepare your body for sleep by avoiding screens approximately two to three hours before bedtime, limit sugar and caffeine and ensure your bedroom is clean and clutter free. While exercise is important, stop at least three hours before your bedtime as the endorphins can keep you awake.
Creating a night time ritual allows your body to transition from day to night. This gives your body the opportunity to enter into relaxation and rest mode which is vital for inducing sleep.