Restorative Power Of Sleep & Tips To Achieve It
Author: James Conlon
Why is sleep so important?
Sleep performs several critical functions. It provides the body with an opportunity to regenerate. During the deep sleep cycle blood supply is increased to our muscles promoting repair, our energy levels are restored and our immune system is strengthened. During REM sleep areas of your brain that are essential for learning and retaining long term memories are stimulated. Sleep is also key to regulating our emotions. Disturbed or insufficient REM sleep can lead to low moods, low energy, anxiety and feeling tense.
How much sleep do we need?
How much sleep we require varies from person to person, and between the different age groups. What is consistent, is that the vast majority of people get significantly less sleep than their minds and bodies require. Typically an adult requires between 7-9 hours a night, whilst teenagers require significantly more.
Tips for Maintaining Healthy Sleep
1. Create the correct environment
Many of us have inadvertently created an environment that supports staying awake. Our brain is programmed to start calming the body for sleep when light levels begin to dim (sunset) in readiness for sleep. So if you struggle to sleep at night consider the following:
• Keep to the same sleep routine. Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day, allowing your body clock to develop a consistent routine.
• Work with your nervous system. Begin to wind down a few hours before sleep.
• Avoid screen time for at least an hour before you want to sleep. When it gets dark our brains produce melatonin, a hormone that prepares the body for sleep. The blue screens of electronic devices stop its production as they fool the brain into thinking it’s still daylight.
• Ensure your room is as dark as possible, keeping it nice and cool.
2. Watch what you eat and drink
Eating heavy meals close to bedtime interferes with the body’s process of winding down for sleep. Alcohol disrupts our sleep patterns, causing us to wake up more frequently, shortening the time we spend in deep and REM sleep. Ultimately, this can lead us to feeling both mentally and physically tired. Caffeine is a stimulant. It can both prevent you from falling asleep and decrease the amount of time spent in deep sleep. If you are struggling to sleep or waking feeling fatigued, it may be worth examining your diet. Cut back on alcohol. Stop caffeine consumption at least 6 hours before going to bed and food two hours before.
3. Create healthy routines and habits
Around 1 in 3 of us, at some time in our life, struggle with insomnia. Lying awake for hours, trying to sleep. Often we can find ourselves mulling over the stresses of the day or what actions require our attention tomorrow. This activates the parts of the brain which should be calming down, in preparation for sleep. We can also, inadvertently create a subconscious association between laying down for sleep and the brain thinking it’s time to work. So should you find yourself tossing and turning in bed, break the cycle.
• Get up and do something else. Maybe read a book (no blue screens).
• Adopt a helpful bedtime routine. Relax and wind down before sleep. Keep the lights low to promote the production of melatonin.
• Consider meditation. This has a calming effect on the mind as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, much the same as sleep.
• If you find yourself worrying just before sleep with multiple thoughts running through your head, try planning in ‘worry time’ during the day. Proactively setting time aside to analyse events and plan activities for the following day can alleviate some of the subconscious stress that we can feel directly before sleep.
Related Articles And Clips
5 tips for falling asleep quicker :
Matthew Walker : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKNQ6gsW45M
Why do we need sleep? : Russell Foster TED talk : https://www.ted.com/talks/russell_foster_why_do_we_sleep?utm_content=talk&utm_term=scienc e&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=social
Sleep is your super power : Matthew Walker TED talk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MuIMqhT8DM
HelpGuide to Healthy Sleep : https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/sleep-needs-get-the-sleep-you-need.htm