Sleep 101
Alert, this is one of those Big Rocks again!
Sleep deprivation is associated with many diseases - including weight gain. Think about it, when you are tired, don't you think "I need to eat?" It is even more than that; when I was younger and worked a lot of night shifts in the ER, I didn't want an apple in the middle of the night. I wanted a candy bar or some other junk food...
Sleep deprivation stimulates a hormone called ghrelin (do not ask me to pronounce it) and suppresses another hormone called leptin. Ghrelin is the appetite-stimulating hormone, and leptin is the appetite-controlling hormone. We especially crave sugar and simple carbohydrates. Need, I say more???
Back before electricity, it was easy. When it became dark outside, people went to bed, and when the sun came up, they got up. Today, we extend our day indefinitely. We have artificial lights, computer screens, Netflix and so on. We are so out of rhythm, and our bodies love rhythm. Most people truly need 7- 9 hours of sleep a day. The question is what do we do about it?
I will build on this over the next few months, but so many people have sleep problems. I hear the following comments from patients so many times - "I can't fall asleep,""I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep," and "I don't seem to be able to ever sleep." It is so prevalent!
Here are a few tips to get us started.
- Be mindful of a basic rhythm by establishing a regular bedtime and time to get up. If you are doing shift work, this is so much harder, but maybe on those days have the same pattern. There is even a function on most phones that will send you a reminder. Make night time a ritual. Take a hot bath, journal or read a good neutral book under low light. If you are using a tablet or phone for reading, make sure they are set on a nighttime setting with as low light as possible.
- Create a healthy sleep environment. Your bedroom should be your safe haven. Your bedroom should be peaceful and uncluttered (not your folding clothes station or craftroom). Make sure it is calming and cool (ideal sleeping temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit). It should be dark. If you can't have black out curtains, try a sleeping mask. It is also important to block out light from phones, tablets, TV, etc.
Equally important is blocking out as much sound as possible by wearing ear plugs or utilizing white noise. The sound of white noise gives the mind something to focus on without the distraction of music or words. It also helps prevent sudden noises during the night from surprising and waking the sleeper. You can buy sound machines that produce white noise, and there are so many apps for phones that produce white noise. Clark uses her Amazon Alexa for white noise. She simply says, "Alexa, play white noise." Alexa plays white noise for 12 hours!
Here are just a few resources:
Sleep Mask
Ear Plugs
Sleep Machines
White Noise Apps
- Avoid clock checking at night, because it draws you back to waking. Ideally position your clock away from your bed, or use a non-illuminated battery operated clock to avoid light and subtle electromagnetic radiation. Do not sleep with your phone!!
- To prevent waking up in order to use the bathroom, it can be helpful to limit alcohol to 1 drink per day and to avoid food and drink 2-3 hours before bed. Caffeinated foods and drinks can affect some people up to 12 hours later, but others, it just doesn't phase (it's genetic). Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it interrupts healthy sleeping patterns. Drinking alcohol before bed is linked with more slow-wave sleep patterns called delta activity. That is the kind of deep sleep that allows for memory formation and learning. At the same time, another type of brain pattern - alpha activity - is also turned on. Alpha activity does not usually happen during sleep, but rather when you are resting quietly. Together, the alpha and delta activity in the brain after drinking may inhibit restorative sleep. While you may fall asleep quickly after drinking, it’s also common to wake up in the middle of the night. One explanation is that alcohol may affect the normal production of chemicals in the body that trigger sleepiness when you’ve been awake for a long time, and subside once you’ve had enough sleep. After drinking, production of adenosine (a sleep-inducing chemical in the brain) is increased, allowing for a fast onset of sleep. But it subsides as quickly as it came, making you more likely to wake up before you’re truly rested.
- Although regular cardiovascular exercise promotes healthy sleep, it should be avoided at least 3-4 hours prior to bed. This is because it raises your core body temperature and wakes you up - interfering with sleep.
- Manage bed and bedroom stimulation by limiting anything that your body associates with wakefulness. If you are having trouble sleeping, you do not need to be studying or finishing up work in the bed. Only use your bed for sleep and ....... sleep!
- Do not watch the news, look at your finances, or watch/read action or anxiety provoking books/shows /movies before bedtime. Remember, we want calm!!
- Often when people have early morning awakenings, it is due to stress. As a starter, many people benefit from keeping a notebook next to their bed. This way, if they wake up thinking about tasks to do the next day, they can write them down. This helps their mind relax and fall back asleep.
- Keep your mantra at night to just "Let Go." Understanding that letting go and surrendering to sleep are key. You cannot force it and often worrying about it can backfire and make it even harder to go to sleep. We just have to set the stage and be receptive to it.
More to come!!! Sleep well!
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