Lack Of Sleep Is A Major Stress On Our Bodies

If you are used to sleeping four to five hours each night, as you adjust to sleeping more, you might actually feel groggier at first. It’s not that we don’t need sleep as we get older. It’s that we are less capable of getting good sleep as we age, and the lack of sleep predisposes us to health issues. Sleep disorders, for example, are prevalent in neurodegenerative disease and dementia. This means that lack of sleep increases risk, and neurodegenerative disorders often cause sleep disruption. Waking up after sleeping part of the night is also associated with an increase in adrenaline. Naps, on the other hand, help us recover from a lack of sleep. For one, melatonin, known as our sleep hormone, increases when our brains perceive darkness. Studies are showing that melatonin not only is important for signaling our bodies to sleep but also plays a role as an antioxidant and in the immune system by protecting us from infections and cancer. Melatonin is made in the pineal gland from serotonin, so if you’re low on serotonin, your body may not have enough of the precursor nutrients and amino acids to make melatonin. Light exposure, especially at night, also deceases melatonin production. Melatonin also signals to the hypothalamus to increase the production of growth hormone by the pituitary gland.

A Certain Kind Of Fool

Growth hormone, which helps with repair and regrowth of muscles and bones, is also important for immune function and is secreted only during deep sleep. Growth hormone counteracts the pitfalls of aging, so to prevent aging, we need more sleep! And a lack of sleep is a major stress on our bodies. The more deep sleep we get, the better. It eliminates proteins and metabolites from the central nervous system and is active only during deep sleep.6 If we don’t get deep sleep, we are more prone to building up amyloid and tau proteins, which are associated with dementia. As weight increases, the risk of sleep apnea also increases. It has become easy and popular to track your sleep using a device and/or an app on your smartphone. This can be a great way to learn more about your sleep patterns and to know where you are starting from. For example, there are finger rings, wristbands, headbands, and even sleep pads that can monitor your sleep when you bring them to bed. They can show sleep timing and patterns, such as how much time you spend in deep sleep. Then move your phone out of the bedroom. After you feel some improvement has been made, take another reading for a day or two to see your progress.

Neautiful Lilies Bloom In Ugly Waters

There are several practices you can incorporate into your daily routine to improve your sleep quality and duration. These practices are referred to as sleep hygiene. Believe it or not, your behaviors throughout the day, especially before bedtime, have a major impact on your ability to sleep well. This means that everything from your sleep environment to the very bed you sleep on can be a factor in determining your sleep cycles. Even with your eyes closed, all five of your senses are processing and delivering information to your brain, and in turn affecting sleep quality. Your five senses influence, and are influenced by, your sleep patterns. Let’s break each one down. If the place you begin and end your day feels scattered and all over the place, likely you will, too. So ask yourself if you feel calm and serene in this space. If you don’t, what is it that’s bothering you? Are there piles waiting for you? Does it appear as though the Tasmanian Devil just ran through your closet, leaving a trail of clean and dirty clothes strewn across the floor? It’s time to create the Zen zone your body and mind needs. Stop your space from working as more than your bedroom. If you’re working from home, you may find that the distinction between relaxation and work is slipping.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

If you have the option, make your bedroom a place that is naturally associated with rest and relaxation. This will immediately change your environment and your mindset. Then, when you lie down in bed, your body and brain will know that this is where you can decompress. Surveys have found that neutral, muted shades of blue, yellow, silver, and green are the most relaxing color palettes for a sleep environment. If you have vibrant paint on your walls or patterns on your bedding that are highly stimulating, consider swapping them out for something more relaxing. Another easy and highly effective fix is to adorn your windows with blinds and/or drapes to make sure that your room stays dark throughout your sleep. I recommend blackout shades to ensure that you can eliminate light while you sleep. Most of us start and end our day the same way, with our phone in hand and staring at a screen. And depending on our work environment, the middle portion of our day isn’t much different. All this tech has brought many wonderful things to our lives, it also has a tremendous effect on our health. Our brains pick up on the artificial blue light emitted from our handheld devices and computer screens, light that turns off the production of melatonin and can completely disrupt our circadian rhythm. Technology can also lead to problems staying asleep, plus sleep deprivation. In my opinion, it’s a great and easy way to counteract the adverse effects of staring at a screen all day. There are also apps and software that can block blue light. Many phones have features in their display settings, as well, to reduce blue light or turn it off completely. Adjusting your environment to counteract overstimulation and light exposure can make a difference. Each is a stress signal to your brain. If you have a lot of electronics in your bedroom, like speakers, charging stations, a clock, and a television, you’ll probably notice that each of these items has its own light source. Remove them from your bedroom.