I must say that this morning has been a rough one. I came into work two hours before my first appointment today with the intention of writing two columns. As I sat to type, I lost all thought and inspiration and entered the black hole of “writer’s block.” Days like this are frustrating because I had good intention of powering through my tasks but for some reason I hit a wall. What happened? Let’s be honest, last night I slept terribly and it has completely affected my day. I had one of those frustrating restless nights consisting of little more than tossing and turning. With more than half of the adult American population sleep deprived and reports of sleep deprivation association with everything from weight-gain, heart disease and diabetes, it’s time to revisit the topic.
Let’s first go back to school and review the stages of sleep. I’ll be brief so try and stay awake while you read this OK?
Stage 1 – Stage 1 sleep is light sleep. You experience a drifting in and out of sleep. You can be easily woken up. Your eye movement and body movements slow down. You may experience sudden jerky movement of your legs or other muscles.
Stage 2 - During this stage, eye movement stops and your brain waves become slower. There will also be brief bursts of rapid brain activity called sleep spindles. Around 50 percent of your time sleeping is spent in stage 2.
Stage 3 - Stage 3 is the first stage of deep sleep. The brain waves are a combination of slow waves, known as delta waves, combined with faster waves. During stage 3 sleep it can be very difficult to wake someone up. If you are woken up during this stage, you may feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes. If you wake me up during this stage I promise you I’ll be grumpy.
Stage 4 - Stage 4 sleep is the second stage of deep sleep. In this stage the brain is making the slow delta waves almost exclusively. In this stage it is also very difficult to wake someone up. Both stages of deep sleep are important for feeling refreshed in the morning. If these stages are too short, sleep will not feel satisfying.
REM sleep – Rapid Eye Movement - REM sleep is also the phase of sleep in which you dream and begins about 70 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep. When you enter into REM sleep, your breathing becomes fast, irregular and shallow, heart rate and blood pressure increase, eyes will move rapidly and your muscles become immobile. Researchers do not fully understand REM sleep and dreaming but do know it is important in the creation of long-term memories.
Why is sleep so important?
Immune system. Let’s face it, we’ve all pulled all-nighters studying for exams or working on a big project and then came down with a cold the next day right? That’s no accident - sleep is essential to the immune system. Without adequate sleep, the immune system becomes weak, and the body becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease.
Nervous system. Sleep is also a time of rest and repair to neurons. Neurons are the freeways of the nervous system that carry out both voluntary commands, like moving your arm or tkping on your computer, (I mean typing, that was a joke) and involuntary commands, like the digestive process or breathing (which is important).
Brain, cellular repair, replenishment and growth. With most of our brains working feverously throughout the day (I said most just in case you spend your days eating chips while mindlessly watching cartoons), it would seem that it would need a break right? Recent studies have suggested that sleep may replenish dwindling energy stores that cells need to function, repair cellular damage caused by our busy metabolism, and even grow new nerve cells in the brain (American Psychological Association).
Hormone release. Many hormones are timed to release during sleep or right before sleep. Growth hormones, for example, are released during sleep, vital to growing children but also for restorative processes like muscle repair and metabolism. Two other hormones that have been related to weight control are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus reported in WebMD.
The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.
Sleep keeps the ticker healthy. Researchers at the University of Chicago report in the Journal of the American Medical Association that too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can then break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes. Need I say more?
It’s no surprise that Mom had it in our best interest when trying to get us to bed before 9 PM. Sleep has so many benefits that its importance is undeniable. Take a look at the quiz below to see if you’re sleep deprived. If you are, it may be time to re-consider if burning the mid-night oil is as necessary as you think. Heed the advice above, close the curtains tight and get a good nights rest.
Am I Sleep-deprived?
From Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program that Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance, by James Maas.
Indicate true or false for the following statements:
• I need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time.
• It's a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.
• Weekday mornings I hit the snooze button several times to get more sleep.
• I feel tired, irritable and stressed out during the week.
• I have trouble concentrating and remembering.
• I feel slow with critical thinking, problem-solving and being creative.
• I often fall asleep watching TV.
• I often fall asleep after heavy meals or after a low dose of alcohol.
• I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.
• I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed.
• I often feel drowsy while driving.
• I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.
• I often need a nap to get through the day.
• I have dark circles around my eyes.
Results: Two or more "true" statements may be signs of a sleep problem.
Your Good Night’s Sleep to-do list
• Stick to a schedule
• Exercise regularly, but not closer than 3 hours before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine & nicotine
• Limit alcoholic drinks and avoid a few hours before bed
• Avoid large meals & beverages late at night
• Avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep
• Don’t nap after 3pm
• Relax before bed
• Take a hot bath
• Maintain a good sleep environment
• Make notes of worries and solutions before you go to bed
• Get exposure to the sun
• Don’t force it
• Use a good mattress
• Sleep on good, clean sheets (Egyptian cotton are great!)
• Drink a glass of warm milk. Mild contains tryptophan and may make you drowsy
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