Why is sleep so important?
Sleep isn’t just about closing your eyes and drifting into dreamland.
There’s a whole science behind it!
Quality sleep can boost your mood, improve your cognitive function, and support your immune system.
Yet, despite it’s importance, millions of adults struggle with sleep issues that can affect every aspect of their lives.
Modern science around sleep is rapidly improving, the more scientific knowledge we gain about how sleep affects our cognitive skills such as attention, learning and memory consolidation the better chance we have of overcoming serious mental health disorders.
MENTAL HEALTH
Sleeping gives the body and the brain time to recover. The wear and tear you exert on your body during the day is repaired and replenished while you sleep ensuring you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning.
PHYSICAL HEALTH
The lack of sleep will cause people to become easily agitated, frustrated and grumpy. The delicate balance between our mind and body is played out in our sleep allowing for the release of hormones that help control our emotions.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead”
We often dismiss sleep as trivial, a luxury or out of reach which can jeopardize our sleep health. The old mindset of “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is speeding up the inevitable.
Many of us still follow the sleep habits our grandparents established and have adopted trends that only temporarily solve the issues we suffer from today.
From the moment you wake up to the last conscious thought you have before falling asleep, your body is working on a 24-hour cycle that is influenced by your lifestyle, environment, genetic makeup and recently technology.
Internal Clock
The term “Circadian Rhythm” is associated with the light and dark cycles of 24 hours. Light is the primary cue influencing the circadian rhythm, helping to sync our internal clock with the external environment.
The amount of exposure to natural light during the day and artificial light at night could be a problem with your circadian rhythm.
Sleep Cycles
There are 4 stages of sleep and in each of these stages, your body and mind cycle through sleep modes, allowing for rest, repair and rejuvenation.
Disruptions to these stages could be what is causing you to wake up in the middle of the night.
Sleep Hormones
The glymphatic system constantly filters toxins from the brain. In addition to eliminating waste, the system also helps distribute non-waste compounds such as glucose, lipids, and amino acids.
When this system isn’t functioning at it’s peak performance, your body isn’t recovering to its optimized level causing you to wake up feeling tired and unrested.
Sleep Process
PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System) is part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls bodily functions that we do not consciously direct, such as digestion and heart rate. Often referred to as the "rest and digest" system, the PNS helps calm the body and promote relaxation, making it essential for good sleep.
High stress, anxiety and stimulation keep this system active in the evenings when we should be winding down which directly contributes to not being able to fall asleep at night.