Sleep: The Number 1 Tool To Staying Healthy
Sleep: The Number 1 Tool To Staying Healthy
Hey Mommas!
It is no secret this has been a challenging season for us all. As moms, we often feel stretched too thin, but we are now pulled in all kinds of new directions. And on top of it, we need to make sure we stay healthy for our family and anyone around us.
So, I want to share with you the number 1 way to boost your health. This can be used at any time of the year, it’s completely free, and something that comes naturally to us.
It’s sleep!
It’s not glorious or glamourous, but it is one of the single, most simple steps you can take to improve your health.
I know for moms, it’s hard to accept this. We start out sleep-deprived and then might fall into a pattern where we may not have prioritized it for a long time. I know, when your kids are in bed, you just want to take that time for yourself. Your house is quiet, and now it’s your time.
But how much sleep are you sacrificing? I’m not saying to go to sleep immediately after the kids, but just try to move your bedtime up 30 minutes earlier this week. While you think about it, here’s the science behind what sleep is, and why it’s so important for us.
What Happens When We Sleep:
From the outside, sleep looks like a pretty passive activity. We close our eyes, might have a few dreams, and wake up. Pretty simple, right?
Even though you’re not conscious and are not fully aware of many things going on around you, both your brain and body are actually very active while you sleep. (2)
The Process:
Sleep is regulated by two processes that create your personal biorhythm. The first one—your sleep-wake process—regulates how you sleep, and the second—your circadian process (or rhythm)—regulates when you sleep.
You may have heard of REM sleep before, but there are actually 3 phases your body goes through before it even gets there. REM is the final stage, and very important, but if you don’t get enough sleep, you may not cycle through to the REM stage enough times.
There are four stages of sleep:
Stage 1 - The stage between wakefulness and sleep
Stage 2 - Light sleep before you enter deep sleep. This makes up about 50% of the total sleep time.
Stage 3 - Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS). It helps you feel refreshed in the morning and makes up about 20% of total sleep time.
Stage 4 - Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is when your brain activity is almost as high as when you’re awake—most dreams occur here. REM sleep makes up about 20% of total sleep time. (2,3)
Each cycle through these four stages takes about 90 minutes. That means, during an average night of eight hours of sleep, you would go through this cycle about five times.
As the night goes on, the third stage (SWS) shortens while the last stage (REM) lengthens. (2) This means that the longer you’re asleep the more of your sleep is in the REM stage—and REM sleep is what you need for peak physical and mental health.
Studies show that when learning a new physical task, people’s performance can improve overnight—but only as long as they get enough REM sleep. (4)
Have you ever gone for over 24 hours without sleep, and then when you can finally hit that mattress, you sleep for a surprisingly long time? The longer you go without sleep, the more your body actually tries to get you to sleep longer (and more deeply).2,3 It knows what it needs, we just have to listen.
Why is sleep important?
Sleep and health go hand in hand, so when you’re on a journey to better health, you must also be on a journey to better sleep.
There’s a growing body of evidence that sleep is integral to physical and psychological health. Some researchers go as far as to say that “good sleep guarantees wellbeing and mental health.” (1) Science shows that getting enough quality sleep may prevent and improve several diseases, including:
Heart disease
Metabolic issues like diabetes
Autoimmune conditions
Neurodegenerative diseases
Not getting enough quality sleep can be a huge factor when it comes to deteriorating physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact:
Performance and productivity
Concentration and memory
Mood and mental health
Immunity and ability to fight infections
What is “Enough Quality Sleep”?
Quality sleep for adults is 7-9 hours in a 24 hours period. You will know you are getting quality sleep when you:
Fall asleep fairly quickly
Sleep for a long enough duration
Don’t wake up during sleep
If you wake up, then falling back asleep quickly
It is so important to prioritize sleep, it’s almost as if it’s a prescription for anything. In fact, sleep researchers encourage clinicians to educate patients about sleep hygiene and good sleep habits because of its proven benefits for diseases.2 If you need any tips on how to get the sleep you need, check out 18 Ways to Getter Better Sleep.
What Kind of Sleeper Are You?
Kind of like how my coaching is not one size fits all, the path to great quality sleep is different for different people.
Your personal sleeping pattern is made up of your hypnotype and chronotype.
Hypnotype describes whether you are a “long-sleeper” or “short-sleeper.” Too little (short sleeping hypnotype) or too much sleep (long sleeping hypnotype) can both have negative health impacts. (1)
Chronotype describes whether you’re a morning person or an evening person. This is actually very important to know about yourself, because when you go against your chronotype, you get worse sleep. It is also why I am not telling you to go to bed at a specific time. You need to get the best quality sleep in the 7-9 hour time period that works best for you.
So now that we know what sleep is, and why it’s so important for us, let’s go a little deeper into how sleep can affect our health in different ways.
Sleep and its Effect on Health:
Sleep Disorders and Your Quality of Life and Wellbeing
Sleep, Pain, and Mental Health
Sleep, Immunity, and Inflammation
Sleep, Stress, Weight, Heart Disease, and Diabetes
Sleep Disorders and Your Quality of Life and Wellbeing
Well-being is when you feel happy, healthy, and productive. When you enjoy a high quality of life, feel optimistic, and are emotionally stable, you’re “well.” It may not surprise you that sleep disturbances may affect and be affected by your level of wellbeing. (1)
How long you sleep is very important. What’s even more important for your health and wellness is having a regular sleep schedule. (1)
We all have trouble sleeping sometimes. As moms, we often have so much on our minds, that it’s hard to turn off and just go to sleep.
But because I want you to have all the information in order to live your best possible life, it is important to know that it’s possible to have a sleep disorder and not even know it. The three most common sleep disorders are obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome.
Experiencing these disorders can have a significant effect on your quality of life such as your:
Vitality, energy, and motivation
Work performance
Ability to think clearly, learn, remember things, and make decisions (cognitive functioning)
Emotional regulation and relationships
Physical functioning
There are effective treatments for sleep disorders that can lead to significant improvements.1 See your healthcare professional if you have any health concerns, including sleep disorders.
Sleep, Pain, and Mental Health
When you feel stressed and irritable, do you ever relate that back to not getting enough quality sleep the previous night (or nights)? There’s a relationship between lack of sleep and feeling more sensitive to everyday stressors. Plus, lack of sleep increases inflammation and sensitivity to certain types of physical pain. It also decreases how you feel about the quality of your life.
These effects can all lead to emotional distress, mood disorders, memory deficits, and the ability to think clearly, learn, and make decisions (cognitive function). (1)
I don’t say this to scare you, but to explain how incredibly important sleep is for our overall health. In order to live the life we truly want, and to feel free from everyday stress, the best way will be to get enough quality sleep.
According to one study, sleep problems, along with stress and life dissatisfaction, can predict back pain in 40-year-olds.1 This might be extremely relatable for some of us.
Even if you don’t have physical pain, if you think sleep affects your moods, you’re right.
Studies show that there are more mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, depression) in people who don’t get enough quality sleep. As lack of sleep worsens, so do mental health symptoms. (7) Increased feelings of worry and anxiety are some of the biggest consequences of sleep deprivation.8
Sleep disorders like sleep apnea are linked to mood disorders, lower levels of wellbeing, and lower concentration and memory. (1)
On the other hand, it is possible to sleep too much. Sleeping excessively long (hypersomnolence) is common in people with mental health issues, particularly mood disorders. (1,7)
It is important to keep your quality sleep right in the 7-9 hour zone.
Sleep, Immunity, and Inflammation
Sleep helps you stave off infection and too much inflammation. And, if you’re well-rested and get an infection, your immune system can fight it better.
Sleep, immunity, and inflammation are delicately intertwined. Getting enough quality sleep promotes a healthy immune system and a balanced level of inflammation. It can help you overcome infections when you get them. (2)
Lack of quality sleep can trigger long-term low-grade inflammation—the same kind of inflammation linked with diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration. (2,6)
Sleep, Stress, Weight, Heart Disease, and Diabetes
Not getting enough quality sleep increases your risk for: (6)
High blood sugar
Impaired glucose tolerance
Type II diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Weight gain, excess weight, and obesity
Death
Layer stress on top of this and it makes things worse. Stress can lead to serious sleep disorders like insomnia. Insomnia can then make you even more sensitive to stress. (1) It’s kind of a vicious cycle.
Also, there is a link between lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of physical exercise, and alcohol use, and people who sleep less. (6)
Sleep and stress are very intertwined. How much cortisol (a stress hormone) you release is related to the quality of your sleep. Better sleep equals lower stress. (1)
Interrupted sleep affects your blood sugar by reducing insulin sensitivity and impairing glucose tolerance. People who sleep just 4 hours per night tend to crave sweet and/or salty foods more than those who sleep 7-9 hours per night.
Sleep restriction is not surprisingly linked with increased caloric intake and weight gain.
Consequently, not getting enough sleep also reduces the amount and intensity of people’s physical activity. (6) If you don’t get enough sleep, you probably don’t have the energy or motivation to work out.
But when you do get enough sleep, it directly reverses these effects. It improves insulin sensitivity, reduces appetite, food cravings, and the amount of sugar consumed. (6) These all help to reduce your risks for heart disease, diabetes, and gives you significant support on your weight loss journey.
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I know that was a lot of information about sleep, but did it convince you why it’s so important to get enough of it?
Good quality sleep is the key to ensuring long-term health. Your physical and psychological health will improve equally. You will have more energy to accomplish any goal you set. You will be able to navigate your self-improvement journey with more mental strength and commitment.
If you need help figuring out how you are going to get the sleep you need, or someone to keep you accountable, please reach out! I know it feels almost impossible to get the recommended amount of sleep as busy moms, but this is something you can’t cheat on. You either get the sleep and stay healthy, or you don’t. And I promise you, it is entirely possible to still accomplish all that you want with the right amount of sleep. It will probably be easier.
If you have or suspect you might have a sleep disorder or any health conditions, speak with your healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment strategy.
What is keeping you up at night? Is there a way you can adjust your schedule? Comment if you're going to get the sleep you need, tonight!
SARAH FAILLA
References:
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