Better Sleep: A Simple Guide by David Priede, PhD
W e spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. Seven to nine hours a night is the recommended amount of sleep, and this may sound like a lot of time but it’s essential for a healthy body and mind. When we have a good night’s sleep, we are more productive, energetic, and healthy when awake. This article explains how lack of sleep affects your body, sleep stages, and how to get a good night’s sleep with 10 tips for better sleep.
After a good night’s sleep, we feel fresh and alert when we wake up, but many people don’t. If you sleep for seven to nine hours but are not getting the proper sleep quality, you might still be tired when you wake up. Scientists and research studies show that quality sleep is essential to well-being. A good night’s sleep helps us to survive and thrive.
Side effects of sleep deprivation include:
● Memory problems
● Mood changes
● Weakened immunity
● Lower effectiveness of vaccines
● Trouble concentrating
● Poor response time and increased risk of accidents
● High blood pressure
● Weight gain and obesity
● Risk for type 2 diabetes
● Low sex drive
● Risk of heart disease
● Poor balance
● Early aging
Sleep is broken down into four stages and rotates between non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). These stages or cycles include drowsiness, light sleep, deep sleep, and dreaming.
Stage 1: In stage 1, we drift from being awake to being asleep. This is a light, short lasing NREM sleep. We start to relax, have light dreams, and may also twitch as we transition into stage 2.
Stage 2: In stage 2 of the sleep cycle, we still are in light sleep, but we drift into a steadier sleep. Our heartbeat and breathing slow down, and our muscles begin to relax.
Stages 3: In stage 3, we enter into a deep sleep. Our heartbeat, breathing, body temperature, and brain activity reach their lowest levels during this cycle. Our muscles are relaxed and may be hard to be wakened up. This is the ‘healing stage,’ when essential hormones are released, tissue growth and repair occur, and cellular energy is restored.
Stage 4 REM sleep: Our first REM cycle of the night begins about 90 minutes after we fall asleep and reoccurs approximately every 90 minutes. Our eyes move around behind our eyelids, and our activity looks similar to when we are awake. Our heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure rise to near-waking levels. During REM sleep, we dream. Our arms and legs become temporarily paralyzed to prevent us from physically acting out our dreams. REM sleep is vital to our sleep because it stimulates the areas of our brain that are essential in learning and retaining memories.
How Much Sleep Do We Need and Why is Sleep Important?
Healthy sleep is central to overall good health, yet too many of us take it for granted. Busy with life challenges, work, and play, we shortchange the hours we allow each day to rest. We don’t provide ourselves with comfortable beds, darkened rooms, the quiet, and other essential factors that provide good and sound sleep.
Several strategies have shown some promise in increasing our percentage of healthy sleep. These include reducing stress, establishing sleep rituals and routines, using eye masks to block light, sleeping in a cool room, exercising, and eating a healthy diet. In addition, listening to white or pink noise, brainwave entrainment, and meditation may also help.
Our sleep may also be adversely affected by various sleep disorders such as Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), Insomnia, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), Sleep Apnea, and Narcolepsy, many of which are treatable if diagnosed. Consult with your physician if sleep problems persist. Better and healthier sleep is within our control. Check your bedroom performance against the ’10 Tips for Better Sleep’ below. If you fall short, think about how you might modify your environment and behavior to improve the quality of your sleep.
10 Tips for Better Sleep
1. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day (7 days a week).
2. Don’t nap for more than 45 minutes of sleep during the day.
3. Stop consuming alcoholic beverages and nicotine at least 4 hours before bedtime.
4. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate.
5. Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 3 hours before bedtime. A light snack before bedtime is okay.
6. Exercise regularly, but don’t do it at least 4 hours before bedtime.
7. Use comfortable bedding.
8. Set a comfortable temperature for your bedroom (72°F/22°C degrees is optimal). Also, keep the room well ventilated to lower CO2.
9. Block out all distracting noise, eliminate as much light as possible, and don’t use your smartphone.
10. Reserve your bed for sleep only. It is not an office, a workroom, or a movie theater.
“Good night, slept tight, awake full of joy at the morning light.”
Dr. David Priede is the founder and Director of Biolife Health Center in Weston, FL. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the National Association for Healthcare Quality, the Society for Neuroscience, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and the American Brain Foundation.
