Catch those Z’s to get A’s in all areas

Sleeping well and sleeping enough are essential for the success of students, and they are also essential for maintaining good overall health for everyone. Those who consistently lack sleep or have poor quality sleep may suffer from tiredness throughout the day, low moods, impaired memory, weakened immune system, weight gain and its associated risks, and food or alcohol addiction. Conversely, those who have good quality and quantity of sleep can benefit from having more productive days, more positive moods, improved memory, strengthened immune system, well-functioning metabolism, and even longer lifespan [1][5][6].

Want to get A’s in school, at work, and in life? Get sufficient non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep for optimal memory consolidation and get sufficient REM sleep for a boost in creativity that can provide solutions to problems you were previously stuck on [5].

Want to get A’s in mental health? Get sufficient quantity of sleep and REM sleep to prevent irritability and to get a better handle on emotionally difficult matters.

Low quantity of sleep can prevent the prefrontal cortex (PFC) from regulating the amygdala due to a compromised communication system [7]. Without this regulation, the amygdala can become hyperactive, which results in people responding to negative events significantly more strongly than the typical appropriate amounts under control of the PFC [7]. Not only do irritable moods affect the individual negatively due to its toll on mental health, but they can also affect the individual’s relationships with friends, families, coworkers, etc. Getting enough sleep can boost moods, and getting good quality sleep can even help people cope with emotionally difficult events due to the healing effects of REM sleep [7].

Want to get A’s in metabolic health? Sleep at the right times and with the right amount of time for yourself to prevent a slew of problems that can come with excess weight gain.

Insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment have been placing people at risk for poor metabolic health and unnecessary weight gain because of changes in hormones (eg, ghrelin and leptin) [1]. Insufficient sleep is when someone sleeps for less than the number of hours they need to be alert and well-functioning after waking, as well as be healthy overall [1]. Circadian misalignment occurs when a person has habits that interfere with their body’s internal clock, like eating and/or staying awake when they are meant to be sleeping [1].

A negative consequence of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment include overeating and risk of obesity from increased ghrelin–which increases the feeling of hunger–and decreased leptin–which signals satiety (fullness) [1][5]. Additionally, cravings for sugary drinks and foods high in carbs and fat will increase, which can lead to inflammation of joints and the liver [1][5]. This change in food preference seems to be driven by cognitive control and has associations with the reward areas of the brain (ie, putamen, nucleus accumbens, insula, PFC, thalamus) [1].

Adverse consequences to metabolic health can occur when sleep quantity is reduced. For example, increased levels of ghrelin and cortisol are associated with decreased amounts of sleep. High levels of ghrelin can increase glucagon release, which increases blood sugar and can cause glucose intolerance, which can damage blood vessels and cause ED and/or diabetes. Furthermore, when ghrelin binds to reward-processing regions in the brain (eg, amygdala), the cholinergic-dopaminergic reward link gets activated, which leads to the desire to consume more food and/or alcohol, and a negative consequence is that this ghrelin binding in central reward centers can lead to food and/or alcohol addiction [9].

Cortisol is associated with energy usage and the fight-or-flight response [4]. Cortisol is usually released around dawn and triggers hepatic glucose from the liver to prepare the body for the waking day, and it is also released when there is physical or mental stress [4]. Cortisol is usually low near bedtime; however, it will be released once again if a person stays awake past bedtime. With repeated nights of staying up late, this second bout of cortisol release can increase an individual’s basal glucose level and lead to insulin resistance. Lingering levels of cortisol from unmanaged stress can also cause insulin resistance, which can lead to metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes [2]. Stress can also cause people to sleep less, which can then perpetuate an unhealthy cycle of overeating due to increased release of cortisol and ghrelin and decreased release of leptin [4]. Cortisol and ghrelin can be decreased with good quality sleep.

How to have good-quality sleep:

• Go to sleep and wake up at/around the same time daily, including weekends [1].
• Be physically active, especially during the day [1].
• Control light exposure to be around brighter light during the day and dimmer light at night for appropriate release of melatonin (the “darkness” hormone that helps you sleep) [1][8].
• Consume caffeine no less than 6 hours before bedtime [1].
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol near bedtime [1].
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol near bedtime as nicotine can shorten sleep duration and worsen insomnia and alcohol can disrupt the later stages of the sleep cycle [1].
• Seek professional treatment (eg, speak to a doctor, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)) [1][3][4].
• Avoid screen time at least an hour before bedtime as a decrease in blue light can increase sleep quality [1].

References

[1] Chaput, J.-P., McHill, A. W., Cox, R. C., Broussard, J. L., Dutil, C., da Costa, B. G., Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., & Wright, K. P. (2022). The role of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment in obesity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 19(2), 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00747-7

[2] Després, J.-P. (2018). The Reaven Syndrome: A tribute to a Giant. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14(6), 319–320. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0013-5

[3] Gunter, J. (2022, November 2). Do you really need 8 hours of sleep every night?: Body stuff with dr. Jen Gunter: Ted. YouTube. https://youtu.be/fQUeDdaVoWo?si=BDy9tmJKvstyIMOp

[4] Harvard Health Publishing. (2012, January 3). How stress can make us overeat. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/how-stress-can-make-us-overeat

[5] Walker, M. (2020a, September 2). A walk through the stages of sleep: Sleeping with science, a TED series. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eM2VWspRpfk?si=4ihdhXK0Ctx2L4dC

[6] Walker, M. (2020b, September 2). How much sleep do you really need?: Sleeping with Science, a TED series. YouTube. https://youtu.be/knJWF4km3y0?si=eLvv7jIwUiF-z677

[7] Walker, M. (2020c, September 2). How sleep affects your emotions: Sleeping with Science, a TED series. YouTube. https://youtu.be/6F8wFkScnME?si=VaZaTwfovvCnNx2S

[8] Walker, M. (2021, December 8). How sleep affects what — and how much — you eat: Sleeping with science. YouTube. https://youtu.be/r6pItuOoGxc?si=GcTd47rENZozrpTd

[9] Young, E. R., & Jialal, I. (2023, July 17). Biochemistry, ghrelin. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547692/