In last week’s article, I discussed how stress can affect hormones like cortisol, and how that can result in all sorts of imbalances in the brain and body, including inflammation, poor memory, fatigue, and immune dysfunction.
There are other lifestyle habits to consider, that can help to support stress management, lower levels of inflammation, and help keep hormones including cortisol and insulin more optimized.
Today I will be discussing sleep. It’s such an important habit that when practiced correctly, can help optimize so many aspects of wellness and well-being.
Sleep
So many of us don’t get enough or don’t get good quality sleep. It is recommended to get between 7-9 hours every night. Some people with chronic illness like an autoimmune disease appear to benefit more with 8-10 hours of sleep every night.
Do you get this much? We seem as a society, to be getting closer to 6-6.5 hours of sleep as an average, and some even less. Sarah Ballantyne, author of the Paleo approach, indicates that sleeping less than 6 hours a night increases risk of all-cause mortality by 12% (1). One research study found that “for every hour of sleep reduction, there was an 80% increase in obesity” (2). That’s a lot!
Not getting enough sleep affects our food cravings, particularly for sugary and starchy junk foods. When we are tired, we look for instant fuel, which refined sugar and starches provide. When sleep time is increased even by 1 hour, a different research study showed reduced energy intake, especially from sugar, when allowed to self-choose food types and amounts. (3).
Another study indicates that being awake for longer than 17 hours impairs your ability to think clearly as much as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05! (4). For these reasons and many others, it is important to get a good night’s sleep.
When you go to sleep, it is very important to sleep in a cool, dark room, and avoid bright lights and blue lights in the hours leading up to sleep. Lights can inhibit melatonin production in your brain. One study found that exposure to blue lights at night has a similar wakefulness effect as caffeine (5).
Unfortunately, our tablets and cellphones use blue lights. It is a good idea to put those away well before your own bedtime, and even better to keep them (and all electronics, including a television) out of your bedroom if you can help it.
If you have difficulty falling asleep, it may be helpful to consider the points I discussed on stress in part 1. Often when we are stressed, we can find it difficult to wind down and fall asleep. There may be other reasons, and this is not meant to replace professional advice from a medical practitioner. However, they can be good starting points.
To optimize your sleep, start by keeping lights around you dim for at least an hour or two before going to bed. Try avoiding electronic devices and screens before bed, and keep them out of the bedroom! All the stimulation of these devices is not helpful, even if you think falling asleep in front of the television is the only way to fall asleep.
If you feel like your mind isn’t winding down, start by trying the deep breathing exercise mentioned in part 1.
If you have a lot on your mind, try writing it all down, doing a “brain dump” before bed. Then tell yourself that all your concerns are down on paper, so you won’t forget them. You can then let go of your stressful thoughts for the night, and if you need to revisit them in the morning, they will be right there where you left them.
If you have a lot on your mind, try writing it all down, doing a “brain dump” before bed. Then tell yourself that all your concerns are down on paper, so you won’t forget them. You can then let go of your stressful thoughts for the night, and if you need to revisit them in the morning, they will be right there where you left them.
Try incorporating these concepts and tips into your sleep routine, and see if they improve your quality of sleep, or your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. I always say the first step to positive change is awareness. The more you can become aware of what you are doing presently, and the effects of subtle changes that you make in your habits, the better you will be able to transform your life the way you want it!
Good luck, and sweet dreams!
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References
- Ballantyne, S. Module 3: Negative Impacts of Lifestyle Habits. In AIP Certified Coach program. August 2017. Found http://aipcertified.com/training/?sc_ref=vZ5wUiqxH9yZlMos
- Karasu, S. The Long and the short of it: Sleep duration and health. Psychology today. December 21, 2017. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-gravity-weight/201712/the-long-and-the-short-it-sleep-duration-and-health
- Dawson, D. And K. Reid. Fatigue, alcohol and performance impairment. Nature. 388 (235), 1994. http://doi.org/10.1038/40775
- Haya K Al Khatib, Wendy L Hall, Alice Creedon, Emily Ooi, Tala Masri, Laura McGowan, Scott V Harding, Julia Darzi, Gerda K Pot; Sleep extension is a feasible lifestyle intervention in free-living adults who are habitually short sleepers: a potential strategy for decreasing intake of free sugars? A randomized controlled pilot study, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018, nqx030. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqx030
- Taillard J, Capelli A, Sagaspe P, Anund A, Akerstedt T, et al. In-Car Nocturnal Blue Light Exposure Improves Motorway Driving: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLOS ONE 7(10), 2012. e46750. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046750
