{"id":1095,"date":"2017-08-08T08:25:47","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T08:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metamed.co.nz\/?p=1095"},"modified":"2020-02-26T07:53:11","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T07:53:11","slug":"how-to-sleep-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metamed.co.nz\/how-to-sleep-better\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Sleep Better – Secrets To A Good Night’s Rest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Don't you just love the feeling of your head hitting the pillow, relaxing, closing your eyes and having a rejuvenating 8-10 hours of sleep so that you feel strong, healthy and full of energy to enjoy your day? For some, this may just be a dream. Going to bed can be irritating because you know that you'll have a restless night with thoughts of work racing through your mind, only to force yourself to get out of bed right when you feel like you could go to sleep to the sound of an alarm clock and a foggy head… reaching for your first of 8 cups of coffee for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you were to live to 75 years old you would have spent an average of 25 years asleep or 9000 + hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being busy and not having enough time is a common complaint. Why sleep when you can be up late and be productive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Circadian Rhythms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Humans have intricate bodies and physiology that innately know what to do. We have what is called a circadian rhythm that determines when we sleep and when we eat, body temperature, blood sugar levels, cell repair and much more. This is governed by the natural fluctuation of hormones particularly cortisol and melatonin and is heavily influenced by our lifestyle and external factors such as sunlight and temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melatonin is our sleep hormone and is manufactured in the pineal gland in the brain. Its levels tend to increase when the sun goes down peaking at around 9-10 pm. It's usually when a wave of tiredness hits us drawing us to the comfort of our bed. Levels of this hormone stay in your system generally until the sun comes up and light enters your room. Sunlight and the blue light in particular from the sun's rays break down melatonin. During the day melatonin is generally not detectable in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cortisol<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melatonin's opposite is cortisol. This hormone is produced by the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys. Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress hormone' when the body creates it in excess. We all need some cortisol. At normal levels, it is healthy and necessary. In relation to our circadian rhythm, it helps us stay awake and alert. Cortisol levels start to rise early morning as melatonin drops causing you to wake. It peaks around 8 am and you are generally at your best cognitive function around 10 am. Levels slowly decline throughout the day with cortisol levels lowest at around 3 am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are the benefits of sleep?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hopefully, you can remember a time when you had ‘the best night's sleep' where you slept like a log through the whole night and woke in the morning naturally, energised and ready to go into the day ahead. A great night's sleep doesn't just make you look good it's essential for a healthy body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Repair: sleep is when our body repairs from any minor traumas, deals with inflammation and viruses and restores cells<\/li>
Mood: more emotional stability, fewer tears, grumpiness, impatience and mood swings<\/li>
Memory: cortisol plays a role in memory formation so having these levels fluctuate at the right time is important<\/li>
Control inflammation: chronic inflammation is associated with a higher rate of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and premature ageing<\/li>
Increased productivity: cortisol levels peak at 10 am meaning this is when you function the best. A good nights sleep also helps your learning capacity and ability to meet deadlines<\/li>
Weight: remember the circadian rhythm helps us decide when to eat and sleep. If you are sleep deprived your hunger signals may be out of whack causing you to eat more and lack of energy can lead you to make poor food choices<\/li>
Stress: as above having a good nights sleep helps modulate certain hormones, helping us to balance emotional responses including stress and anxiety levels<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
So you realise that you're not really functioning at your optimum. You're stressed, you feel tired, forgetful and moody. I suggest you try to get your sleep hygiene dialled in for starters. You have to sleep every day and now you know how important it is it's a good thing to learn how to do it well. Let me introduce you to sleep hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Sleep Hygiene Tips – how to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sleep hygiene involves practices and routines to help you achieve a good night's sleep and an energy-charged day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The amount of sleep required varies from children to the elderly. We'll focus on the general adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bedroom is for sleep and sex<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nothing else. Make sure your room is neat and tidy and a place you want to retire for the night. No distractions like the TV, your phone, or reading material. Turn WiFI off and keep your phone out of your room at night. If you use it for an alarm, buy an alarm clock. Your sleep environment is one of the most important factors in getting good healthy sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pick a regular time to go to sleep. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Usually anytime between 9 and 10 pm is good as melatonin, the ‘sleepy hormone', peaks at this time. If you have trouble sleeping, try to pick this hour for maximum sleep quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1 hour before bed<\/strong> avoid stimulating activities and electronics such as TV, using your phone, or social media on your laptop. The blue light emitted from these devices is much like the bright light in sunlight. This breaks down melatonin keeping you awake. Create a wind-down routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a partner this is a good time to reconnect, have a chat about your day- try not to get into any arguments at this time, if you do resolve it before you go to bed.<\/li>
You could read a book (paper) or journal about your day to get things off your mind or do some gentle STRETCHES.<\/li>
Drink a warm cup of herbal tea to help induce relaxation. Great herbs to look out for in blends are chamomile, skullcap and hops.<\/li>
Essential oils such as lavender are well known to help relax the mind and induce peaceful sleep. Rub a little on your temples, add to a diffuser if you have one or add a couple of drops to a soft cloth and lay it next to your pillow.<\/li>
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