WHY WE SLEEP? Sleep well, benefits and cons.

Why is it so important to get a good night’s sleep? Does it really have so many benefits?

That thing we call sleep… a good night’s sleep can make us smarter, more attractive, thinner, happier, healthier and even prevent cancer. A restful sleep cycle can even add years to your life, so address any issues you have with sleep…you can get your sleep back!

Remember the last time you woke up without an alarm clock feeling refreshed, without needing to drink 2 coffees? If the answer to either of these questions is “no”, you are not alone. Two-thirds of adults in all developed nations fail to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep at night. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an epidemic of sleep loss in industrialized nations. Even with my own small research of our clients, at least half of you complain of sleep interruptions. That is why it is very important to sleep well and benefit from it.

The failure of science, we do not know how to explain why sleeping well is so important

Society’s apathy toward sleep has been caused, in part, by the historical failure of science to explain why we need it. Don’t worry too much about the lack of explanation from science, but rest assured that your body is INTELLIGENT, and knows what it is doing. The body wants and needs sleep, so rely on that basic need.

Lose good sleep habits, and your immune system will be weaker, Alzheimer’s disease, the desire to eat more due to hormonal imbalances and most major psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety and emotional irrationality. The less sleep you get, the shorter its life will be. If you have lost control of your sleep rhythm, the good news is that you can get it back, with some discipline to break bad habits. Some things help you sleep, while others are detrimental…

Smart phones – there is a dark side to modern light and it’s keeping you awake. A great antidote to this is, of course, to avoid using them one hour before bedtime, but this is not always possible. I suggest getting blue light filter glasses that block blue light and stop the disruption of melatonin (a key sleep hormone). For PC a very good program is “f.lux”.

Drinking alcohol at night: it may help you fall asleep……. but it does not facilitate a deep sleep, and therefore affect our rest. Your body’s biochemistry quickly adopts habit-forming patterns and “wants” alcohol if you do it habitually. Take a hot shower or bath before going to sleep: a hot bath initiates the body’s internal cooling mechanism, which is ideal for sleep because the body cools down when sleeping.
This is a statement I have heard often throughout my life. Why put so much effort into your life? Nature has perfect rhythms and, since your body is not separate from nature, it is a beneficial rule of thumb to adopt the rhythm of nature. Nature has a 24-hour circadian rhythm… and so do you.

You can’t “catch up on sleep”. A camel can go for days without drinking water because it stores water differently from humans. But no animal can go without sleep and we certainly don’t build up sleep reserves… Sleep is not just like charging your iPhone. So many repairs, regenerations and cleanings happen while you sleep. This is also why your urine is darker in the morning, it is toxins that are released during sleep. In addition, your brain is still active when you sleep and scientists now say that much of what you have learned during the day is processed at night.

BENEFITS OF BETTER SLEEP

Increases creativity

When the brain is rested and hormone production is balanced, memory functions perfectly. That makes the imagination more powerful and us more creative.

Helps to lose weight

Lack of sleep causes adipocytes (fat cells) to release less leptin, the appetite-suppressing hormone. Insomnia also causes the stomach to release more ghrelin (the appetite hormone). Both of these actions lead to the association of poor sleep with obesity.

Makes you healthier

Our immune system uses sleep time to regenerate itself, which allows it to fight effectively against toxins and germs that continually threaten us. With a weak immune system we are much less likely to successfully overcome infections.

Improves memory

Sleep strengthens neuronal connections. During the REM sleep phase, the hippocampus, the hard disk of our memory, is restored, transforming short-term memory into long-term memory. The University of Hafi (Israel) has corroborated this with the results of a study that states that a 60-minute mid-afternoon nap helps to fix memories.

Protects the heart

A recent study published in the European Heart Journal states that insomniacs are three times more likely to suffer heart failure than those who sleep soundly. Insomnia increases blood levels of stress hormones, which increases blood pressure and heart rate. Other studies also link insomnia to higher cholesterol.

Reduces depression

When we sleep, the body relaxes and this facilitates the production of melanin and serotonin. These hormones counteract the effects of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and help us to be happier and emotionally stronger. Lack of sleep causes, on the contrary, an increased and sustained release of stress hormones.

TIPS TO HELP YOU SLEEP

1) Get your bedroom right.
Give attention to the atmosphere of your bedroom. Science tells us that we should sleep in a dark room at about 18°C; the temperature in which you sleep is one of the most important determinants of the quality of your sleep. Use dim lighting before going to bed and place your electronic devices in another room. “But my alarm is on my phone,” I hear you respond. Buy another alarm clock.

2) Avoid caffeine ☕ in the afternoon or evening.

Caffeine has a half-life of 12 hours, making it naturally more difficult to fall asleep. And for those who can sleep 10 minutes after a double espresso, you may fall asleep, but you will NOT enter the deep sleep phase, even if you stay asleep all night.

3) Set a sleep routine.Let’s get a good night’s rest, Dr. Glenn (Chiropractor 20 years)
Your body’s circadian rhythm establishes a regular routine for your body and you should adhere to that during your sleep. Try to go to bed at the same time each day.

Let’s get a good night’s rest, Dr. Glenn (Chiropractor 20 years)

If you want to learn more about healthy habits we recommend this post:

HEALTHY HABITS WE CHOOSE NOT TO FOLLOW

IMPROVING SLEEP IMPROVES MEN’S HEALTHTAL (ENGLISH)