Why is Sleep Important & How to Improve It

Sleep is very important to our health. This is the time when our body can recover and repair itself. Sleep affects how we react both physically and mentally the following day. It affect how our immune systems fight off sicknesses and even affects our metabolism. During sleep, our brains create pathways that establish memories. Our body clears toxins that have built up throughout the day, sort of like housekeeping. Chronic lack of sleep can prevent these protective processes from occurring which can lead to heart problems, immune system problems and even depression.

Stages of Sleep

Stage 1:

This non-REM stage lasts a few minutes. During this stage heart rate and breathing begin to slow. Muscles begin to relax.

Stage 2:

This non-REM stage is a light sleep where body temperature begins to drop and eye movement stops. Most of your sleep cycles throughout the night are in this stage.

Stage 3:

This non-REM stage is a deep sleep where your heart rate and breathing are at the lowest rates of the night. You may be hard to waken during this stage. This deep sleep occurs more throughout the first part of your night and is necessary to feel rested the following morning.

Stage 4:

This REM stage is where most of your dreams occur. It first occurs after you have been asleep for around and hour and a half. Your heart rate and breathing increases and eye movement increases under your eyelids. However, your arms and legs are kept from moving so that you are not acting out your dreams.

You will cycle through these stages several times throughout the night.

How much sleep do you need?

The amount of sleep that your body needs varies as we age. Babies and young children can sleep 16-18 hours a day which aids in their growth. As children age to adolescent and teen years they may sleep 8-9 hours. However, most adults need 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night for their body to recover and repair itself. These times may vary and you will know the amount of sleep you need based on how you feel.

As we age the amount of melatonin, the sleep hormone that our body produces begins to lower causing us to awaken earlier and more frequently throughout the night. There are several practices that you can do that can help to boost our melatonin production and aid in a restful night of sleep. Exposure to natural light first thing in the morning will halt the production of melatonin and help with our circadian rhythms. Natural light throughout the day will help as well. As we get closer to evening our exposure to light should be limited. One and a half to two hours before our bedtime we should dim lights and limit our exposure to screens. Light at this time of night can delay our melatonin production making it harder to fall asleep and lessen our sleep quality.

Tips for Good Sleep Hygiene

Have the same bedtime and wake time every day even on weekends
Have a routine to unwind in the evening. Avoid screens for at least 1 hour before bedtime. Read a book, listen to soft music, or meditate.
Take a hot bath to relax.
Do a relaxing yoga practice or stretch to relax your muscles.
Make sure that your bedroom is dark and cool.
Make a list of what is weighing on your mind or “brain dump” so that you can let it go and relax
Exercise throughout the day but not too close to bedtime or this could inhibit quality sleep.
Avoid caffeine after lunch in order to give your body time to process it
Don’t eat heavy meals late at night. It is best to eat at least 3 hours before bed but a light snack can be useful if you are hungry so that you are not focused on hunger when trying to sleep.
If needing a snack before bed some options are Greek yogurt with honey, a small handful of nuts and seeds, an apple with nut butter, kiwi, and crackers with cheese.

Sleep is necessary for our health and a practice that we should hold to the utmost importance. Lack of quality sleep not only leaves us feeling tired and sluggish the next day but can cause many chronic conditions that could be prevented by following a few simple steps.

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.“

-Irish Proverb