{"id":4149,"date":"2020-09-23T15:35:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T19:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/?p=4149"},"modified":"2020-09-23T16:40:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-23T20:40:01","slug":"september-2020-sleep-your-way-to-improved-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/september-2020-sleep-your-way-to-improved-health\/","title":{"rendered":"September 2020: Sleep Your Way to Improved Health!"},"content":{"rendered":"

It can be absurd to think that at your most\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>productive state, your body is paralyzed. This is the exact\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>mechanism in of one the stages of the sleep cycle, Rapid\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Eye Movement (REM) sleep. With sleep being one of the\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>most vital functions of the body, it is no wonder health\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>professionals emphasize the importance of a good night\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>rest. Habitual quality sleep is linked to a multitude of\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>benefits including reduced stress\/cortisol levels, desirable\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>hormonal profiles, increased mood, stable blood sugar,\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>improved cognition, and is used as a preventative\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>measure for many diseases. In addition, sleepless nights\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>have a cyclical effect on certain psychological disorders\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>such as anxiety \u2013 anxiety prevents sleep, then in turn, sleep worsens anxiety symptoms \u2013 a\u00a0 distressing cycle to get locked in. Moreover, quality sleep has been linked to memory\u00a0 consolidation. This term refers to stabilizing a short-term memory by converting it to a long lasting memory via several activities occurring at the local synaptic level. These molecular\u00a0 processes take place during rest, resulting in increased memory recall, and other cognitive\u00a0 improvements. In one study, participants were required to perform three different asks: a visual\u00a0 discrimination test, a motor sequence test, and a motor adaption test. The results showed that\u00a0 increase in overnight performance on these tests relates to amount of sleep, especially in certain\u00a0 stages of sleep. In addition, participants performed better on the tasks after a night of rest\u00a0 compared to being awake for an equivalent time. Unfortunately, over 30% of Canadians are\u00a0 suffering the consequences of various sleep disorders. So, lets understand the mechanisms\u00a0 behind sleep, and use this information to improve our own sleep!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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As we wind down for the night, there is an increase in activity of sleep-promoting\u00a0 neurons in the brain while neurotransmitters that promote arousal are dampened. An important\u00a0 neurotransmitter for muscle relaxation, sedation, sleep, anxiety and ADHD reduction is GABA.\u00a0 There are many neurotransmitters and hormones that regulate sleep (acetylcholine, cortisol,\u00a0<\/span>serotonin, dopamine, etc.), thus a disruption in any of them can quickly impact our rest. Alcohol\u00a0 and drugs interfere with these neurotransmitters; therefore, it is usually recommended to avoid\u00a0 the use of them if you are experiencing sleep loss. Drugs classified under \u201cUppers\u201d and\u00a0 stimulants (caffeine) are the main ones to avoid as they begin to excite the brain, disrupting the\u00a0 role of GABA and sleep-inducing neurons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Furthermore, the body has internal cues that regulate your sleep requirements. The first\u00a0 mechanism is the Circadian rhythm which is referred to as a \u201cbiological clock\u201d. The Circadian\u00a0 Rhythm overlooks body temperature, hormones, metabolism, sleep, etc. It adjusts your sleep wake cycle based on environmental cues, such as exposure to light, temperature, stress,\u00a0 hormones, medications, etc. The other mechanism is referred to as Sleep-Wake Homeostasis.\u00a0 This system controls intensity of sleep and induces exhaustion the more hours of sleep\u00a0 deprivation go by. This process can be disrupted by certain medical conditions, stress,\u00a0 medications, light exposure, diet\/exercise, etc.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Understanding the body\u2019s response to sleep can help us adjust our environment to one\u00a0 that favors quality sleep – typically referred to as \u201cSleep Hygiene.\u201d Sleep Hygiene begins with\u00a0 creating a routine to promote restfulness. In this routine, there should be a fixed wake up time,\u00a0 and bedtime in order to adjust the body\u2019s internal clock. In addition, unwinding 30 minutes to 1\u00a0 hour before bed without electronics, work, or worrying thoughts can alleviate anxiety and stress\u00a0 \u2013 the main culprits of disordered sleep. Reducing electronic use before bedtime is vital because\u00a0 electronics transmit blue light \u2013 a type of light that the body interprets as daylight, causing the\u00a0 systems in the body to inhibit relaxation. Furthermore, meditation or gentle exercise (yoga, a\u00a0 brisk walk) can also diminish ruminating thoughts while promoting relaxation. With the increase\u00a0 in technology, we always seem to be distracted. Whether we are in the car with a radio, at home\u00a0 with the TV, or even in the bathroom with our phones! Some specialists suggest that the lack of\u00a0 alone time with our thoughts can show up in our sleep patterns. Bedtime becomes the only time\u00a0 our mind is not being pumped with external information, and so our brain starts to process our\u00a0 day, feelings, stress, and everything else all at once. These thoughts can become stressful,\u00a0 overwhelming, or just distracting to our sleep. An alternative solution to this issue is to slow\u00a0 down during the day and processes your thoughts. This can be in the form of meditation,\u00a0 exercise, alone time, and even therapy. Other factors such as diet nourish the body and provide\u00a0<\/span>important vitamins and minerals for a healthy body and mind. Additionally, caffeine should be\u00a0 avoided minimum 4 hours before bed as it is a stimulant. There are many approaches to sleep\u00a0 hygiene, but the most important tip is to tailor it to your lifestyle. It should be a simple routine\u00a0 that is creating relaxation rather than anxiety \u2013 try to gradually build to a suitable routine as to\u00a0 not overwhelm yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Constant sleepless nights have an adverse effect on health. It can lead to hormonal\u00a0 imbalances, low mood, reduced cognition, and is linked to degenerative diseases such as\u00a0 Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s. In fact, it is observed that after daylight savings (less sleep) there\u00a0 is a 6% increase in fatal car accidents. The importance of a good night\u2019s rest cannot be debated;\u00a0 thus, it is important that we try to optimize our sleep. This can be done through sleep hygiene,\u00a0 doctor consultations, medications, etc. Society must forget the tale that successful people do not\u00a0 sleep because it is sleep itself that increases our productivity. So, lets sleep our way to success!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Written by Tahmina Sadat, published on September 22, 2020<\/p>\n

References\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Fritz, J., Vopham, T., Wright, K. P., & Vetter, C. (2020). A Chronobiological Evaluation of the\u00a0 Acute Effects of Daylight Saving Time on Traffic Accident Risk. <\/span>Current Biology, 30<\/span>(4).\u00a0 doi:10.1016\/j.cub.2019.12.045\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n
Walker, M. P., & Stickgold, R. (2004). Sleep-Dependent Learning and Memory Consolidation.\u00a0 <\/span>Neuron, 44<\/span>(1), 121-133. doi:10.1016\/j.neuron.2004.08.031\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n
Stickgold, R. (2005). Sleep-dependent memory consolidation. <\/span>Nature, 437<\/span>(7063), 1272-1278.\u00a0 doi:10.1038\/nature04286\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n
Sleep congress shines light on women’s struggle with insomnia | CBC News. (2019, September\u00a0 22). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/british-columbia\/insomnia-women world-sleep-congress-1.5290738<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It can be absurd to think that at your most\u00a0\u00a0productive state, your body is paralyzed. This is the exact\u00a0\u00a0mechanism in of one the stages of the sleep cycle, Rapid\u00a0\u00a0Eye… Continue Reading September 2020: Sleep Your Way to Improved Health!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[90],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4149"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4149"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4156,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4149\/revisions\/4156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/community\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}