Today, I will write about sleep. Yes, we have an epidemic of sleeping disorders all over the world, including Malaysia. Most people, are not aware that sleep, is a very important piece of pillar for optimum health and wellness. It applies to fat loss, deceleration of aging, cognitive performance, repair and rejuvenation of physical body and cells, and of course, obesity and risks of chronic degenerative diseases. I've blogged earlier before about sleep, and I hope to write more about this particular topic in the near future.
Sleep is such an important part of your overall health that no amount of healthful food and exercise can counteract the ill effects of poor sleeping habits. Researchers have linked poor sleep to a number of health ailments, from short-term memory loss and behavioral problems, to weight gain and diabetes, for example.
Folks, can any of you tell me what is your regular sleeping time? I bet most of you hit the bed past 12am midnight. In my nutrition and personal training program, there are more then 80% of my clients who sleep past the midnight hour. Why is that? Some say, I can't sleep if it's too early. Some did mentioned, I have hard time tuning back my circadian rhythm. What went wrong? Our DNA, particularly our biological clock, since millions of years ago, recognized sunlight and darkness as the regulation of how our hormones including melatonin and cortisol should be produced.
A disrupted sleep cycle also adversely affects your body's production of melatonin, which is both a hormone and a potent antioxidant against cancer, thus raising your risk of breast cancer. Poor sleeping habits can also raise your levels of corticosterone, the stress hormone associated with road rage. Additionally, when your body is under stress, it releases hormones that increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Your muscles get tense, your digestive processes stop, and certain brain centers are triggered, which alter your brain chemistry. Left unchecked, this stress response can eventually lead to headaches, anxiety, and depression.
The most commonly reported sleep disorder is insomnia, having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or the inability to get quality sleep throughout the night.In order to get a good night's sleep, you want sleepiness level to be high, and the noise level to be low. More often than not, the reason why you can't fall asleep is NOT because you're not sleepy enough, but rather because you're subjected to excessive noise, which, again, can be either mind/body/environmental type noise, or a combination of either. Therefore, the FIRST thing you need to ask yourself when you can't sleep is "Where/What is the noise?"
Typically, people will find between three to six different factors that contribute to the noise burden keeping them awake. Therefore, don't give up if you've addressed the most obvious source of noise and still can't sleep. Keep looking! You need to really evaluate your environment and your inner and outer state to determine and address ALL the contributing factors.
Now, let me give you some tips on how to improve your sleep quality. I listed out quite a long list of things to do in my last SLEEP post. If you're in the habit of spending a lot of time in front of the TV or on the computer at night, you may want to reconsider, as these technologies can have a significantly detrimental impact on your sleep:
- TV and computer screens emit blue light, nearly identical to the light you’re exposed to outdoors during the day. This tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, thereby shutting down melatonin secretion. What happen then? Cortisol keeps producing and in long term, it shrink your adrenal glands. Bad news!
- Under normal circumstances, your brain starts secreting melatonin between 9 or 10 pm, which makes you sleepy. When this natural secretion cycle is disrupted, due to excessive light exposure after sunset, insomnia can ensue.They stimulate your brain, thereby preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV also disrupts your pineal gland function. These items also prevent you from getting high quality sleep if you fall asleep with them on. In fact, many teens are now getting “junk sleep” for this very reason.
Worries can take great toll not only on your ability to sleep, but it also creates a vicious cycle of stress. I might have mentioned before in my earlier post, but I would like to elaborate yet again, probably some new pointers. Two very important contributing factors that can make sleep elusive are:
Light - If your bedroom is not already pitch dark at night, I highly recommend installing blackout shades or thick drapes.Even the barely noticeable light from a streetlight, a full moon, or your neighbor‘s house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep. You want your bedroom as pitch black as possible. Alternatively, wear an eye mask to block out light, but this is a poor second best option. Also hide your clock, so that its glow won’t disturb you. Ideally, you’ll want to avoid using electronic clocks in your bedroom, as they emit not just light, but also electromagnetic radiation, which can also disrupt your sleep. In fact, electric clocks have a very high magnetic field, as much as 5 to 10 mG up to three feet away. If you are using an electric bedside clock, you could be sleeping in an EMF equivalent to that of a powerline. Also avoid electric blankets for this same reason.
Temperature - Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 21-22 degrees. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, as low as 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler than 16-18 degrees or hotter than 23 degrees can lead to restless sleep. This is because when you sleep, your body's internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body's natural temperature drop. For an additional boost, try taking a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. This increases your core body temperature, and when you get out of the bath it abruptly drops, signaling your body that you are ready for sleep.
Last but not least, you can also consider taking a melatonin supplement, which will help boost sleepiness. It likely will not be enough to counteract or override excessive “noise” however, so do make every effort at addressing the various forms of noise, as discussed above. Ideally, it is best to increase your melatonin levels naturally, by exposing yourself to bright sunlight in the daytime and complete darkness at night.
Doing this regularly will promote proper functioning of your natural circadian rhythm, which is essential for a proper sleep cycle. However, if that isn't possible, you can consider a melatonin supplement. It's is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep. But unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find melatonin supplement in Malaysia. And what do most people who suffer from sleeping disorder go for? Yes, sleeping pill. Folks, this substance will be the last thing you need.
In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue. Till, then, I gotta run.
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