BETTER SLEEP

Summary: Achieving consistent good nights' rest is vital for overall well-being, with the recommended amount being 8 hours per day. Many underestimate the negative impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive function and safety, such as the risk of micro-sleep episodes while driving. The concept of "normal" sleep can be misleading, as sleep debt accumulates over time, impairing performance. Unlike financial debt, sleep debt cannot be fully compensated by sleeping extra on weekends. Restoring a regular sleep pattern is crucial for reversing these effects and reaping the numerous benefits of quality sleep. The buildup of sleep pressure throughout the day, driven by adenosine levels in the brain, underscores the importance of prioritizing sufficient sleep to maintain alertness and overall health.

Stages Of Sleep

• Non REM Sleep serves your brain and body by strengthening and consolidating the information you learned during the day

• Deep Non REM Sleep acts to regulate your nervous system, by slowing down your cardio vascular system; bringing you back into your parasympathetic system.

• REM Sleep acts as a nocturnal soothing balm to the stressors of the previous day, hence the phrase “just sleep it off.”

  Diet and Sleep

  Individuals who get less than six hours of sleep tend to lose weight from lean muscle mass rather than fat. A study by Matthew Walker and colleagues found that sleep deprivation can alter the brain's amygdala and prefrontal cortex response system. The amygdala, which regulates emotions, and the prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive decision-making, were affected in healthy individuals experiencing sleep deprivation. The study revealed that the prefrontal cortex was impaired while the amygdala was overactive, leading to decreased impulse control and increased unhealthy eating habits.

  Eat Right to Sleep Better

  - foods high in sugar and low in fiber are bad for your sleep

  - sugary foods increase your body temperature and metabolic rate

  - Stop eating 3 hrs before bed.

• Matthew Walker is professor of neuroscience and psychology at the university of California, Berkeley. He suggests that rather than taking a nap when your tired, try to manage your day with a bit more compassion and just go to bed at your normal bed time the following night due to napping prematurely flushes out adenosine. The goal is to optimize sleep at night, but if you are like me and love a good nap here are some key things to consider if you take a nap.

How To Nap

• Take your nap as preemptive measure instead of a reactive response

• Start your nap no later than 3 pm

• Keep your nap time below 20 minutes

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/what-is-sleep-debt

https://www.nmt.edu/cds/How_Drunk_Are_You_Without_Sleep.pdf

https://www.masterclass.com/classes/matthew-walker-teaches-the-science-of-better-sleep

https://medicine.yale.edu/internal-medicine/pulmonary/news/national-sleep-week/good-sleep-recipe/#:~:text=During%20sleep%2C%20adenosine%20is%20recycled,to%20fall%20asleep%20at%20bedtime.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lack-sleep-disrupts-brains-emotional-controls