A Good Night’s Sleep
It hardly needs to be pointed out that sleep plays a significant role in our lives. On average 24 of our years are take up by it, the question is why so long, and what do we get out of it. If we don’t sleep as needed, does it really make a difference, and what are some key points to maximising the quality of sleep we get?
THE PURPOSE OF SLEEP
Sleep is comprised of 4 stages which we cycle through about 5 times per night. Stage 1 lasts the first 5-10 minutes and is primarily preparation for the next. Stage 2 lasts 45-50 minutes during which breathing rate and body temperature drops, reducing the load on the heart, along with overall reduced neural activity. Deep sleep is phase 3 and lasts around 20 minutes. The parasympathetic nervous system is especially active and is responsible for the significant regeneration that occurs now. Muscle building increases, but brain waves are slower. Hormonal changes supporting growth and repair, along with waste production activity increases, detoxifying and cleansing your body. It is hardest in this phase to wake someone, and is also the sleep walking phase. Phase 4 is Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep lasting about 20 minutes. Brain activity is high and the eyes move quickly under the eyelids. You are most likely to dream during REM sleep.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SLEEP?
The general consensus is around 6-8 hours. Research that looks into the cognitive effects of varying hours indicates that too much or too little are both problematic. One research(1)= showed that 6 hours of sleep had the same cognitive effects as a blood alcohol of 0,1%. With 4 hours sleep, the research participants mostly fell asleep during the tests. Sleeping too much although not affecting brain activity, increased the chance of headaches, increased blood pressure, hormone level changes, increased risk of diabetes and fibromyalgia, obesity and the behavioural changes associated with chronic tiredness. One study(2) indicated that the risk of stroke is double for older adults who persistently sleep longer than 8 hours, and up to four times if your sleep time gradually lengthens as you age.
QUALITY SLEEP IS VITAL
A few simple rituals will assist in your sleep quality
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The less variation the better for your body clock, this includes weekends.
Don’t eat too much or too close to bed-time, and avoid stimulants.
A cool dark room is preferred (16-18 deg)
Use earplugs or eye shades if necessary
Limit day naps to 30 minutes maximum
Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime
Increasingly problematic is reading from lit screens; iPads and e-readers primarily. New research(3) is showing links between the blue light emitted, and disruption to the circadian rhythm, melatonin suppression and increased alertness. All of which are detrimental to good sleep. Reading a normal book by comparison is okay.
MATTRESS SELECTION
One of the most common question is if a mattress should be hard or soft. It’s the wrong question, a mattress should be supportive, and this is dependent on the size and proportions of your body, your preferred sleep position, and any special needs due to injury etc. In this regard there is no perfect mattress, but to illustrate the point, the following picture shows the pressure map of someone lying on a firm mattress and the pressure points generated (left)
A firm mattress, many red high pressure points
A supportive latex mattress, no high pressure points
On the right is with a thick latex mattress, which creates very few pressure points. Pressure spots will compress arteries and reduce blood flow. Your body will respond to this during the night by causing you to turn frequently to restore blood flow. with only a little pressure, your blood capillaries are compressed and reduce blood supply, which can occur if your mattress is too hard. As the blood supply is reduced, your body will respond with constant tossing and turning as your body attempts to keep blood flowing. Latex is a natural resource as a mattress is a very good option to consider.
PILLOW SELECTION
The main importance here is a pillow height that matches your body proportions, sleep position and mattress firmness. The closer your spine is to neutral when sleeping, the less irritating that will be. We recommend trying the ‘Mediflow’(4) pillow. A chiropractic product from the USA, and one that we use ourselves, and find generates a high degree of satisfaction.
DUST MITES
Whether you have allergies or not, and whether you like it or you’re your house will be home to millions of these bugs. They feed off dead skin cells, and enjoy temperatures of 24-26 degrees, and humidity more than 50% to do this. So your pillow and mattress are perfect breeding grounds for them. For a hygienic sleep we highly recommend natural fibre pillow and mattress protectors to minimise their growth. Air your bed and pillows daily, wash pillows if practical (ca. 60deg) &/or change them every two years.
REFERENCES:
Williamson, A. & Fever,. A.. Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. Occup Environ Med. 2000 Oct; 57(10): 649–655.
Oluwaseun Akinseye, M.D., resident, internal medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City; Amy Tai, M.D., clinical assistant professor, neurology and neurological sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.; May 15, 2015, presentation, American Society of Hypertension annual meeting, New York City.
Light-Emitting E-Readers Before Bedtime Can Adversely Impact Sleep. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on December 22, 2014
www.mediflow-wasserkissen.de