We spend about a third of our lives sleeping. It is therefore not surprising that sleep has a huge impact on our lives, our well-being and also our physical results. In this article we look at why and how we sleep, what the effects of (too little) sleep are and how we can optimize sleep.
Why do we sleep?
For us, sleep is mysterious, we do not yet know exactly why we sleep and what happens during our sleep. Nevertheless, in recent years we have gained more and more insight into our brain and the phenomenon of sleep, giving us an idea of the usefulness of sleep. We now know for sure that sleep is necessary for physical recovery of our tissues and cells in the body and the maintenance of energy. Sleep is also required for mental recovery: it makes it possible to process events, store memories and learn. We have recently discovered that the brain cleans itself during our sleep by removing toxic waste products.
How do we sleep?
During sleep research, EEG equipment is used to look at what happens to the brain during sleep. Based on this, it is clear that after falling asleep, the brain waves show a repetitive cycle of varying activity. Such a cycle is also called a “sleep cycle”. One sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 100 minutes. Most people go through a sleep cycle four to six times during the course of an average night. Each sleep cycle consists of four phases: REM sleep, N1 (non-REM stage 1), N2 (non-REM stage 2) and N3 (non-REM stage 3). A distinction is made between REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. During REM sleep we make a lot of eye movements and there is a higher heart rate, blood pressure and accelerated breathing. REM sleep is also called light sleep. In REM sleep we dream and there is a lot of brain activity. REM sleep also contributes to the formation of memories. We have more deep sleep at the beginning of the night and more REM sleep at the end of a night. REM sleep does occur in every sleep phase. During non-REM sleep, memories and brain connections are deleted. During our REM sleep, new connections are made and memories of that day are stored and connected with others. During zone REM sleep there is a complete loss of muscle tone, so we can dream safely. The cortex closes off the motor part. This does not work well in people who sleepwalk, causing the motor part to remain active during REM sleep, resulting in sleepwalking, among other things. REM sleep is the only time of the day when no adrenaline can enter the brain.
The effects of too little sleep
Poor or disturbed sleep has a negative impact on health in both the short term and the long term. In the short term, poor sleep can lead to concentration and memory problems. In addition, poor sleep leads to a dysregulation of the hunger and satiety hormones (ghrelin and leptin), which increases appetite. At the same time, willpower/impulse control decreases, making it more likely to eat and drink more (energy-, fat- and sugar-rich) during the day. The production of the hormone cortisol increases, which reduces overall well-being and resistance. People become more susceptible to stress and depression. The production of another hormone, testosterone (the male sex hormone), may decrease. Consequences can be: less desire to have sex, infertility, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, reduced muscle mass and lethargy.
In the long term, poor sleep has a negative impact on the immune system and leads to an increased risk of anxiety and depression, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and dementia, among other things.
In addition, it is important to understand the principle of accumulating and paying off sleep debt. When we sleep too little, this accumulates. If you sleep one hour too little every night for a week, you will have a sleep debt of seven hours within a week. To tackle the negative effects of this sleep debt, this sleep will have to be caught up. Based on this fact, you can imagine that a large sleep debt can easily arise and be difficult to catch up on. All the more reason to get enough sleep and manage sleep well so as not to build up a sleep debt.
Sleep management
At this point it is clear that sleep should be given the highest priority within a (personal training) program. There are a number of practical interventions that we can apply to improve and optimize sleep:
– Consistency and regularity: go to sleep at approximately the same time every day, with a maximum of 1 hour of leeway (see section 1.3 for further explanation)
– Ensure as much light exposure as possible during the day (see section 1.3 for further explanation)
– Avoid naps (“power naps”) during the day
– Remove display of time from the bedroom
– Avoid bright and blue light in the evening (by using adjustable lamps and apps that filter blue light on your phone and computer such as F.lux)
– Limit drinking fluids in the hours before you go to sleep to avoid nighttime awakenings due to a full bladder (and having to fall asleep again)
– Avoid consuming caffeine from approximately 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM and limit your total caffeine intake. Caffeine has a half-life of six hours and disrupts the production of hormones that regulate our sleep processes
– Ensure an optimal temperature in the bedroom, which is neither too hot nor too cold: approximately eighteen to nineteen degrees
– Provide a dark room; so dark you can't see the pillow.
– Combat any noise pollution by using earplugs
– A warm shower before going to sleep helps you relax and fall asleep at night
– Meditation can help you decrease activity and relax more, making it easier to fall asleep
– Exercise significantly improves our sleep quality.
In summary, developing an effective, relaxing routine based on a combination of the above practical interventions can make a positive contribution to the sleep duration and sleep quality of people with sleep problems. A combined intervention that involves optimizing the bedroom, exercising and meditating, and limiting caffeine and bright light can turn someone with sleep problems into a good sleeper. The cliché that the only thing that works (in the long term) is an overall healthy lifestyle with healthy habits also applies to optimal sleep.
Roel Bors
Manager Quality & Training Enforce International BV
roel@enforce.nl
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