Sleep – Part 1 – One of our most important daily habits.

Sleep - Part 1 - The INFO

What if there was one single thing you can do that will help you:

Regulate reproductive hormones
Increase your libido (21)
Improve your overall health
Lift your moods and mental health
Improve performance and productivity
Boost concentration and memory
Lift your moods and mental health
Get over infections more quickly

Would you prioritize it?

What is this one single thing that deeply impacts your brain and body, both in the short- and long-term?

It’s simple: sleep.

Would you be shocked to know some researchers say that “good sleep guarantees wellbeing and mental health”?(1)

Why is sleep so very important? What is sleep and how do we do it? How much is “enough quality sleep”? How does it do these amazing things for health and wellness? And, most importantly, how can you get better sleep? Make sure to read part 2 of this blog series to find out how.

For answers to all these questions and how getting adequate QUALITY sleep impacts your health, read on.

Looking for the Sleep Workshop video instead? Click here: Sleep Workshop

Why is sleep important?

Sleep is intimately linked to your health and wellness. Getting enough quality sleep boosts your health in so many ways, which we’ll talk about. And, it’s a two-way street. The quality and amount of sleep you get is affected by your health, as you might have noticed how hard it can be to get a good night’s rest when you’re in pain or struggling with a cold.

FUN FACT: There’s a growing body of evidence that sleep is integral to health. In fact, science shows that getting enough quality sleep may prevent and improve several diseases.

Not getting enough quality sleep (more on this below) can be a huge factor when it comes to deteriorating physical and mental health, economic issues, and even death.(1) It increases your risk of developing and worsening several serious conditions, including:

Worsening of PCOS related health impacts: depression, increased insulin resistance, obesity, cardiovascular diseases (23)
Worsening of Endometriosis symptoms (24)
Moods and mental health issues
Autoimmune conditions
Heart disease
Metabolic issues like diabetes and impacts such as weight gain, weight loss and stress hormones
Neurodegenerative diseases
Performance and productivity

Yes, sleep truly is a panacea for everything.

In fact, sleep researchers encourage clinicians to educate patients about sleep hygiene and good sleep habits because of its proven benefits for diseases.(2) (I’ve included 18 tips to help you with this in part 2!)

Let’s talk about some of these health effects.

But first…

What is sleep and why do we do it?

From the outside, sleep looks like a pretty passive activity. But, even though you’re not conscious and are not fully aware of many things going on around you (e.g., noises), both your brain and body are active while you sleep.(2)

Sleep is regulated by two processes that create your personal biorhythm.(A) The first one—your sleep-wake process—regulates how you sleep, and the second—your circadian process (or rhythm)—regulates when you sleep.

There are four stages of sleep:

Stage 1 – The stage between wakefulness and sleep
Stage 2 – Light sleep before you enter deep sleep. This makes up about 50% of the total sleep time.
Stage 3 – Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS). It helps you feel refreshed in the morning and makes up about 20% of total sleep time.
Stage 4 – Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is when your brain activity is almost as high as when you’re awake—most dreams occur here. REM sleep makes up about 20% of total sleep time.(2,3)

Each cycle through these four stages takes about 90 minutes. That means, during an average night of eight hours of sleep, you would go through this cycle about five times. As the night goes on, the SWS stage shortens while the REM stage lengthens.(2) This means that the longer you sleep the more of your sleep is in the REM stage—and REM sleep is great for your body and brain. Studies show that when learning a new physical task, people’s performance can improve overnight—but only as long as they get enough REM sleep.(4)

FUN FACT: The longer you go without sleep, the more your body tries to get you to sleep longer (and sleep more deeply).(2,3)

When we fly to France to see my husband’s family, it’s so hard to sleep on the plane and the night is greatly shortened. By the time we get through customs and immigration and make the journey to my mother-in-law’s house I’m in a daze and desperate for a nap.

What is "enough quality sleep"?

So far we’ve seen some of the benefits of getting enough quality sleep. But, how much sleep is “enough”?

The official recommendations for adults are to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.(5) Everyone is different so, if you are getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep and still feel tired, maybe you need 9!

In 1910, most people slept 9 hours a night. The average we actually get now? Less than 7 hours!(25)

What exactly is quality sleep? It’s when you:

Fall asleep fairly quickly
Sleep for a long enough duration
Don’t wake up during sleep
If you do wake up, but fall back asleep quickly or easily

I knew I wasn’t getting enough sleep on a regular basis. But it seemed so hard to go to sleep every night. Ironically, the more tired I was the easier it was to stay up late, but also harder to wake up in the morning!!! When I finally slept more hours, I realized it was then EASIER to go to sleep at night.

My sleep was interrupted during the night recently and, wow, I felt it the next day. When you are constantly sleep deprived it’s hard to realize how amazing you will feel when you start getting that good sleep.

Sleep disorders affect your quality of life and wellbeing

Wellbeing is when you feel happy, healthy, and productive. When you enjoy a high quality of life, feel optimistic, and are emotionally stable, you’re “well.” It may not surprise you that sleep disturbances may affect and be affected by your level of wellbeing.(1)

FUN FACT: How long you sleep is very important. What’s even more important for your health and wellness? It’s having a regular sleep schedule.(1)

We all have trouble sleeping sometimes. Not getting to sleep on time. Staying up to finish a project for work. Binge watching Netflix. Needing an afternoon nap and then not able to sleep at night. It’s even possible to have a sleep disorder and not even know it! The three most common sleep disorders are obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome. Experiencing these disorders can have a significant effect on your quality of life such as your:(1)

Emotional regulation and relationships
Vitality, energy, and motivation
Physical functioning
Energy to care for your family
Ability to think clearly, learn, remember things, and make decisions (cognitive functioning)
Work performance

Sleep disorders like sleep apnea are linked to mood disorders, lower levels of wellbeing, and lower concentration and memory.(1)

There are effective treatments for sleep disorders that can lead to significant improvements.(1) See your healthcare professional if you have any health concerns, including sleep disorders.

Sleep, pain and mental health

Sleep and pain

When you feel stressed and irritable, do you ever relate that back to not getting enough quality sleep the previous night (or nights)? Have you noticed lack of sleep can make your period so much worse? (Endometriosis anyone?) (24)

There’s a relationship between lack of sleep and feeling more sensitive to everyday stressors. Feeling tired can make your perception of pain feel worse.(26) Plus, lack of sleep increases inflammation and sensitivity to certain types of physical pain. It also decreases how you feel about the quality of your life. These can all lead to emotional distress, mood disorders, memory deficits, and the ability to think clearly, learn, and make decisions (cognitive function).(1) Sounds like a vicious cycle, right?

FUN (not so fun) FACT: According to one study, sleep problems, along with stress and life dissatisfaction, can predict back pain in 40-year-olds.(1)

Sleep and mood

Even if you don’t have physical pain, if you think sleep affects your moods, you’re right. Studies show that there are more mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, depression) in people who don’t get enough quality sleep (remember, adults need 7-9 hours per night). As lack of sleep worsens, so do mental health symptoms.(7) Increased feelings of worry and anxiety are some of the biggest consequences of sleep deprivation.(8)

PMS symptoms can be much worse if we are suffering from lack of sleep.(27) We are also more likely to have some serious cravings for that sugar boost during the day. This is another vicious cycle since that sugar can make us feel worse.

If we are not sleeping well, we might lose that motivation to keep our gym appointment or walk with a friend. Stressors seem to be so much more of a big deal than on those days that we feel exhausted.

Sleep and brain (cognitive) function

Want to think clearly, concentrate, learn, make decisions, and remember things?(1,3) Sleep affects these brain functions, no matter how old you are.(3) If you have any goals in life and feel like you can’t keep up with them, this is where sleep can help your focus and mood. If I am sleep deprived (and I try not to go there these days) then it’s really hard for me to plan dinner! It’s easy for me to forget to run that errand that just had to be run today.

Plus, recent research shows that sleep helps to flush out compounds in your brain that build up while you’re awake.(3,9) This works because of your brain’s “glymphatic” system. This system drains waste products from the brain (including the beta-amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease) and is more active during sleep.(9)

Sleep also plays a crucial role in brain aging. Many neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have sleep symptoms in common. In fact, struggling with an irregular sleep cycle (circadian rhythm) may be an early symptom of these diseases and may be a key factor in making them worse. And, vice versa: Cognitive impairment may be a sign of an undiagnosed sleep disorder.(1)

It’s important to get enough sleep, no matter your age. While it may be harder to get enough sleep as you get older, all adults—even older adults—need 7-9 hours each night. According to Harvard Health, “We do’n’t outgrow our need for sleep; i’t’s just harder to come by.”(4)

Sleep issues are more common in older adults for many reasons. These include having other health conditions, taking several medications, and even social factors like family, housing, and finances.(1) Having an inconsistent daily schedule can also factor in.(10) These can all have a negative effect on sleep.

Sleep, immunity, and inflammation

Sleep helps you stave off infection and too much inflammation. And, if you’re well-rested and get an infection, your immune system can fight it better.

Sleep, immunity, and inflammation are delicately intertwined. Getting enough quality sleep promotes a healthy immune system and a balanced level of inflammation. It can help you overcome infections when you get them.(2)

Lack of quality sleep can trigger long-term low-grade inflammation—the same kind of inflammation linked with endometriosis, diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration.(2,6, 28)

Sleep and thyroid disease

This is really important. Of course, getting good sleep is crucial for our well-being and health. But what if something beyond our immediate control is impacting our sleep? It’s important to identify any issues around thyroid function for fertility but also for sleep.

Poor thyroid function or un-managed hypothyroidism can make you feel exhausted. You can be feeling the effects of poor sleep even if you are getting enough hours of sleep. It’s really important to get this tested.

Sleep, stress, weight, heart disease, and diabetes

Not getting enough quality sleep increases your risk for(6):

Anxiety
High blood sugar
Impaired glucose tolerance
Type II diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Weight gain, excess weight, and obesity
Death

Layer stress on top of this and it makes things worse. Stress and anxiety can lead to serious sleep disorders like insomnia. Insomnia can then make you even more sensitive to stress.(1)

FUN FACT: Sleep and stress are very intertwined. How much cortisol (a stress hormone) you release is related to the quality of your sleep. Better sleep equals lower stress.(1)

Interrupted sleep affects your blood sugar by reducing insulin sensitivity and impairing glucose tolerance. People who sleep just 4 hours per night tend to crave sweet and/or salty foods more than those who sleep 7-9 hours per night.

Sleep restriction is linked with increased caloric intake and weight gain! Not getting enough sleep also reduces the amount and intensity of people’s physical activity.(6)

Getting adequate sleep has the opposite effect. It improves insulin sensitivity, reduces appetite, food cravings, and the amount of sugar consumed.(6) These all help to reduce your risks for heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain.

Sleeping patterns: hypnotype, chronotype, and shift work

Your personal sleeping pattern is made up of your hypnotype and chronotype. Hypnotype describes whether you are a “long-sleeper” or “short-sleeper.” As we’ve seen, too little (short sleeping hypnotype) or too much sleep (long sleeping hypnotype) can have negative health impacts.(1)

Chronotype is whether you’re a “morning person” or an “evening person.” When you go against your chronotype, you get worse sleep. It’s not too surprising that, when “early birds” take on night shifts or when “night owls” get early shifts, they get worse sleep.(1)

Here’s where things get even more interesting.

Even if you get the recommended amount of sleep (7-9 hours for adults), if your job makes you go against your morning/evening preference, that can have negative health effects.(1) About one in five people in industrialized countries work shifts. It’s not surprising that there is a link between shift work, insufficient sleep, chronic disease, and accidents.

A recent study of over 270,000 workers found that shift work (day and/or night) is associated with sleep disorders, reduced wellbeing, obesity, and depression. “Shift work disorder” is when you have excessive sleepiness, insomnia, or both as a result of shift work.(1)

Working shifts affects the quality of your sleep, too. And the effect can continue long after you no longer work shifts. This is especially true if you previously worked shifts for many years.(1)

That’s right – going against your chronotype can give you both worse sleep and worse health! We’re talking about health effects like increased risk for tobacco use, sedentary behavior, inappropriate diets, and even musculoskeletal disorders.(1)

Conclusion

Now you know why getting enough quality sleep can help improve your wellbeing and many, many health conditions. The health benefits are enormous. Sleep can lower your risks for anxiety, mood disorders, heart disease, stroke, weight gain, and diabetes. Sleep can improve your outcomes with fertility, endometriosis, PCOS and PMS. Sleep keeps your immune system strong.

It’s hard to get that sleep, but now we see why it’s so important. Getting enough quality sleep can greatly improve our daily lives. Your hormonal systems will function better. You will have improved immune function. You will be more likely to pursue your exercise goals. Nearly every aspect of life is easier to handle.

So, how are you going to fix your sleep and feel amazing?

Move on to part 2 of this blog series to make some changes!! A downloadable Sleep Tip & Worksheet will help you identify what steps you want to take and the Sleep Tips will help you know what to do!!

And remember, if you have a sleep disorder or any health conditions, speak with your healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment strategy.

1. Magnavita, N., & Garbarino, S. (2017). Sleep, Health and Wellness at Work: A Scoping Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(11), 1347. doi:10.3390/ijerph14111347
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29113118
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707986/

2. Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Haack, M. (2019). The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiological Reviews, 99(3), 1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30920354
LINK: https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00010.2018?rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org

3. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2019, August 13). Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep

4. Harvard Health. (2018, May 9). Repaying your sleep debt. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/repaying-your-sleep-debt

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, March 2). Sleep and sleep disorders. How Much Sleep Do I Need? https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html

6. Henst, R. H. P., Pienaar, P. R, Roden, L. C., & Rae, D. E. (2019). The effects of sleep extension on cardiometabolic risk factors: A systematic review. Journal of sleep research.
LINK: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12865
LINK: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.12865

7. Plante D. T. (2017). Sleep propensity in psychiatric hypersomnolence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of multiple sleep latency test findings. Sleep medicine reviews, 31, 48–57. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2016.01.004
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4945489/

8. Pires, G. N., Bezerra, A. G., Tufik, S., & Andersen, M. L. (2016). Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med, 24, 109-118. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.019.
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27810176

9. NIH Research Matters. (2013, October 28). How Sleep Clears the Brain. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-sleep-clears-brain

10. Harvard Health. (2015, August). Restructure your day to get a better night’s sleep. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/restructure-your-day-to-get-a-better-nights-sleep

11. Harvard Health. (2016, September). Awake at 3 a.m.? Strategies to help you to get back to sleep. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/awake-at-3-am-strategies-to-help-you-to-get-back-to-sleep

12. Kroshus E, Wagner J, Wyrick D, et al. (2019). Wake up call for collegiate athlete sleep: narrative review and consensus recommendations from the NCAA Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53, 731-736.
LINK: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/12/731

13. John’s Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). The Science of Sleep: Understanding What Happens When You Sleep. Retrieved from
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep

14. Harvard Health. (n.d.). 3 simple ways to get more restful sleep. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/3-ways-to-get-more-restful-sleep

15. Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 9(11), 1195–1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3805807/

16. Pickering, C., & Grgic, J. (2019). Caffeine and Exercise: What Next? Sports Med, 49, 1007. LINK: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01101-0
LINK: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-019-01101-0

17. Rusch, H. L., Rosario, M., Levison, L. M., Olivera, A., Livingston, W. S., Wu, T., & Gill, J. M. (2019). The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1445(1), 5-16. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13996
LINK: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30575050

18. Harvard Health. (n.d.). 4 ways to get better sleep. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/4-ways-to-get-better-sleep

19. Health Canada. (2019, September 26). Melatonin Natural Health Product Monograph. Retrieved from http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=melatonin.sublinguale&lang=eng

20. International Journal of Preventative Medicine. (2018 Oct 12). The Importance of Sleep Hygiene in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from the View of Iranian Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6202781/

21. The Connection Between Sex and Sleep, Chris Branter, Sleepzoo.com. (Aug 22, 2018).
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truth-about-exercise-addiction/201808/the-connection-between-sex-and-sleep

22. ARC Fertility Blog, arcfertility.com. (Sept 24, 2019).
https://www.arcfertility.com/problems-with-sleep-you-might-have-problems-with-fertility-too/

23. Carly Mendes, Oh Baby Nutrition. (April 12, 2018).
https://www.ohbabynutrition.com/blog/reducing-inflammation-to-increase-your-fertility

24. Endometriosis.org, Ellen T Johson. (nd)
https://endometriosis.org/resources/articles/be-good-to-yourself/

25. Your Guide to Healthy Sleep. US Department of Health and Human Services. (Revised Aug 2011).
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf

26. Sleep deprivation and pain perception. Sleep Med Reviews. (Oct 2016).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16386930

27. Sleep and Premenstrual Syndrome. Journal of Sleep Medicine Disorders. (Aug 3, 2016).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5323065/