When in Doubt, Sleep!
The clocks have changed, the days are shorter, the temperature is dropping. Is it affecting your sleep like it does mine? While I enjoy the cozy feel of cooler weather and I am beginning to anticipate the holidays, the time change throws off my system. For some folks I know, this time of year brings on symptoms of seasonal depression. And for many of us, having a regular sleep routine can support our mood and energy. I’ve been reading a book called Why We Sleep (2017) by the neuroscience and psychology professor Matthew Walker. His data and insights about how sleep impacts our health and well-being is motivating to me. I’ve definitely been giving myself more sleep opportunity (time spent in bed each night, ready to sleep) and I have noticed a daily improvement in my focus, energy and resilience. I like it! If sleep were a medication, Walker quips, we’d all want it.
Walker has a theory that sleep is the fundamental building block of human emotional, social and cultural evolution. He asserts that our ancestors, Homo erectus, made the shift from sleeping in trees to sleeping on the ground due to the discovery of fire and subsequent protection from predators and insects. As terrestrial sleepers, early humans could now relax enough to go into deep REM sleep, which profoundly benefited our brains. Consequently, says Walker, our evolution made huge bounds in developing social and cultural connections, in expanding cognitive creativity and in deepening emotional intelligence. These advances have enabled humans to create the complex relationships and societies that nurture and support our well-being. The evolution of deep and complex REM sleep and dreams has been essential, says Walker, to our development as a species.
Walker’s emphasis on sleep as the foundation for human health and cultural development resonates with me. I believe that sleep is the most underrated resource for our physical, emotional and mental health. Our culture doesn’t value sleep the way it should. Instead, we focus on achievement and doing, and we often wear our tiredness as a badge of honor. It’s not worth the trade-off!
Sleep is a regulating resource for mood, energy, muscle recovery, immune functioning, and overall well-being. Sleep supports our intellectual and emotional intelligence, including the ability to regulate our emotions each day. Social bonding and healthy relationships are related to sleep quality and quantity. Sleep supports and enhances creativity.
In contrast, lack of sleep contributes to a dysregulation of our nervous system and a cascade of systemic issues. Our autonomic nervous system becomes overactive with lack of sleep. We feel both more wound up and less responsive when we are tired. We are more susceptible to illness, and more prone to develop chronic diseases. Our minds are affected too, as are the developing brains of our children and teenagers. Sleep consolidates learning and memory, and is also instrumental in ‘forgetting” and letting go of unhelpful memories and urges. Simply put, “When sleep is abundant, minds flourish. When it is deficient, they don’t.”
Furthermore, sleep neglect and sleep procrastination, terms that Walker uses to describe our modern tendency to ignore our cues for sleep and put off going to bed at night, shortens our lifespan. Walker is blunt: “The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.” Walker asserts that the sleep deprivation that has occurred for human beings in the past one hundred fifty years because of artificial light is the “greatest public health challenge we face in the twentieth century in developed nations.” It makes me want to hide under the covers.
But don’t despair! We can support our body’s natural desire for sufficient sleep, which in turn will provide us with a longer and higher quality of life. For example, Walker suggests that biphasic sleep - a longer stretch of sleep at night followed by a shorter afternoon nap - is actually our most natural biological pattern. There is evidence that in communities where people continue to follow this pattern, e.g. taking siestas, lifespans are longer. So the next time you feel an urge to nap, go ahead and rest without any guilt! Even without the afternoon nap, providing a sleep opportunity of at least 8 hours a night leads to significant gains in physical, emotional and mental health at any age.
It is never too late to improve the quality of your sleep. The benefits of sufficient sleep on all aspects of our lives, including our long-term health, our relationships and our creativity, is astounding. And our bodies respond to even small improvements in sleep. Fifteen more minutes of shut-eye each night will make a difference in your days. I urge you to try it.
If you struggle with sleep problems, you are not alone. A lot of people struggle with sleep. The struggle is real, whether it’s the effect of having young children, the pressure of too much work or household tasks, the ever-present lure of electronic devices, as a side effect of medical and emotional issues, or the result of poor sleep habits. Most of us would like to get more sleep than we do.
For those suffering from severe insomnia or another sleep disorder, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an excellent treatment protocol. And for everyone seeking better quality and quantity sleep, here are some basic sleep hygiene principles to try, adapted from an article of tips for getting a good night’s sleep published by NIH (2012). There is no “one size fits all” solution to sleep problems, so try different things until you find what works best for you.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and try to limit the bedtime shift on the weekends to under 2 hours. Creating a consistent bedtime and wake time is the #1 best way to improve your sleep.
Create a pro-sleep environment in your bedroom: dark, cool, electronics-free. (My personal favorite pro-sleep tools are a sleep mask and earplugs.)
Relax before bed! Have a bedtime ritual that includes some relaxing activity like reading a book (preferably not on a screen) or listening to music. For some, a hot bath can promote sleep due to the rise and then drop in body temperature upon getting out of the bath.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, most days, and no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine, and limit alcohol, especially before bed.
A 30-60 minute nap can be great for lost sleep, but make sure it’s before 3 pm. Later afternoon naps make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Get enough sunlight during the day - daylight helps our circadian rhythm and regulates sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day.
If you have a hard time falling asleep, don’t lie awake in bed. If you are still away after twenty minutes, or if you are feeling anxious about falling asleep, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. Remove any visible clock-faces from view so that you don’t watch the clock at night.
Consistent, sufficient sleep is a protective factor in a long life. It is worth it to make an effort to improve your sleep. And if you need support, there is help available. You are worth it!
