Sleep is a Critical Part of Health
I have often said that sleep is one of the three most important things one can do for their health. So there is exercise, good nutrition and sleep that are all as important as each other and act as foundational keys to our overall health.
While there is still much to learn about sleep, there are several important things that we do know:
Sleep is a natural and essential biological process: Sleep is not just a passive state of rest, but an active and complex process that is critical for many bodily functions.
Sleep is composed of different stages, including non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep. Each stage is characterised by unique patterns of brain activity and physiological changes.
Sleep is regulated by circadian rhythms: Circadian rhythms are internal biological clocks that help to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. These rhythms are influenced by environmental cues, such as light and temperature.
Sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation, allowing the brain to process and integrate new information.
Sleep problems can have significant health consequences: Chronic sleep deprivation and sleep disorders have been linked to a range of negative health outcomes, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
Consistent bedtime
One area that gets glossed over or dismissed about sleep is the importance of consistency. We cannot simply rely on the idea that as long as we get 7+ hours of sleep all will be fine. It is important that people do their best to establish a consistent sleep schedule to help to synchronise our circadian rhythms, which can improve the quality of our sleep and enhance our overall health. By going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, we train our bodies to anticipate and prepare for sleep, which can make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
In contrast, irregular sleep schedules, such as staying up late on weekends and sleeping in, can disrupt our circadian rhythms and lead to difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness. This can also contribute to other health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and depression.
Therefore, establishing a consistent sleep schedule is an important part of maintaining healthy sleep habits and promoting overall health and well-being.
First 4 hours of sleep
The first 4 hours of sleep are critical for many important bodily functions, and getting enough deep sleep during this time can help to promote overall health and well-being.
There are many things that occur in the first four hours of sleep that do not occur in other periods of sleep and to tie it into creating a consistent sleep time, it is critically important because shifting the bed time can have detrimental effects on the physiology of the first four hours of sleep. Let’s say you normally go to bed at 10pm but you go out with your mates and get home at 1am. Fall asleep by 1:30am and think all is okay. What actually occurs is your body tried to get to the sleep that would normally occur at about 1:30am and skips the other 3.5 hours that would normally have occurred.
One of the key things that you are likely to miss is a surge of growth hormone secretion during the first 4 hours of sleep, particularly during the first deep sleep cycle. Growth hormone is a hormone that is essential for normal growth and development, and it also plays a role in regulating metabolism and body composition.
During deep sleep, the body goes into a state of relaxation and repair, and the pituitary gland in the brain secretes a surge of growth hormone into the bloodstream. This surge of growth hormone helps to stimulate tissue growth and repair, including the growth and repair of muscle, bone, and other tissues.
The amount of growth hormone that is secreted during sleep can vary depending on a variety of factors, including age, sex, and overall health. However, it is generally believed that getting enough deep sleep during the first 4 hours of sleep is important for maintaining healthy growth hormone levels and promoting overall growth, repair, and maintenance of bodily tissues and it is the only time our bodies get a surge like this. Even waking during that period, say to go to the bathroom, or using your phone right before sleep regularly can negatively impact the first four hours of sleep and therefore, have a detrimental impact on the sleep outcomes.
Sleep is far more complex than most of us can consider and like almost everything we find in physiology and biology, it is likely linked with more things that we know. What we do, eat and consume in the hours leading up to sleep can both positively and negatively impact sleep.
If reading this has stimulated some thought, please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us. We don’t have all of the answers, nobody does, but we can help you on the way to optimising sleep and optimising your health outcomes.
