THE HEAL BETTER 7: THE SEVEN FUNDAMENTALS OF OPTIMAL HEALTH
#1 QUALITY SLEEP
Sleep is #1 because it is the foundation of true health and wellness. High quality sleep for 7 - 8 hours per night is imperative for every human.
I want you to prioritize sleep + sleep better. Read on!
“It is common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.”
– John Steinbeck
My pup Frida taking one of her many daily snoozes.
OH, SLEEP!
Sleep is so mysterious! And yet, it is completely fundamental to our existence as humans on this planet. It’s a non-negotiable, it both refuels and repairs. We need quality sleep to be functioning, healthy, resilient beings. It restores, rejuvenates, and creates the foundation for our conscious lives. Yet according to the CDC, at least 1 in 3 U.S adults are not getting an adequate number of hours of sleep — and we haven’t even begun to talk about the quality of the sleep we’re getting.
CHECKING OUT?
When our heads hit the pillow every night, we tend to think we’re checking out. Interestingly, though our conscious selves are surrendering, our bodies, brain, and mind are hard at work. We by no means hit the “power off” button.
SLEEP WORK
It’s hard to truly realize, but we are conscious of only a tiny fraction of the massive of amount of information that comes through our senses each day. As we lay in our beds sleeping, our brains start working hard in an altogether different way than when we’re awake.
Circuits of neurons (brain cells) sort through the incredible amount of information that flood the brain all day. The brain also ensures that vital-to-life chemicals like hormones and enzymes remain in proper checks and balances. Furthermore, the brain manages to “check for malware” by sweeping through and getting rid of anything it deems toxic or necessary for the “trash bin” - like noxious free radicals and worn-out neurons.
“Sleep serves to reenergize the body's cells, clear waste from the brain, and support learning and memory. It even plays vital roles in regulating mood, appetite and libido.” - Scientific American
WHY 7 - 8 HOURS?
Getting 6 hours of sleep or less a night can set you up for a host of risks from chronic disease to mental health issues to early death. Studies have shown that getting the recommended seven to eight hours each night allows us to maintain optimal concentration and keep our executive functioning-systems like planning and memory processing at peak levels.
Ensuring adequate sleep also helps to maintain the integrity of our metabolic systems, so that fundamental aspects of our health, like our weight and blood sugar, remain at healthy levels. We know that keeping these things in check help to prevent disease, in this case metabolic syndrome.
Obviously, it also helps us to feel great in our day. Who doesn’t want to feel great?
QUALITY, ADEQUATE SLEEP = HEALTHIER
If every one of us slept as much as recommended, we’d be healthier. Period. We’d all be able to maintain healthier weights more easily, stave off chronic diseases like heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressures), diabetes, strokes, and cancer, as well as more easily avoid/manage mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Furthermore, getting enough sleep may help to stave off early death for many individuals, especially if you’re already managing a chronic illness.
THE PROBLEM
As humans in 2021, we think we’re above sleep. We think we can outwit our bodies/minds. Unfortunately this is far from the truth.
Simply put, chronic sleep deprivation is a major stress on the body. The way we live during this time on the earth — spending hours on the computer, checking social media every minute, over-scheduling our days, and not taking adequate down time – causes our bodies to be flooded with stress hormones which lead to things like anxiety, weakened immunes systems, poor concentration + memory, and yes … insomnia.
Furthermore, light pollution and the blue light emitted from screens and other artificial lights is disrupting our circadian rhythm — aka our internal clocks regulated by melatonin. (… and no, taking over-the-counter melatonin is not the answer.)
Here’s a helpful NPR radio cast on not getting enough sleep.
PILLS ARE NOT THE ANSWER
I have worked with a number of patients who request “sleeping pills.” While plenty of pills, both Rx and over-the-counter, can create the appearance of quality sleep, none of them have yet been able to replicate the benefits of natural physiologic high-quality sleep. I wish it were the case that I could prescribe a pill and have my patients sleep well — too bad that’s not reality!
WHAT TO DO?
“Sleep hygiene” is considered the fundamental sleep playbook - here they are:
Consistent Schedule: Try to go to bed around the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends. I know, this is harder than it sounds!
Unplug: Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom. If you can’t completely remove them, keep them far from your bed.
Optimized Your Environment: Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature - cooler temps are best for sleep promotion. For city dwellers like myself, sleep masks, black out curtains, noise machines and/or ear plugs may be necessary to create a sleep-inducing environment.
Eating/Drinking: Avoid large meals (especially fatty and/or spicy ones) and alcohol late in the evening / before bed. Avoid caffeine after 3 pm, ideally noon. Avoid other stimulants like nicotine as well.
Movement: Get some exercise in your day. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night - as little as 10 min / day can be useful to help according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Unwind: Use a mind-body medicine practice - like mindfulness, loving-kindness, pranayama or other breath work — or things like analog reading or brain-dump journaling to help calm your system and promote sleep.
Need help with sleep?
I am here to help! I have a wonderful toolbox of resources including mind-body practices, helpful herbs/botanicals + supplements, and other supportive measures to help you invite high-quality and adequate sleep back into your life.
We can also work on evaluating and creating care plans for problems like chronic diseases, autoimmune illnesses, and sleep apnea which can greatly affect the quality of sleep you’re getting. And, like the chicken/egg phenomenon, not sleeping well can in turn worsen issues you’re already dealing with.
Sleep can feel easy and joyful and restful. Let’s make it happen for you.