The Power of Sleep: Unlocking the Benefits of a Well-Rested Mind and Body

“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” – E. Joseph Cossman.

Do you want to know the secret of a healthy body and mind with profound creativity, excellent memory, wonderful emotional life and good immunity to resist infections or chronic ailments? No, there is no magic pill for all those. But with a single natural phenomenon, sleep, you can achieve all these benefits. Do you want to know how and the scientific basis? Please read it thoroughly. If you feel sleepy while reading, this will be a bonus for you, and I don’t mind.?

Due to the technological improvements (sometimes you may feel it an improvement or destruction?- I am not going to enter that debate. I only highlight that we can choose what, when, why and how to select it. We should be responsible for our decisions, not the technology) we are in a position to slowly understand the basics of the most complex mechanism, sleep.

In the era of productivity, everybody is running behind to do more. And in that age, sleep will be counterintuitive. But this is a myth. The foundation of productivity is?good sleep?quality and quantity?and a?good sleep schedule.?

To understand this magic physiology, the whole discussion is categorically divided into two parts: Part 1 – Sleep and its functions; Part 2: How to improve sleep.

Part 1: Sleep and its functions

“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” — John Steinbeck.

Sleep is the natural state of rest. During sleep, we may think our body has completely shut down, but it is not so simple. There are a lot of metabolic and neuro-humoral phenomena that continue for different purposes. So sleep is not merely the absence of activity; it is full of activities that replenish our body, mind and beyond.?

Stages of sleep: I will not give a detailed description of the stages of sleep, but to make it simple, there are two types of sleep- NREM (Non -rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.?

NREM sleep: also called deep or slow wave (Delta) sleep, relaxes the body and replenishes and repairs different systems. Heart rate decreases, blood pressure lowers down, and body temperature declines. This is when the body hardly moves and is difficult to arouse. This sleep is related to the secretion of growth and other vital hormones from the pituitary gland, causing tissue growth and repair of muscles. This slow-wave sleep is also intricately related to boosting the immune system.?

REM sleep:?In contrast to the slow wave, REM sleep is for the mind. During this period, we dream. Though sleep is named rapid eye movement sleep, in this stage also, the body hardly moves. This phase is essential for reorganising the different information during the whole day. During this phase, the body temperature rises, the heart rate increases and blood pressure shoot up.

“Discover the great ideas that lie inside you by discovering the power of sleep.” – Arianna Huffington.

Circadian rhythm?is like a biological clock, almost equivalent to 24 hours. Though each individual has a different biological clock, most of them have a typical pattern which dictates the timing of essential functions, including peak performance, sleep pattern, cortisol (a stress hormone) release etc. The NREM predominates during the early night sleep, and the REM sleep mainly occupies the late night sleep in a normal circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is affected by light exposure, the time of day and melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that accumulates after sunset, in diminished light or the dark and causes more sleepiness. This hormone decreases before dawn to help in wakefulness.?

Q: Which is more important? NREM or REM

A: Both are important as both have different functions. One of the critical purposes of sleep is to improve memory. If we consider memory, then deep sleep can be considered as a transfer/switch mechanism of memory from the hippocampus (a small curved structure in the brain with three primary functions- forming new memories, learning and emotions) to the cortex (the grey matter) for long term memory as the hippocampus is not the long term storage area. At the same time, REM sleep acts like a sieve to filter out unnecessary details and helps in learning, creative thinking and memory recall. So, both types of sleep are essential for memory.

Q. How does the screen of television, laptop or mobile smartphone disrupt the sleep-wake cycle?

A: We are always in an artificial light irrespective of daylight or darkness. The light, the television screens, and the mobile or laptop screens emit blue light mimicking the sunlight. The brain decreases melatonin production due to this artificial light which causes wakefulness.

Q: How does caffeine is related to wakefulness?

A:?During wakefulness, a hormone-like substance, Adenosine, keeps increasing concentration and causing sleep pressure. Caffeine is an antagonist of this adenosine receptor and causes sleeplessness by inhibiting the action of adenosine. Caffeine has a half-life (time to degradation of half concentration) of approximately 12 hours. So, for better sleep, you should avoid caffeine after lunchtime.

Q. What is the relation between sleep with obesity?

A. This is a fundamental question, as sleep also determines metabolic health. Different animal studies proved that fat is the main ingredient for maintaining energy during deep sleep. Sleep deprivation switches the principal metabolic fuel to carbohydrates and proteins. The increased use of fat as fuel during deep sleep may also help to regulate the body's energy balance and maintain a healthy weight.

Sleep is intricately associated with obesity and vice-versa. From another angle, obesity is one of the causes of sleep apnea, and it may cause sleep interruptions and decrease the quality and quantity of sleep. Also, sleep deprivation may have a direct or indirect role in insulin resistance and diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Q. What is the process of clearing metabolic waste from the brain? What is the relation between this process and sleep?

A.?Brain is the organ which lacks the lymphatic system to clear its metabolic waste. The process of cleaning is not understood until recently. Then the scientist discovered a system. The "glymphatic system" was coined by the Danish neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard due to its dependence upon glial cells and the resemblance of functions to those of the peripheral lymphatic system. Sleep plays a vital role in this cleansing process each night. Researchers have found that clearance during sleep is twice faster than during waking hours.?During sleep, brain cells shrink by 60 per cent, and the glymphatic system essentially flushes more easily. Diseases like Alzheimer’s disease hamper this cleansing process.

Q. Can you catch up on the inadequate sleep? What is cumulative debt in sleep?

A.?In our day-to-day life, sometimes it is difficult to have a perfect sleep schedule due to work pressures, night shifts, late-night movies, travel, jetlag, emergency etc. What do we tend to do? We cover the deficit at weekends. It is manageable for a day, but not more than that. But from different experiments, we know you can’t catch up with the deficit.?

Sleep debt is a cumulative one. It is not like a credit card bill; you can pay later and continue with minimum pay now. You will have performance and neuro-cognitive deficiencies, but the most important thing is that you barely recognise this. You will not feel it, and you do not seem to worry. But experiments with different sleep-time slots proved that less than 7-9 hours is detrimental for 95%-98% of people. I may think I am beyond 95%-98%, but the actual probability is next to impossible. So it is better to accept the fact and try to improve sleep.

Q. How does age affect sleep?

A. Ageing increases the time to fall asleep. Also, there is a decrement in deep sleep and REM sleep. You can reduce your age by getting enough sleep.

Two-process model by Dr Alexander Borbely:?the regulation of sleep and wakefulness is controlled by two opposing processes. Process 1, known as sleep pressure, builds up during wakefulness and drives the need for sleep. Process 2, known as the wake drive, promotes wakefulness and decreases sleep pressure. The interplay between these two processes determines the balance between sleep and wakefulness. Ageing will deregulate this harmony.

Part 2 How to improve sleep

1.????Sun exposure for at least 30 min?will decrease the melatonin, causing wakefulness, and by doing that, it regulates the circadian rhythm. At the same time, one must avoid bright light after evening time to increase melatonin, and it will enhance sleep.

2.????Sleep environment:?Darkroom. You can use a black curtain. No sound. If your room is not peaceful and calm, you can use white noise like a ceiling fan or ear plug. Your bedroom is only meant for sleep—no work, television, screens or laptops one hour before bedtime.?

3.????Temperature:?Ideal temp is 18-21 degrees Celsius. Higher room temperature will affect sleep as the core body temperature will cool slowly or not at all. Another good option is to have a bath with warm water before bedtime. It will enhance body cooling.

4.????Exercise:?Even a moderate of 15-20 minutes is sufficient to enhance sleep. You can have a stretching or relaxing routine before bedtime. But be careful to finish your workout at least 3 hours before sleep.

5.????Stop smoking/alcohol: Alcohol?may lead to early fall asleep as the exact mechanism of action as over-the-counter sleep medications. But it will hamper sleep quality with night-time waking and morning hangover. Get rid of the bad habit. Please consult your physician before any medication. This article is not to substitute medicine. But overall, practising these will enhance sleep time and quality.

6.????Sleep routine:?Try to maintain the same daily sleep and wake time. It will impact sleep significantly. Try to shut off the screen, or if you have to, apply blue filter glass. Try to avoid it one hour before bedtime. Involve in daily journaling or reading a physical book, and plan the next day in a physical planner. Keep your wi-fi off and put the smartphone away from you.

7.????Relaxation technique/ Meditation:?even a 5 minutes meditation or relaxation technique, box-breathing technique, 4-7-8 breathing techniques several times before sleep. (4-sec inhale, 7-sec pause and 8-sec exhalation)?

·??????Box breathing is a relaxation technique focusing on your breath and counting as you inhale, hold, exhale and pause between each step. The process can help calm the mind, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep.?

a.????Inhale for 4 seconds.

b.????Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

c.????Exhale for 4 seconds.

d.????Pause for 4 seconds.

e.????Repeat for several minutes, focusing solely on the breath.

f.?????Practising box breathing regularly and in a quiet, comfortable environment for maximum benefit is crucial.

8.????Avoid caffeine,?as already mentioned.

9.????Nutritious food and dietary changes-try to finish dinner 3 hours before sleep. The less gap will decrease sleep due to the metabolism of food will cause an increase in the core body temperature. Even carbohydrate food will bring more comfortable sleep than food containing high animal fats.

If you follow these, surely you will improve your sleep quality and quantity. These will enhance your productivity, and immunity, promote your health (physical and mental)and make you fresh and energetic each morning when you wake up.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin.

If you have any sleep problems, do not hesitate to consult.

References:

1.?????The Science of Sleep: A Brief Guide on How to Sleep Better Every Night, 2022

2.????Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner.