Revealing the Way to Restorative Sleep and Vibrant Health

And 12 Proven Tips That Will Improve Your Sleep Quality!

Sleep — sometimes elusive, often misunderstood, yet crucial to survival. An integral part of your daily health routine, restorative sleep helps you maintain the pathways in your brain that control learning, memory, concentration, reactivity, and repair. 

We sleep for so many functions – there is no single organ or any process in the brain which is not enhanced by sleep—and impaired by the lack of it. Sleep improves your ability to learn, make memories, and make logical decisions. 

Sleep is a basic human need and core foundation for health, happiness, performance, and productivity. It calibrates your emotional brain circuits and lets you navigate social and psychological challenges. 

Sleep retunes your metabolic states, regulates your appetite, and controls body weight. It maintains your gut health and gut microbes and protects your DNA. And it restocks the immune system, fights malignancy, and prevents infection. 

Sleep keeps you alive! Sleep is the most natural thing we do, and yet the one thing we sacrifice the most in this busy 21st-century world that never sleeps! 

Given that sleep is integral to our human function, how does sleep work, and what can you do to improve your sleep health? 

How Sleep Works (The Science Behind Sleep)

Sleep is an orchestral symphony involving multiple parts of the brain which produce hormones and chemicals regulating sleep and wakefulness. Research highlights the interconnectedness of sleep with physical, emotional, and mental health.

 What Happens When You Sleep?

 After falling asleep, changes affect the brain and body within just 60 seconds. 

• Body temperature drops
• Brain activity decreases
• Heart rate and respiration slow

Despite sleep being associated with stillness, there is an incredible amount of activity that goes on while you sleep. Sleep is a dynamic process that progresses through multiple cycles lasting on average 90 minutes each (70 -120 minutes). These cycles involve four sleep stages fundamental to maintaining your physical and mental health.

 The 4 Stages of Sleep

We divide the four sleep stages into two categories — REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. The first three stages of sleep fall into the NREM category. The fourth stage involves REM and NREM.

NREM to REM sleep ratio varies through consecutive sleep cycles throughout the night. NREM sleep starts each sleep cycle, followed by REM sleep. In the first half of the night, NREM sleep dominates each 90-minute cycle. In the last half of the night, REM sleep dominates each 90-minute cycle. 

NREM sleep is essential for creating new memory, memory transfer, memory retention, and learning capacity. NREM sleep also removes unnecessary neural connections and debris. 

REM sleep is vital for complex emotional processing, creativity, problem-solving, and navigating socio-emotional complexities. REM sleep strengthens your neural connections. 

If you wake too early, you lose most of your REM sleep. You lose most of your NREM sleep if you go to bed too late. 

Sleep Stage 1

Stage 1 of sleep is when you're drifting between awake and asleep. You move into a state of relaxation. Relaxation is a state of wakeful rest. Your muscle tension reduces, your heart rate slows down, and your brain waves change frequency. Stage 1 of sleep takes you from the high-frequency beta waves of being awake and alert to the lower frequency brain waves of between 8-13Hx. 

Sleep Stage 2 

Lower-frequency, 4-7Hz theta waves characterize sleep stage 2. You're more deeply relaxed. Breath rate reduces, and core body temperature drops. 

Sleep Stage 3 

In stage 3, the deepest part of NREM sleep, your muscles and body relax, and your brain wave activity slows down to delta waves of the lowest frequency of 4Hz. This deep sleep plays a critical role in your body's restoration processes. Sleep at this stage allows your whole brain to undergo a washout and the entire length of your gut to repair. 

Sleep Stage 4 

Stage 4 of sleep is dream sleep. Dreaming can occur at any sleep stage, but most intensely during REM sleep. Stage 4 is the only REM stage of sleep. Brain activity increases back to resembling being very wide awake with beta waves but without the muscle activity of being awake. Most of the body goes into temporary paralysis, except for eye movement and breathing. 

Sleep Architecture 

Your sleep stages and cycles make up your sleep architecture, just like the architectural drawings of a beautiful lavish hotel—detailed, precise, intricate, and interconnected.

Restorative vs. Non-Restorative Sleep 

We often focus on the quantity of sleep we get. Indeed, research shows that sleeping seven to eight hours per night increases longevity. However, the quality of your sleep is just as important. Maybe even more so. In one study, workers forced to cut back to six hours of sleep per night experienced cognitive decline but believed they had 'adapted' to less sleep. They had no idea how much it had impacted their performance. (1) 

If you ever hear yourself saying, "I don't need much sleep," don't believe it! 

Short-term sleep disruption happens at some stages in life (i.e., parents with young babies or shift workers). When this disruption continues and disrupts your sleep architecture, problems arise. 

Your lifelong sleep architecture matters! 

Risks of Non-Restorative Sleep 

• Fuels inflammation, increasing the risk of mortality, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and some cancers (2)
• Increases the risk of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s (3)
• Raises the risk of weight gain and obesity in mid-to-late life (4)
• Impairs cardiovascular health (5)
• Elevates the risk of diabetes (6)

 Benefits of Restorative Sleep 

• Improves immune system function (7)
• Resolves widespread chronic pain and restores musculoskeletal health (8)
• Enhances the removal of neurotoxic waste products that accumulate in your central nervous system while awake (9)
• Regulates emotions and consolidates memories (10)
• Improves coping mechanisms and psychological resiliency (11)
• Decreases the risk and symptoms of depression and anxiety (12)

 Conditions That Cause Non-Restorative Sleep

• Insomnia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Restless Leg Syndrome
• Sleep Apnoea
• Narcolepsy
• Lung Disease

Tips for Improving Restorative Sleep 

We all want to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and enhance recuperative benefits. All evidence points to sleep quality and proper quantity powerfully affecting your physical and mental health and wellbeing. As a result, it's no wonder that people are searching for effective restorative sleep therapies. 

So, what can you do today to establish sleep rhythms and routines that will regenerate your body and mind? 

Stage 1 & 2 (Non-REM) Sleep Tips 

The first step in the sleep process is, well, falling asleep! Unfortunately, this seemingly simple task is easier said than done for many people. Do you find yourself envying your spouse? Does it seem like the minute his head hits the pillow, he’s out like a light? 

Battle the ‘sleep eludes me’ dilemma with this technique developed by the military to help soldiers fall asleep anywhere, at any time, even (you guessed it) on the battlefield. 

Military Sleep Technique to Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes 

1. Take 4 to 6 deep breaths. Focus on your breathing throughout the entire exercise.
2. Relax the muscles of your entire face, starting with your forehead, and moving on to your eyes, cheeks, and jaw.
3. Drop your shoulders and let your hands fall to the side of your body. Keep your arms, hands, and fingers loose.
4. Imagine warmth spreading from your head to your fingertips.
5. Take a deep breath, then slowly exhale, and relax your chest and stomach.
6. Relax your legs, thighs, calves, and feet.
7. Clear your mind. You can do this with imagery. Imagine you’re in your favourite relaxing setting — perhaps you’re lying on warm sand on a beach.
8. If you feel yourself getting distracted — if thoughts keep intruding — keep bringing your attention back to your breath and your visual imagery.

Practicing this progressive relaxation technique every night for six weeks teaches your body to fall asleep faster! 

Stage 3 (Non-REM) Sleep Tips 

Factors that increase slow-wave sleep include intense exercise and body heating. Studies have shown that brain temperature increases slow-wave sleep when it exceeds a certain threshold. (13) 

• Take a hot soak or indulge yourself in a sauna.
• Try a short-term low-carbohydrate diet that may produce metabolic effects that improve slow-wave sleep.
• Engage in aerobic activities like jogging, running, or swimming early in the day.

?Stage 4 (REM) Sleep Tips

 REM sleep makes up about 20% to 25% of your total sleep time. It plays a critical role in memory consolidation and learning. Even a nap that involves REM sleep can improve working memory! REM sleep also fosters emotional processing and creativity.

So how do you get more REM sleep? 

1. Have a fixed sleep time and wake time – don't press the snooze button!
2. Discontinue sleeping tablets – they don't help with the restorative functions of sleep.
3. Avoid caffeine, especially after 2 pm.
4. Create a cool sleeping environment – the ideal room temperature for sleep is 16-19 degrees Celsius – try a cooling pad for your mattress.
5. Turn off electronic screens and gadgets 2 hours before bed – try some glue filter glasses.

Restorative Sleep Is Within Your Grasp! 

Science has been unraveling the mysteries of sleep for decades. The wealth of information has grown tremendously, as you can see from the long list of citations in this article alone! 

As a result, we have the knowledge and technology to help you get more restorative sleep and improve your health and wellbeing. 

Do you need more help and guidance to ensure a good night’s sleep? 

Sleep is the most natural thing you do, and I can help you restore your natural rhythm. Feel free to reach out to me here on LinkedIn! Together, we can determine your next steps.

I also encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter for more tips to help guide you on your journey and listen to my sleep podcast.

Dr. Alka Patel is a thriving lifestyle medicine practitioner, coach, speaker, podcaster, and media contributor. Her research-based Lifestyle First? programmes provide the guidance you need to anchor your health through lifestyle choices — no pills required! 

Find out more today! 

https://dralkapatel.com/lifestyle-first/

Works Cited 

1.     Van Dongen HPA, et al. DF. The Cumulative Cost of Additional Wakefulness: Dose-Response Effects on Neurobehavioral Functions and Sleep Physiology From Chronic Sleep Restriction and Total Sleep Deprivation. Sleep [Internet]. 2003 Mar 1;26(2):117–26. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/26.2.117

2.     Hall MH, et al. Association between Sleep Duration and Mortality Is Mediated by Markers of Inflammation and Health in Older Adults: The Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Sleep [Internet]. 2015 Feb 1;38(2):189–95. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4394

3.     Osorio RS, et al. Sleep-disordered breathing advances cognitive decline in the elderly. Neurology [Internet]. 2015/04/15 ed. 2015 May 12;84(19):1964–71. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25878183

4.    Reither E, et al. Polysomnographic Indicators of Restorative Sleep and Body Mass Trajectories in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study. Innov Aging [Internet]. 2020 Dec 16;4(Suppl 1):636–636. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7740856/

5.     Ge L, et al. Insomnia and risk of mortality from all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Sleep Med Rev [Internet]. 2019 Dec 1;48:101215. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079219301753

6.     Matsumoto T, et al. Prevalence of sleep disturbances: Sleep disordered breathing, short sleep duration, and non-restorative sleep. Respir Investig [Internet]. 2019 May 1;57(3):227–37. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212534518302326

7.     Bland JS. Clinical Understanding of the Sleep-Immune Connection. Integr Med Encinitas Calif [Internet]. 2022 Feb;21(1):12–4. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35431688

8.     Davies KA, et al. Restorative sleep predicts the resolution of chronic widespread pain: results from the EPIFUND study. Rheumatology [Internet]. 2008 Dec 1;47(12):1809–13. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/ken389

9.     Xie Lulu, et al. Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain. Science [Internet]. 2013 Oct 18;342(6156):373–7. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1241224

10.   Talamini LM, et al. Sleep as a window to treat affective disorders. Sleep Cogn [Internet]. 2020 Jun 1;33:99–108. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235215462030022X

11.   Williams S, et al. More than just a good night’s sleep. J Clin Sleep Med [Internet]. 2018;14(5):1. Available from: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/full/10.5664/jcsm.7084

12.   Piotrowski MC, et al. Lifestyle psychiatry for depression and anxiety: Beyond diet and exercise. Lifestyle Med [Internet]. 2021 Jan 1;2(1):e21. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/lim2.21

13.   How to Get More Deep Sleep | American Sleep Association [Internet]. Available from: https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/stages-of-sleep/deep-sleep/