The Importance Of Sleep

Mechanics of sleep:

Sleep isn’t merely a time when your body and brain shut off. While you rest, your brain stays busy, overseeing a wide variety of biological maintenance tasks that keep you running in top condition and prepare you for the day ahead. Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you’re like a car in need of an oil change. You won’t be able to work, learn, create, and communicate at a level even close to your true potential. Regularly skimp on “service” and you’re headed for a major mental and physical breakdown.

It’s not just the number of hours in bed that is important—it’s the quality of those hours of sleep. If you’re giving yourself plenty of time for sleep, but you’re still having trouble waking up in the morning or staying alert all day, you may not be spending enough time in the different stages of sleep—especially deep sleep and REM sleep. By understanding how the sleep cycles work and the factors that can lead to those cycles being disrupted, you’ll be able to start getting both the quantity and the quality of sleep you need.

The sleep-wake cycle:

sleep cycle

Your internal 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, otherwise known as biological clock or circadian rhythm, is regulated by processes in the brain that respond to how long you’ve been awake and the changes between light and dark. At night, your body responds to the loss of daylight by producing melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. During the day, sunlight triggers the brain to inhibit melatonin production so you feel awake and alert.

This sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted by factors such as night shift work, traveling across time zones, or irregular sleeping patterns, leaving you feeling groggy, disoriented, and sleepy at inconvenient times. The production of melatonin can also be thrown off when you’re deprived of sunlight during the day or exposed to too much artificial light at night, disrupting the sleep-wake cycle and preventing you from getting the sleep you need.

 Average sleeps needs per age group:

Average Sleep Needs
Age Hours
Newborns (0-2 months) 12 – 18
Infants (3 months to 1 year) 14 – 15
Toddlers (1 to 3 years) 12 – 14
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) 11 – 13
School-aged children (5 to 12 years) 10 – 11
Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) 8.5 – 10
Adults (18+) 7.5 – 9

Myth that six hours of sleep is enough:

It’s true that some people are born with a gene that allows them to have a quality and refreshing sleep in just 6 hours. The only problem is that this gene is so rare that is it prevalent in a mere 3% of the population. So 97% of the population do indeed require a significant amount of sleep.

Signs of being sleep deprived:

  • Need an alarm clock in order to wake up on time
  • Rely on the snooze button
  • Have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning                                                                                                  sleep deprivation
  • Feel sluggish in the afternoon
  • Get sleepy in meetings, lectures, or warm rooms
  • Get drowsy after heavy meals or when driving
  • Need to nap to get through the day
  • Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening
  • Feel the need to sleep in on weekends
  • Fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed

Effects of sleep deprivation and chronic lack of sleep:

  • Fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation
  • Moodiness and irritability
  • Reduced creativity and problem-solving skills
  • Inability to cope with stress
  • Reduced immunity; frequent colds and infections
  • Concentration and memory problems
  • Weight gain
  • Impaired motor skills and increased risk of accidents
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems

How too little sleep affects your daily or weekly performance:

Lack of sleep affects your judgment, coordination, and reaction times. In fact, sleep deprivation can affect you just as much as being drunk.

All sleep is not created equal. Sleep unfolds in a series of recurring sleep stages that are very different from one another in terms of what’s happening beneath the surface. From deep sleep to dreaming sleep, they are all vital for your body and mind. Each stage of sleep plays a different part in preparing you for the day ahead.

  • Non-REM (NREM) sleep- consists of four stages of sleep, each deeper than the last.
  • REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep- when you do most active dreaming. Your eyes actually move back and forth during this stage, which is why it is called Rapid Eye Movement sleep.
The Stages of Sleep
Non-REM sleep
Stage N1 (Transition to sleep) – This stage lasts about five minutes. Eyes move slowly under the eyelids, muscle activity slows down, and you are easily awakened.
Stage N2 (Light sleep) – This is the first stage of true sleep, lasting from 10 to 25 minutes. Eye movement stops, heart rate slows, and body temperature decreases.
Stage N3 (Deep sleep) – You’re difficult to awaken, and if you are awakened, you do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes. In this deepest stage of sleep, brain waves are extremely slow. Blood flow is directed away from the brain and towards the muscles, restoring physical energy.
REM sleep (Dream sleep) – About 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, you enter REM sleep, where dreaming occurs. Eyes move rapidly. Breathing is shallow. Heart rate and blood pressure increase. Arm and leg muscles are paralyzed.The sleep cycle: Understanding the architecture of sleep

sleep cycle

Conclusively, adults should be getting around 7.5 to 8 hours of deep, quality sleep per night. This helps in maintaining mental stability and ambiguity throughout not only the next day but potentially the rest of your life.

sleep

The Ultimate Supplement Stack

There are a lot of great supplements on the market that you can take to improve your overall health. While some are good, and some are not as great, today I have complied a list of all the supplements I take on a daily basis.

Supplements can be QUITE beneficial!

Each of the links at the top of each supplement description link to the brand of each supplement that I take. I have done extensive research on each item and believe these are the best brands to purchase for quality and price.

1. Fish Oil

Probably the #1 most important supplement that everyone should take once or twice on a daily basis. Fish oil capsules contain the essential omega-3 fatty acids which are useful for reducing your risk of coronary heart disease and maintaining healthy triglyceride levels.

Fish oil also has the ability to reduce your blood pressure levels and keep your cell membranes flexible and healthy.

Because our amazing human body machines can’t naturally produce omega-3s, it is necessary to supplement fish oil into your diet to receive the benefits that these fatty acids provide us.

Fish oils have absolutely no negative side effects aside from the “fishy burps” some users experience. Good quality fish oil supplements are created to prevent this from occurring so make sure you purchase a reliable product.

2. Acai Berries

Also known as nature’s “superfood.” Acai berries are one of the most powerful anti-oxidants in the world. They help protect against free radicals that can affect cells of the heart, eyes, skin, and the immune system. Free radicals are also responsible for speeding up aging in the human body.

Grown in the Amazon rainforest, these berries have an extremely short life span which means they need to be put into capsule form to harness all the nutrients they contain before they go bad. You can still purchase the actual acai berries but they tend to be very expensive and you can receive the same benefit from taking a few capsules each day anyway.

Taken daily, acai berries can also boost your energy levels and help the digestive process of the body.

Since taking acai berries a few times a day for the last 3 or so years, I can honestly say I haven’t been sick at all. Besides a few run ins with the common cold, I have not been unable to do anything on a certain day because I was sick and bedridden. These little berries are EXTREMELY powerful in my opinion and it would be stupid not to try them if you want to boost your immune system.

3. B-Vitamins

B-Vitamins are essential for energy metabolism. I take an advanced high potency b-complex supplement that contains adequate levels of each of the various b-vitamins.

B-vitamins are interdependent of each other meaning that each of the various types must be taken together to notice any benefit. For this reason, you should purchase a b-vitamin supplement that contains each of the b-vitamins or you are simply wasting your money.

B-vitamins are also known to spark your metabolism levels which decrease in many individuals after the age of 20.

The supplement I take is specially formulated to also replenish nutrients that are lost during high stress times.

Quite a beneficial supplement!

Most multivitamins don’t contain or don’t have enough of all the essential b-vitamins so make sure to take these if you are also taking a multivitamin each day.

4. Multivitamins

There is a lot of controversy over the benefits of taking a multivitamin daily. The argument for the case is that the body will usually not need all the different vitamins and minerals that these pills provide and will excrete them through urination.

While this is true, many of us don’t get the recommended amount of each vitamin and mineral each day to maintain adequate health. For this reason, you should still take a multivitamin each day and let your body filter out what it doesn’t need.

5. L-Tyrosine

This is a new supplement that I have been experimenting with in recent months, and has certainly provided me with some great benefits.

L-tyrosine is a free form amino acid that when taken as a supplement rapidly converts to dopamine, a neurotransmitter in your brain that regulates mood, motivation and concentration.

These should be taken on an empty stomach in the morning to give the body the ability to rapidly digest them and have the ability to cross the brain blood barrier which can be interfered with if you have a full stomach worth of food to digest.

After taking these supplements for a few months I have noticed that my energy levels and motivation have skyrocketed. No longer do I feel tired and drained during the day, and if I do, I take another dose of the supplement right before dinner to re-energize.

6. 5-HTP

5-HTP (L-5-hydroxytryptophan) is an intermediate to the natural conversion of the essential amino acid tryptophan, to serotonin.

Increased brain serotonin levels are said to produce positive effects on emotional well-being, appetite regulation, and a healthy sleep cycle.

I have taken these for a few months and have noticed a great benefit in my sleeping patterns and overall sense of well-being. I feel very refreshed after a good nights sleep and I have noticed reduced stress levels during the day.

I take a few capsules before bed each night and they make me a little drowsy which makes it easier to fall asleep. When taken in combination with melatonin, 5-HTP is a great natural sleeping aid.

7. Melatonin

Melatonin is great for promoting healthy sleep patterns. It is a natural hormone that your body produces when it needs sleep to repair itself.

When taken as a supplement, it can further increase the bodies ability to stay in a healthy circadian cycle of sleep. I take a melatonin supplement with the 5-HTP each night when I know I will able to dedicate at least 6-8 hours to sleep.

Melatonin can leave you feeling very groggy in the morning if you don’t get enough sleep so if you are planning on sleeping for less than 6 hours, don’t bother taking it.

Supplementing Notes:

Supplement Your Way to Good Health!

While all the supplements listed above have amazing benefits, always consult your health care provider before experimenting with each.

Everyone’s body chemistry and genetics are different so talk with your doctor about supplements you might want to try.

I personally have not noticed any negative side-effects from any of the supplements I described above. I try to stay as healthy as possible and make sure that I workout at least 3 times a week to keep my body in top condition.

None of these supplements will work miracles but they will certainly boost your health and overall well-being if taken correctly.You have to make sure to address every aspect of your health if you want to receive the greatest benefits from supplementing.

As far as dosing of each goes, go with the recommended amount on the bottles and if you don’t notice anything, consider increasing your dosage slightly until you are able to notice the benefits.

Do some research on your own and figure out which of each will benefit you the most.

If you are concerned about price, put aside some money to try out a few in your diet.

After all, how valuable is money when you don’t have a healthy body to enjoy all your physical possessions?