Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is vital to optimum health. Sleep helps to build up the immune system, fights off illness while sleeping, helps re-boot your metabolism, and strengthens memory and mind functions. With extreme amounts of sleep lost whether it’s a week or a month, it decreases your body’s melatonin that helps to fight off cancer. Sleep also helps to rejuvenate your body and allow you to grow properly. Our bodies follow a natural system called the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is what allows the body to adjust to light and darkness, basically the bodies’ internal clock for day and night. When the body gets off a healthy, natural circadian rhythm it can cause stress-related disorders like stomach ulcers, or mood disorders. Those that choose sleep last instead of first have a higher risk of being diagnosed with depression or other mental disorders. Another risk of inability to sleep for the optimum hours, which is six to eight, is the risk of gaining weight. The body tells the mind that it’s hungry and needs food for energy when in reality an extra couple of hours a night helps create a healthy food relationship with the body and mind. Asking the Seattle Pacific University student body what prevents them from getting the optimum six to eight hours, the largest answer was homework, with trying to find time to relax and get quality time with friends as a close second. Although time management with homework is the best answer, homework can still be consuming nights where we should have our heads to the pillows and be in a deep sleep. So how do we take advantage of the hours we do have to be beneficial for our bodies and cleansing for our minds? First off, allow your room to be completely dark, close the shades to allow little to no light in. This will allow you to take advantage of the body’s natural tendency to fall asleep when it is dark, increasing the body’s response to the circadian rhythm. Make sure to turn off all electronics at least an hour before you fall asleep, allowing your eyes and the mind to slowly calm down from the day of being around cell phones, laptops, etc. It’s often the idea of being “wired” from sun up to sundown that can keep the body tossing and turning all night. Try light reading, journaling, or reviewing from hand written notes before bed. This also benefits your memory in helping the mind be prepared for class for the next day. Keep the room temperature no higher than seventy degrees, this allows the body to stay in a natural state instead of over heating that can cause stress on the body. Try and avoid water a couple hours before bed, allowing your body to not have to get up during the night. If you are feeling hungry before bed eat a high protein snack or a small piece of fruit rather than a high in sugar or carbs snack. The high protein or small piece of fruit can help increase L-tryptophan that is the chemical needed for the bodies ability to make and maintain melatonin and serotonin levels, it also acts as a blood to brain barrier that can cause restless nights. Lastly take a warm to hot shower before bed, as the body steps out from the heat it causes the mind to mentally calm down and prepare for sleep. Remember to avoid electronics within a few hours before bed and to create your bed to be a sanctuary that is used only for sleep. Calm your mind and body before bed by listening to soft music and mentally slowing down your system with yoga or deep breathing. Enjoy the time that is allowed for sleep and don’t deprive the body of the most vital way of healing. Sweet dreams. (: