{"id":466543,"date":"2010-03-24T12:23:37","date_gmt":"2010-03-24T16:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/?p=11604"},"modified":"2010-03-24T12:23:37","modified_gmt":"2010-03-24T16:23:37","slug":"the-definitive-guide-to-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/466543","title":{"rendered":"The Definitive Guide to Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SleepSleep Awareness Week (as sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation) technically ended March 13th<\/sup>, but somehow I\u2019m guessing there are just as many sleep deprived folks milling about this week as there were a few days ago \u2013 just like our good reader Monday<\/a>. Maybe a few of us feel better adjusted to the time change these days, but probably just as many stayed up late to watch the NCAA games this weekend. Or maybe it was a late St. Paddy\u2019s Day party. Somehow it\u2019s always somethin\u2019, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Even if we\u2019re good and diligent and never sacrifice sleep for entertainment purposes, life too often pokes holes in our most worthy intentions. Babies wake up in the middle of the night. Flights leave early. Deadlines, projects and bills keep us up later than we\u2019d planned. Maybe we even burn the midnight oil to get a jump on the next morning\u2019s tasks! Nighttime too often becomes a default slush fund for the day\u2019s chores. Still others of us might deliberately stay up to bask (however groggily) in what seems like the only time we have to ourselves. The house is quiet, the kids\/partner are asleep. The world is hushed, and the deep solitude is too much to resist.<\/p>\n

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But there\u2019s always a price\u2026. The next morning has us clutching our pillows in fervent denial. Cruel, callous and relentless as it is, the alarm tolls for thee and you\u2019re suddenly reeling in regret. However much you enjoyed or appreciated the previous night\u2019s extension, you now see the error of your ways. Your bed is suddenly the most wonderful, restful place in the world, and you couldn\u2019t possibly tear yourself away. Snooze button it is.<\/p>\n

When the necessities of life (or an incredible bracket-busting game) strike, it\u2019s good to keep ye olde 80\/20 Primal Principle<\/a> in mind. Nonetheless, let\u2019s give shut eye its due. I\u2019ve done Definitive Guides<\/a> on all manner of Primal priorities. It was high time, I thought, we offer the same deference to our non-waking Primal efforts.<\/p>\n

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The \u201cI\u2019ll sleep when I\u2019m dead\u201d overachiever mindset assumes our bodies aren\u2019t doing anything useful when we\u2019re buried beneath the covers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sleep is an incredibly active time for our bodies and brains when we undergo all manner of growth and repair processes through a dynamic biochemical orchestration. When we know the facts on sleep, we\u2019re more likely to give it our full respect \u2013 and wholehearted Primal commitment. Let\u2019s begin\u2026.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Sleep Done For Me Lately?<\/h2>\n

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A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.\u00a0 ~Irish Proverb<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Sleep is key, essential, absolutely downright necessary for our basic physiological operations \u2013 with special support for neurological performance, endocrine balance, immune system functioning, and musculoskeletal growth and repair. For one, you wouldn\u2019t be half the man or woman you are without the physiological feats sleep achieves. I mean that both literally and figuratively, since sleep spurs the release of human growth hormone<\/a> (HGH), an essential player in cellular regeneration.<\/p>\n

Before you stay up for your favorite late night host, consider the fact that a solid night of shut eye bears all kinds of gifts. A full night of sleep will enhance your memory performance<\/a> and creative problem solving skills<\/a> the next day, not to mention make you a better person to be around by helping you see the positive in your interactions<\/a>.<\/a> Oh, but there\u2019s more of course. A good night\u2019s sleep will further boost your athletic performance<\/a>, including speed, accuracy, mood and overall energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s your immune system. Hate getting sick? How about cutting your risk for the common cold and other basic illnesses<\/a>? Your immune system is, in fact, most active during sleep. (So, that\u2019s why the flu leaves you in a coma-like state\u2026) To boot, adequate sleep makes you more resilient to daily stress<\/a>, which supports your immune functioning that much more.<\/p>\n

Finally, there\u2019s the big picture. Solid, consistent sleep over the long-term has been linked to self-reported \u201csuccessful\u201d aging<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Ugly World of Sleep Deprivation<\/h2>\n

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Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds.\u00a0 ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Now consider the flip side. Believe it or not, you\u2019ll die of sleep deprivation before you will starvation. Of course few people ever venture that far into the insomniatic tunnel, but the fact underscores the damage done when we skimp on sleep. When you pull that all-nighter or drag yourself through multiple months of newborn-induced sleep deprivation, you feel like crap because, well, you\u2019re body is legitimately struggling. Every system suffers in some regard. Make no mistake: even a single hour of missed sleep takes its toll, as the research on daylight savings time shows<\/a>. If you continue down the path of scarcity, you build up what experts call a sleep debt \u2013 one that the body tries desperately to repay.<\/p>\n

In the short term, you find a full spectrum of unsavory impacts. On the cognitive side, you sacrifice all manner of memory abilities, including short-term and working memory. Over time, even long-term memory and the generation of nerve cells are impaired<\/a>. Of little surprise is the impact on emotional mood and well-being. Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase the risk for conditions like depression and exacerbate pre-existing psychological illnesses<\/a>. However, even a single night of sleeplessness can throw our emotional regulatory abilities out the window. Sleeplessness causes our emotional selves to revert to their more primitive roots, effectively shutting down the reasonable prefrontal cortex<\/a> and putting the primally defensive amygdala in the driver\u2019s seat. One study even linked sleep deprivation with a corresponding increase in people\u2019s dissatisfaction with their primary relationships<\/a>. (An important bit of perspective to cranky new parents\u2026) Finally, the physical self pays a price of course. A single night of sleep loss increases systemic inflammation<\/a>,<\/a> and (as I shared Monday) impairs the body\u2019s ability to handle the kind of moderate oxidative stress we deal with every day.<\/p>\n

When you graduate to the extended \u2013 however \u201cminor\u201d \u2013 levels of sleep deprivation, you\u2019ll enjoy the above experiences (magnified of course), all the while putting significant strain on many of your body\u2019s systems, including your neurological and cardiovascular systems. One study found that skipped sleep led to a shrinking brain<\/a>. Bye, bye gray matter! The heart and kidneys also take a beating<\/a> as does your blood pressure<\/a>.<\/a> You, in fact, put yourself at continually increased risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases, including obesity and diabetes<\/a>. The logical extension of this pattern? Numerous studies link partial sleep deprivation\/disruption and increased mortality risk<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Not All Sleep Is Created Equal<\/h2>\n

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\u201cAn hour before midnight is worth 2 after.\u201d ~Sleep Proverb<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Although it might feel like it some days, it\u2019s not an instantaneous plunge into cataleptic nothingness. Sleep fills a progressive spectrum of sorts. The process and pattern of sleep reveals the complex, dynamic experience it is. We likely all recall the REM and non-REM designations gestured to in our middle school health classes. The picture is a little more complicated than that, but those categories represent the bones of it. Essentially, the body moves through three stages of non-REM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep that are called N1, N2 and N3, proceeding eventually to REM sleep (typically with a N1, N2, N3, N2, REM pattern) and then back again through numerous cycles throughout the night.<\/p>\n

Phase N1 represents the initial switch in brain wave frequency. It\u2019s the stage in which you feel like you\u2019re mostly under but can still see the light above the water. It characterizes most surreptitious office naps that people think no one will notice \u2013 until your head slips off the hand that was holding it up. (Hmmm\u2026forgot about that N1 relaxation of muscle tone, I guess.) Most notably, it\u2019s the stage in which you scare the crap out of yourself and your spouse with those annoying sudden jerks. From there, N2 takes you down enough that any residual awareness of your environment is gone. Finally, N3 takes you into deep, slow wave sleep. Those of you who walk or talk in your sleep tend to begin performing now.<\/p>\n

If you recall from your textbooks, REM sleep hosts most of our dreaming, particularly those memorable bits in the early morning that confound us for hours throughout the day. Although muscle tone was progressively relaxed in non-REM sleep, it\u2019s generally non-existent in the REM stage.<\/p>\n

REM sleep constitutes about a quarter of the typical adult\u2019s sleep. The N2 stage of non-REM sleep makes up an additional half. The remaining quarter is split between the initial N1 stage and the deep sleep of N3. We experience most of our deep sleep early on in the night \u2013 hence the instructive proverb about going to bed early.<\/p>\n

What moves us to sleep in the first place, however, is our circadian rhythm, the physiological clock responsible for putting in motion temperature changes and hormonal releases associated with sleep and waking. As we approach sleep, our body reaches its highest concentration of adenosine, a sleep promoting neurotransmitter. Simultaneously, the body begins to kick out melatonin and begins reducing our core temperature, which will hit its lowest point in the second half of our normal sleep schedule \u2013 around the time when melatonin will incidentally be at its highest. Our best sleep, not surprisingly, results from staying on consistent course with our natural circadian rhythm and \u2013 if we nap \u2013 not napping too late in the day. Speaking of which\u2026<\/p>\n

Closed for Siesta<\/h2>\n

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There is more refreshment and stimulation in a nap, even of the briefest, than in all the alcohol ever distilled.\u00a0 ~Edward Lucas<\/a><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big believer in naps, and I consider them one of the most useful (and pleasurable) of the PB sensible vices<\/a>. Research supports the benefit of inducing the relaxation response each day, and one study showed that even the anticipation of a nap can lower your blood pressure<\/a>. Following a truly bad night, naps can help us recharge our cognitive and physical stores. Longer naptimes following sleepless nights tend to include more REM sleep for better restoration<\/a>. Although some \u201cauthorities\u201d might balk at the healthiness of daily napping, I think long-time tradition (as well as the natural circadian rhythm) shoots that one down sufficiently. Problems can arise when naps signify symptoms for an otherwise unhealthy lifestyle or when they become a consistent, necessary stand-in for good sleep quality and adequate hours each night. Nonetheless, for those with young babies or swing\/night shift jobs, sometimes the best Primal choice we can make is doing the best we can with the reality in front of us. Naps can be part of that effort.<\/p>\n

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Our Need for Sleep<\/h2>\n

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People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.\u00a0 ~Leo J. Burke<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n

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Of course the need for sleep varies by individual<\/a>. Though most of us fall into the pot of the seven-eight hour average, others of us genuinely can\u2019t get by without nine or ten. A few lucky ones among us hit our optimum with only six or so hours of shut eye. (These folks are honest to goodness mutants, as science has confirmed<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

However, the majority of our sleep differentiation is determined by age. Babies, no surprises here, need the most (however patchy it is), while adults require the least. The notion that older adults need less sleep is actually hogwash. Although sleep patterns become more fragmented as we age, we still need the same good old average. Sleep still fosters critical hormonal secretion (like growth hormone) necessary for healthy aging. One study in particular linked solid sleep with higher levels of testosterone in older men<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Children, however, are especially susceptible to the ravages of sleep deprivation. Sleep is essential for babies to learn and retain new information. Sleep deficits have been long been linked to an increased risk of ADHD, depression<\/a> and behavioral problems in children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Getting Some Good Primal Sleep<\/h2>\n

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There is no hope for a civilization which starts each day to the sound of an alarm clock. ~Author Unknown<\/a><\/em> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In Grok<\/a>\u2019s world, of course, there were no alarms<\/a>, no clocks, no trains to catch or appointments to make. Likewise, there were no lamps or computers, T.V.s, smart phones and all the other technological gadgetry that tests our circadian rhythm and tempts us to stay up instead of hit the sheets. Although Grok and his tribe didn\u2019t turn in the second the sun fell below the horizon, they undoubtedly slid into a hunkered down, lower key mode. On a typical night, the darkness \u2013 even with a central fire or bright moon \u2013 would\u2019ve been enough to impose a quieter sense of consciousness. The stars, the flames would\u2019ve been enough to inspire calm, maybe meditative stillness if not sleep. What would our experience of night be \u2013 how rested and composed might we feel \u2013 if we spent ten to twelve hours in relative darkness?<\/p>\n

Although I suspect most of us have at least several hours to trudge through before we can call it a night, maybe some of you are already planning a clandestine nap this afternoon. (There\u2019s always our Primally approved plan for selling your boss on the siesta idea<\/a>\u2026.)<\/a> Looking forward to sleep is the first step to taking back bedtime, I\u2019d say. Not only is it an essential investment for your health, it\u2019s one of life\u2019s best luxuries. You wake up looking better and feeling like a million bucks. How much better can it get? Now take the money you\u2019ll save on extra coffee and buy yourself a nice set of sheets or the pillow you\u2019ve always wanted.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, be sure to check out our past tips for a great night\u2019s rest!<\/p>\n

How Light Affects Our Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Ways to Get an Extra Hour of Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

The Primal Blueprint for Busy People – Part 1: Sleep and Stress<\/a><\/p>\n

5 Tips to Get a Great Night’s Sleep Tonight<\/a><\/p>\n

Getting Over an Afternoon Slump<\/a><\/p>\n

When it Comes to Sleep, Average is Best<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Sleep Tips to Get Your Zzzzss<\/a><\/p>\n

Thanks for reading. Be sure to send along your thoughts. I\u2019ll look forward to reading your comments!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts<\/a> Delivered to Your Inbox<\/em><\/h4>\n

Related posts:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Your Heart is Telling You to Sleep<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Definitive Guide: The Primal Blueprint<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Sleep More to Forget Less<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Sleep Awareness Week (as sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation) technically ended March 13th, but somehow I\u2019m guessing there are just as many sleep deprived folks milling about this week as there were a few days ago \u2013 just like our good reader Monday. Maybe a few of us feel better adjusted to the time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-466543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466543\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}