sleep

Why is Sleep Important

January 26, 2023

Sleep is incredibly important for our overall health and wellbeing. It helps the body to rest, relax and recharge, enabling us to be alert, energized and productive during the day. During sleep our bodies repair tissue damage, produce hormones, release toxins, and store energy. Getting enough quality sleep helps to improve our concentration, mood and overall health. It is also important for our immune system to stay healthy and fight off illnesses. It’s recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep each night for optimal health.

Reasons Why Sleep is Important

Sleep can Improve Your Immune System

When your body gets the sleep it needs, your immune cells and proteins get the rest they need to fight off whatever comes their way — like colds or the flu.

Getting enough high-quality sleep reduces the risk of infections, lessens the severity of certain diseases, and improves the body’s response to vaccines.

Restorative Theory

The restorative theory of sleep suggests that sleep is needed to feel well-rested in the morning and for the body to restore cells that are used or damaged during the day.

The restorative function of sleep is supported by research that has identified a variety of important benefits that sleep provides in the mind and body.

Growth and Healing: Research has shown that sleep is important for tissue growth and repair. Sleep may be one of the most important ways to recover from exercise or injury.

Clearing Toxins: A good night’s rest may literally clear the mind. Using mice, researchers showed for the first time that the space between brain cells may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours. These results suggest a new role for sleep in health and disease. The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the NIH.

Balanced Mood

Having a good nights sleep can help your mood. When you wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy life’s challenges seem to be easier to manage.

Studies show people who are sleep deprived report increases in negative moods (anger, frustration, irritability, sadness) and decreases in positive moods.

Sleeplessness is often a symptom of mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Sleep Improves Memory

Even though sleep gives your body the rest it needs, your mind is still alert. It’s actually processing and consolidating your memories from the day.

Better sleep has been linked to improved memory, knowledge acquisition, and learning.

Sleep can Help Prevent Heart Disease

Not getting enough sleep can lead to heart health problems like high blood pressure or Heart Disease. This is because lack of sleep can cause your body to release cortisol, a stress hormone that triggers your heart to work harder. Just like your immune system, your heart needs rest in order to function powerfully and properly.

A recent study by the University of Colorado Boulder has pinpointed a mechanism that explains how lack of sleep affects circulation by promoting the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries (atherogenesis), which can increase a person’s risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack.

Sleep and Physical Activity

Not getting enough sleep can result in having less energy for exercise and physical activity. Feeling tired can also make sports and exercising less safe, especially activities like weightlifting and or those requiring balance.

Getting regular exercise can improve sleep quality, especially if that exercise involves natural light.

While even taking a short walk during the day may help improve sleep, more activity can have a more dramatic impact. Engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week can improve daytime concentration and decrease daytime sleepiness.

Sleep and Obesity

In children and adolescents, the link between not getting enough sleep and an increased risk of obesity is well-established, although the reason for this link is still being debated. Insufficient sleep in children can lead to metabolic irregularities, skipping breakfast in the mornings, and increased intake of sweet, salty, fatty, and starchy foods.

In adults, the research is less clear. While a large analysis of past studies suggests that people getting less than 6 hours of sleep at night are more likely to be diagnosed as obese.

Obesity itself can increase the risk of developing conditions that interfere with sleep, like sleep apnea and depression. It’s not clear if getting less sleep is the cause of obesity in these studies, or if obesity is causing the participants to get less sleep, or perhaps a mix of both. Even though more studies are needed to understand this connection, experts encourage improving sleep quality when treating obesity in adults.

How much Sleep do We Need

The right amount of sleep varies for each individual and it depends on age. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following ranges:

Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours
School age children (6-13): 9-11 hours
Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours
Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours

Seek Assistance

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, there might be an underlying cause. It is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your health care provider. You may be referred to a sleep specialist if you have ongoing issues with your sleep patterns.

Track Your Sleep with a Sleep Tracker App

January 25, 2023

The science of sleep is both interesting and complex. When we sleep we cycle through stages and at each stage the body has a function to perform that keeps us at an optimum level of health and wellbeing.

Several of the Smart Watches and Fitbits now have Sleep Tracker Apps. These devices are equipped with sensors that measure variables like heart rate and movement, they estimate the amount of time you spend asleep and in various sleep stages giving you a more complete picture of your rest and how it changes over time.

Sleep stages are available on Apple Watch Ultra, SE, and Series 4+. This feature is unavailable on Series 3 Apple Watches since it requires watchOS 9+ and iOS 16+. https://www.myhealthyapple.com/how-to-track-your-sleep-stages-with-apple-watch/

Fitbit Inspire 3 and Fitbit Versa 4 are also equipped with a sleep tracker.

**Fitbit Inspire 3 Activity Tracker with 6-Months Premium Membership Included, up to 10 Days Battery Life and Daily Readiness Score**

I have an Apple Watch Ultra and measured my sleep patterns for a few weeks. Its interesting to see how you are going and even compare the Sleep App data to how I actually felt in the morning. It was an interesting exercise because it allowed me to understand how important sleep really is and its not something that should be overlooked.

**Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular, 49mm) Smart Watch – Titanium Case with White Ocean Band. Fitness Tracker, Precision GPS, Action Button, Extra-Long Battery Life, Brighter Retina Display**

I was always one to think I didn’t need too much sleep but now I place a lot more importance on sleep and make sure I get at least 6-7 hours night. I only measure my sleep patterns occasionally because I have that understanding and knowledge from the Sleep App data.

I will explain the Apple Sleep App because that is the one I am familiar but I think most of the Sleep Apps would be similar. The data may be presented differently.

The Apple Watch Measures Sleep in 4 Stages

If you’re not familiar with what sleep stages are, have no fear, let’s break it down. Sleep occurs in cycles. According to most sleep experts, there are four sleep cycles, which are also known as stages.

The four stages are awake, light, deep, and REM. Now, your Apple device doesn’t use these exact terms when tracking your sleep. Instead, they focus on core sleep, deep sleep, and REM. You can also see your time awake as well.

Core sleep is the equivalent of light sleep and takes place in the first few hours of your sleep. It is the most essential sleep stage.

Deep sleep is exactly what it sounds like. It is the phase of the sleep cycle where it is harder to wake someone up.

Deep sleep is the most important sleep stage because it lets your body release growth hormone and works to build and repair muscles, bones, and tissue. Plus, it helps keep your immune system functioning. https://www.myhealthyapple.com/how-to-track-your-sleep-stages-with-apple-watch/

If you follow the instructions to set yourself up to be monitored you can assess the data in the mornings, the data will look like this:

https://www.myhealthyapple.com/how-to-track-your-sleep-stages-with-apple-watch/

The chart in the Health iPhone app or Sleep Apple Watch app shows these four stages and how long you were in each phase.
Once your Sleep and Health apps gather enough data, you’ll be able to see your sleep cycle trends over time in the daily, weekly, monthly, and 6-month charts.

myhealthyapple.com/how-to-track-your-sleep-stages-with-apple-watch/(opens in a new tab)

Scientists still believe that the best way to measure your sleep is to assess how you feel in the morning. It is interesting to know the different stages of sleep then it gives us an understanding of why sleep is so important for us. Getting a good nights sleep consistently will improve our health and wellbeing.

I would like to know if you have a favourite Sleep Tracker App.

Disclaimer: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Boost Your Brainpower

December 2, 2022

Do you have days when you are feeling a little foggy in the head? Science is always finding new ways to help.

With a few simple strategies you can improve your brain health and help you stay sharper for longer.

The brain is a complex organ that basically controls the functions of your body. Your brain needs special nutrients to function to its maximum: glucose, vitamins, minerals and other essential chemicals. For example, the fuel (energy) for your brain is glucose. You can get glucose by eating carbohydrates or other foods that can be converted to glucose.

Science is advancing all the time and learning more about the brain, how it functions and ways we can improve its functioning. This enables up to perform at our maximum level. You help this by being aware of a few strategies that will assist with improving your brain power.

A Well Balanced Diet

Raichle and Gusnard’s research has found your brain burns around 1250K joules (300 calories) each day simply by performing its regular mental tasks so it’s important to keep it fuelled up with the right kind of foods. The brain also uses approximately 20% of the oxygen we need to survive.

A well-balanced diet improves overall health as well as brain health. Eating the right food reduces the risk of developing health conditions that can lead to dementia.

Foods that promote brain health include:

olive oil
fruits and vegetables high in vitamin E, such as blueberries, broccoli, and spinach
foods rich in antioxidants, such as walnuts and pecans
omega-3 fatty acids that can be found in fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and albacore tuna

Chocolate (Cocoa) and Coconut

A study by The Age Well Project /has found that eating chocolate (made with cocoa) and coconut may protect brain function and counteract cognitive decline. The process is that it assists with widening the blood vessels in the brain thus improving blood flow. It also may improve general cognition, attention, processing, speed and memory.

The chocolate must be made with cocoa which is also a good source of flavonoids (dietary antioxidants).

In the process of their research The Age Well project focused on the brains of young teens who are sitting for exams. They have published a recipe for Brain Balls for these exam sitting teens. It looks like a good recipe to have for after the gym or even as an afternoon pick me up, when we need the brain power even for us older adults.

The recipe from https://agewellproject.com/new-research-on-dementia-and-coconut-chocolate-brain-balls-for-exam-sitting-teens is below:

COCONUT CHOCOLATE BRAIN BALLS

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

75g coconut oil
60g almond butter
50g coconut flakes
2 tabs gogi berries or cranberries
80g oats add more if necessary
1 tsp vanilla essence
50g dark or milk chocolate (made with cocoa)

Instructions

Gently warm the coconut oil and almond butter together in a medium sized bowl in the microwave.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the chocolate. Put the bowl in the fridge for around 20mins, until the mixture is firm.
With wet hands, shape walnut-sized balls of the mixture – it’s very crumbly.
Melt the chocolate and pour about half a teaspoon over each brain ball. Keep in the fridge.

Learn a Second Language

Learning a new language is not only fun it’s also great for your brain power. In 2021 a study followed a group of adults aged 65 and older who hadn’t studied another language in a previous decade. They were encouraged to complete a Spanish course using a language app dual lingo.

After using the app for just 30 minutes each day for 16 weeks they showed improvements in range of cognitive functions. It was also evident that they enjoyed learning a new skill.

Elevate Your Heart Rate

A quick way to improve your concentration is aerobic exercise. A single 10 minute bout of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise is enough to improve focus and productivity. Remember the brain uses 20% of the oxygen we breath.

The next time you’re battling brain fog skip the caffeine and try a quick workout instead. If you are one who suffers the afternoon slump, a quick walk at lunch time or afternoon teatime might help your focus and energy levels.

Interval Training

Keeping active doesn’t only reap rewards for younger brains it’s also useful for older adults.

An Australian study, conducted at the university of Sunshine Coast in Queensland found that interval training can be as beneficial for the brains of older men as continuous exercise. Interval Training is alternating short bursts of more intense activity with longer bursts at a lower intensity level.

If you have health concerns or haven’t exercised in awhile always consult your GP before starting a new programme.

Household Chores

That’s right! Scientists are already aware of the positive impact that exercise of all levels has on the brain. These studies are conducted to understand how different forms of physical activity contribute to brain health. This is crucial for developing strategies to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.

In a recent study 66 cognitively healthy adults were asked about the time they spent on household chores, such as tidying, dusting, meal preparation and clean up, shopping, heavy housework, yard work, home repairs and caregiving.

The researchers found that older adults who spent more time engaging in such activities had greater brain volume, regardless of how much exercise they did.

The evidence is reasonably convincing that the way to improve our brain power is to keep moving, no matter what exercise we do or to what level. The scientists were also suggesting that the actual planning of the household chores had an impact on improving brain functioning.

Seep is our bodies way of recharging. It’s also essential for building and regenerating at a cellular level. Sleep consolidates memories and removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake.

While scientists are still learning exactly how sleep impacts brain development it’s becoming clear that it’s essential for a variety of cognitive functions.

This is evident if you’ve struggled to think clearly after a night spent tossing and turning.

Improving your brain power is about adopting healthy habits and making healthy lifestyle choices.

How to Kickstart a Healthy Lifestyle

January 11, 2022

There is no right time to kickstart a healthy lifestyle. There will always be something to make our decision to live a healthier lifestyle a challenge.

It is a fallacy to think it will easier when COVID-19 is under control, the threat of getting sick has gone, when our job is secure, when we start working from the office again, when our kids go back to school. There are heaps of when’s!

Decide you want to make the change then believe in yourself and you will.

What is a Healthy Lifestyle?

The World Health Organisation defines a healthy lifestyle as:

A way of living that lowers the risk of being seriously ill or dying early. Not all diseases are preventable but a large portion of deaths, particularly those from coronary heart disease and lung cancer can be avoided. Scientific studies have identified certain types of behaviour that contribute to the development of noncommunicable diseases and early death.

Health is not just about avoiding disease. It is also about physical, mental, and social wellbeing. When a healthy lifestyle is adopted a more positive role model is provided for other people in the family particularly children.

What do I need to change to live a Healthy Lifestyle?

Food Intake

Clean eating is a way of eating that focuses on natural, mostly unprocessed foods. When we talk about diet, we’re not talking about the latest and greatest weight loss program. In this case, we’re talking about a way of eating. The focus with a clean diet is on fruits, vegetables, meats, and gains in their most natural, unprocessed form.

Instead of eating pizza, pasta, bread and fried chicken, a clean diet consists of meals like steamed broccoli and grilled chicken, omelet’s, homemade chili or steak, baked potato, and a side salad. In essence, it’s going back to how we used to eat before there was a fast-food restaurant at every corner and grocery stores packed with processed foods and meals ready to heat and serve.

The idea behind clean eating is to get back to consuming fresh, mainly unprocessed foods that contain their full nutritional value. As an added bonus they aren’t stuffed full of preservatives, additives and flavour enhancers. The main reason for choosing to stick to a clean diet is to eat healthier.

Sleep Hygiene

If you are going to have the best chance of improving your lifestyle by changing your habits, an area that most of us overlook is the amount of sleep we get at night. If you are you a shift worker you may have difficulty managing to establish a sleep pattern? There are so many factors that can affect the amount and quality of sleep we get, like snoring, our partner snoring, our age, work hours, anxiety related to work, poor sleep hygiene or no self-care routine, strenuous exercise before going to bed. The lack of and inability to sleep causes its own stress and this sets up a cycle of anxiety.

Take the time to monitor your sleep patterns and seek professional assistance if required to ensure you have healthy sleep hygiene habits.

You may be advised to have a Sleep Apnoea Test.

The data from the Sleep Apnoea Test will include information about your sleep, such as:

How long you spend in each sleep stage
How often you wake up
Whether you stop breathing or have trouble breathing
Whether you snore
Body position
Limb movements
Unusual brain activity patterns

Management of your sleep issues (if any) will then be attended to by your health professional.

Mental Health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

We can monitor our own mental health by being aware of our thoughts and feelings, moods and behaviour in relation to our environment, family and social interactions.

If you identify that there are excesses or deficits in your behaviours, inability to manage your mood or other signs or symptoms you are unable to manage contact a Health Professional or seek help from your Doctor.

Your mental health can be affected by so many issues, for example: from your day to day interactions, diet, motivation or feelings of self worth.

Move More

Get regular exercise. Exercise is not a “one size fits all” situation. Take the time to think about what type of exercise you like to do. One of the most important aspects about an exercise routine is to make it enjoyable, you will be more likely to sustain the program is it is enjoyable.

Getting exercise doesn’t have to be a major effort, one of the most enjoyable exercises is to walk. Walking is very low cost and it gets you out in he fresh air and sunshine.

If you are starting an exercise plan ensure you visit your Family Doctor to have a physical check up. It is unwise to start an exercise program if you haven’t exercised for a long time or if you have never exercised. Start slowly to enable your body to get used to moving and your muscles, tendon and ligaments will gradually strengthen. This also refers to attending a yoga session or other exercise program you commence.

Find your Purpose

Having a purpose in life is vitally important. Your purpose is the reason you get up every morning. Life without a clear purpose can get boring and unsatisfying and. lead to bad habits like overeating, smoking drinking alcohol and in some cases poor mental health.

A lack of purpose can result from being recently retired, losing your job or other major events could have caused you to you to loose your sense of connection to your self, family and friends.

Plan to do something meaningful each day to make you want to wake up in the morning and jump out of bed and give you the excitement you have not felt since you were a child. This will give you a sense of direction and create meaning in your life.

It is never too late to take up a new hobby or enrol in a course you have always wanted to do.

Don’t Drink Too Much Alcohol

Similar to tobacco, too much consumption of alcohol brings unwanted health and daily consequences. Some damages include high blood pressure, liver disease, digestive problems, mental health problems, learning and memory issues, and possible consequences leading to death. Although a certain amount of alcohol can be beneficial, controlled drinking is crucial in all situations.

Drink More Water

Hydrating yourself is important to many physical and biological activities and benefits. Some benefits of staying hydrated include weight loss, skin elasticity, mood balance, temperature control, and much more!

A good amount of intake per day for men is roughly about 13 cups (3 liters) and for women is about 9 cups (2.2 liters).

All the best in your pursuit of a Healthy Lifestyle, if I can be of any assistance please send an email to jillie@jilliesblog.com