The Importance of Sleep

I am playing hooky from work today in order to spend time with my brand new nephew. He is almost 2 weeks old and quite possibly the most precious thing in the world. In fact, I think he just might be ... perfect! As I watch him sleep in his cradle, I think about how important sleep is for everyone, and how it is the first thing we neglect as we age and let our busy lives take control.

Have you ever just watched a newborn sleep? A sleeping baby is very peaceful, swimming in the pool of dreams. When the baby wakens, he is completely refreshed and alive. Most people need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep each night, but we very often get less than 6. Due to my own work schedule, and the traffic I need to navigate to get to my job, I very often get only 5 hours of sleep. By Friday, I am drowsy, I have brain fog, and it is difficult for me to pay attention to the simplest tasks. Frequently, instead of having a nice evening with my husband, I am snoring on the couch before 9PM. Does this sound familiar?

When we sleep, our brains work through the events of the day, storing what we need to remember and discarding what doesn’t serve us. However, when we don’t sleep enough, I think we get overloaded by daily life and that causes a lot of stress and dis-ease.

Additionally, our bodies have an incredible capacity to heal, but can only perform these functions when we get adequate sleep. When we don’t get enough sleep, we often notice that we hold on to or even gain weight, injuries and cuts don’t heal, and we don’t remember and learn as well as we can.

I arrived at my sister’s house 2 hours ago and my nephew has been asleep since even before I walked in the door. I fed him lunch at noon and think he may have had his bottle in his sleep! And, he doesn’t look to wake up any time soon. I must admit I am jealous. Even though I got a little more than 9 hours of sleep myself, I think I can use still more.

There are 3 stages of sleep and each stage has a very important function. As we sleep, we naturally rise and fall through each stage. It is very natural to waken 20-30 times while we sleep. These moments are so fleeting, we rarely even know we were awake. The 3 stages of sleep are REM, light, and deep sleep.

• REM is associated with rapid eye movement and the stage where dreams are more vivid, heart rate is elevated, and breathing is faster. Most people spend about 20% - 25% of sleep in REM.

• Light sleep is the stage that dominates sleep. While there are several levels to light sleep, it is the stage in which we spend most of our sleeping hours and it is also the stage of sleep that promotes mental and physical restoration.

• Deep sleep assists with physical recovery and memory. According to Fitbit.com, “if you feel extra refreshed when you waken, you likely spent some solid time in” deep sleep.

Due to all the electronics and technology that invade our daily life, many people find it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Here are some tips that can help:

• Eat a light dinner;

• Go for a walk after dinner;

• Turn off the TV an hour before bed, or, at the very least, stop watching violent or suspenseful content an hour before bed;

• Leave the electronics (cell phones, computers, televisions) out of the bedroom;

• Take a bubble bath;

• Diffuse relaxing aromas, such as lavender;

• Journal about the events of the day for a few minutes before bed;

• Meditate for a few minutes before bed;

• Make sure the room is in complete darkness, or wear an eye mask.

If you feel sluggish, you find your memory failing, you can’t stay focused, or you simply feel like your gaining weight even though you aren’t eating any more than usual, you may need more sleep! Try some of the tips above to help fall asleep, and try getting to bed earlier. According to the Chopra Center, the hours before midnight are more refreshing than those after midnight. So, if you get 8 hours of sleep from 8PM to 4AM, you will be more refreshed and alert than 8 hours of sleep from 10PM to 6AM.

I think I will curl up with my nephew and ... take a nap!