I slept okay, but I woke up before my 7-hour sleep goal. I had some strange dreams, but I don’t remember too much about them. If we think about it, we spend a lot of time sleeping and we don’t know too much about what goes on during the night.
When it comes to tools, I recently decided to explore what’s going on when I sleep. I downloaded the Sleep Cycle app, which works in conjunction with Apple Health. I can set an alarm (or not) for wake-up as well as parameters for bedtime. After I place my iPhone on my bedside nightstand, the app detects how long it takes until I fall asleep, if and when I wake up to go to the bathroom, when I cough, sleep-talk, if I snore. The Sleep cycle can record my resting heart rate in the morning (using the camera and flashlight on my iPhone). Too much information? Actually, these are important metrics if we need to make changes to improve our health.
Screen saves from the author’s Sleep Cycle app.
You can sleep yourself well. The attached IIN handout explains the connection between sleep and health which can improve your quality of life. The benefits of quality sleep include:
- Increased energy to make beneficial lifestyle choices (cooking, exercise, self-care, etc.)
- Strengthened immune system
- Heightened alertness, focus, and creativity
- Improved mood by reducing anxiety, irritability, and mental exhaustion
- Increased libido (sex drive)
On the other hand, sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. Here are some takeaways from the research:
- Adults with late bedtimes may be more susceptible to weight gain due to greater daily caloric intake and the consumption of calories during late-night hours. Effects of Experimental Sleep Restriction on Weight Gain, Caloric Intake, and Meal Timing in Healthy Adults – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Insufficient sleep is a risk factor for overeating and excess body weight gain, and molecules such as orexin and insulin play a role in the control of sleep and energy intake. Meal Timing and Sleeping Energy Metabolism – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Disruptions in the circadian clock create a downward spiral that can lead to diabetes and other metabolic diseases, including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Circadian Clock Control of Liver Metabolic Functions – PubMed (nih.gov)
Our physical bodies follow a circadian rhythm, which most of us associate with ambient light, determined by season and time of day. Circadian rhythms affect all our hormones, including the hunger hormone ghrelin and insulin, which peak around 7:50 p.m., according to Dr. Jason Fung in The Complete Guide to Fasting. That’s one reason most contemporary diets suggest eating the last meal of the day before 7 p.m. and eating no later than three hours before we go to bed. Timing is everything for everything from eating to digestion to sleeping!
Here are some additional tips from the Sleep School on Sleep Cycle:
- Screens: When bedtime approaches, be mindful of your screens (tablet, phone, television). They block your sense that it’s time to sleep. Engage in other things that help you relax and wind down.
- Late-night snacking: Snacking before bedtime tells your body that there’s still digestion to perform. Your rest will be more efficient if you go to sleep slightly hungry.
- Daylight: When you’re outside in daylight, you help regulate your body’s biological clock, and this can make it easier to sleep at night. The earlier you expose yourself, preferably half an hour in a stretch, the more likely you will be to feel sleepy when the evening comes.
Let’s all try to wake up on the “right side” of the bed!
♥ Susan L. Ward