Many of us are proud of the fact we function on only 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. However, more and more doctors are sounding the alarm on how our culture does not prioritize sleep. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, sleep is as essential to our survival as food and water. In this article, I discuss why sleep is important for optimal functioning.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night to maintain optimal health. But to be clear, optimal health does not just refer to feeling awake enough to function the next morning.
Sleep and your brain
We may not think of the brain as an organ that needs special care, however, once you understand what happens while we sleep, you may be motivated to optimize your ability to sleep so your brain can function well and stay healthy.
Sleep helps your brain detox
An essential part of brain health is detoxification, and sleep helps your brain detox. We may think our brain is resting while we sleep, but in fact, it is going through a range of activities. These activities occur in cycles. During the deepest cycle of sleep, our brain is flushing and removing toxins.
The toxins that are being removed are significant. For example, one such toxin is protein waste which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Mood regulation and emotion processing
While you sleep, your brain catalogs the day’s experiences, primes memory, and releases hormones involved in mood regulation.
Sleep and Optimal Functioning
Sleep is involved in a range of brain and bodily functioning. When we think of physical health we often focus on diet and exercise rather than sleep. However, sleep in involved in a wide range of health conditions such as:
- Physical renewal
- Hormonal regulation
- Growth
- Immune function
- Hypertension
- Learning and memory
- Concentration
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Cardiovascular health / stroke
Practice good sleep hygiene for optimal functioning
Modern technologies have the unfortunate side effect of interfering with our natural ability to fall asleep. The blue lights from our mobile phones, tablets, and computers interfere with our brain function around sleep because they send the signal that it’s daytime, not nighttime. Recent studies have found reading on a tablet before bed will delay the release of melatonin. Melatonin tells your body when it’s time to sleep.
As a result, sleep experts have been asking people to put away their electronics at least one hour before bed. Reading a paper book or magazine rather than reading on a device before bed will help your brain understand it is night time and allow the natural release of melatonin that will help you fall asleep and stay asleep during the night.
Finally, if you are having difficulty falling asleep despite maintaining good sleep hygiene, exploring what is keeping you awake with a therapist can be highly beneficial. If you are anxious or depressed, your sleep can be affected. If your life is causing you stress, therapy can give you the skills you need to reduce or eliminate symptoms that are keeping you awake. Therapy can also support you while you explore and implement lifestyle changes you need to live healthily and sleep well.
Therapy in Sarasota Florida
Dr. Redman is a Clinical Psychologist practicing in Sarasota Florida. If you would like to learn more, you are welcome to call and book an appointment or fill out my contact form and click Send.
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