Restorative Sleep [Infographic]

Michael Rivera https://www.spinemd.com 3m 725 #restorativesleep

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Benefits Of A Good Night’s Sleep

You may want your work to stay in the office when you clock out for the day, but it often doesn’t happen that way. All the stress and anxiety that builds up over the course of a typical workday frequently comes home with us. That can mean we’re not getting a good night’s sleep most of the time. In fact, nearly half of American workers have reported that anxiety over their jobs has kept them awake at night.

This can create a vicious circle in which stress about work prevents you from getting enough sleep; which makes you less effective at work; which leads to more stress. Getting seven to nine hours of deep sleep each night isn’t just a luxury — it’s extremely important for ensuring that you’re alert and energetic enough at work to handle whatever stresses your job throws at you.

Unfortunately, it’s more difficult than ever to get a good night’s worth of restorative sleep. That’s because technology such as smartphones and tablets have invaded our bedrooms and kept our brains working long past the point at which they should begin gearing down for the night. The following guide can provide you with some tips for getting more restorative sleep, so read up and break the cycle of stress that’s keeping you up at night.

Tips For Restorative Sleep courtesy of Virginia Spine Institute

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Restorative sleep

Sleep is incredibly important for a health and aids in our brain function by repairing and regenerating, detoxifying and assisting with crucial memory building consolidation.

As adults, we need an average of 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted Slumber, however most Americans average six and a half hours and many only get 5 hours a night.

Tips for restorative sleep

• go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. Consistency reinforces your body sleep-wake cycle to promote restful sleep.
• take the TV out of the bedroom.
• if you need noise to sleep, turn on a fan or download some white noise to play in the background.
• get outdoors and exposed to natural light.
• try to avoid caffeine after lunch, but especially after 2 p.M.
• try to wind down a half an hour before going to bed and reduce your light exposure.
• keep your bedroom cool and dark, but allow natural light to wake you up in the morning.
• create a sleeping ritual: maybe a warm shower or bath, a good book, and a cup of herbal chamomile, mint, or lavender tea.
• exercise regularly what time it about 3 to 4 hours before bed.
• avoid watching or using your TV, gaming consoles, computers, iPads, phones before bed or in bed. Backlit light and game stimulate your brain.
• limit alcohol use before bed. Well alcohol can make you feel drowsy, you are in a sedated sleep, not a truly restorative sleep.

Effects of little sleep

Deprivation

Most Americans are sleep deprived, and average 6 to 7 hours of sleep a night. Some short term effects are foggy brain with poor memory, decreased creativity, poor judgement, impaired vision and driving, and increased impulsiveness. Long term effects have been linked to depression, obesity, insulin resistance, and heart disease-not to mention it increases the body’s overall stress and affects the immune system.

Weight Gain

There is a well-documented relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain. People who sleep fewer than 5 hours and night have an estimated 50% chance of being obese. Researchers believe this is related to a disruption in the balance of key hormones that control appetite. In addition to being hungry when sleep deprived, the stress hormone cortisol spikes, making us crave high fat and high carbohydrate foods.

Sleep Debt

Sleep debt can be restored. It is generally best to add back an hour or more to your nightly routine. Over the course of several weeks to months your body will begin to reset itself. You may feel very groggy at first as your body is adjusting. If you allow yourself to sleep and wake up naturally, you may even find that you sleep more than recommended, this will slowly even out. It turns out the deepest and most regenerative sleep occurs between 10 p.M. And 2 a.M., afterwards sleep becomes more superficial.

Tips courtesy Virginia Spine Institute
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