Sleep: Important for More than Energy
Nothing feels better than a good night’s sleep. Conversely, nothing will drain your energy like a night of poor sleep. But did you know that sleep impacts so much more than your energy during the day? Sleep is critical to your health in every way!
Without proper sleep, your metabolism, hormones, digestion, and immune system can’t function optimally. Insulin resistance and hunger cues can increase after even just one night of not enough sleep, leading to increased caloric intake and your body storing these extra calories as fat tissue. Also, sleep deprivation is linked to an increase in overall subclinical inflammation and an altered immune response. If you are chronically not getting enough sleep, these metabolism changes can result in increased a whole list of additional hormonal issues such as increased cortisol, delayed ovulation, elevated androgens, and thyroid imbalances. Beyond just feeling tired from not enough sleep, you can bet these hormonal imbalances will also have a huge impact on how you feel day to day!
The real question comes down to: what are you supposed to do if getting a good night’s sleep feels next to impossible? it may take some time and trial and error to find what works for you, but there are a lot of different things you can try to improve your sleep! A general rule of thumb is that you want to do what you can t reset and honor your body’s natural circadian rhythm. This means being active getting plenty of sunlight exposure during the day to signal your body to be awake, and then focusing on relaxing and a lack of light exposure closer to bedtime to signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.
Here are some of my favorite tips for better sleep:
If you have difficulty falling asleep, try…..
eating 1/4 cup of pistachios or drinking 4 fl oz of tart cherry juice 1-2 hours before bed to increase melatonin
avoiding all phones, tablets, and TV an hour before bed
wearing blue light-blocking glasses after 8 pm
no caffeine after 3 pm
drinking herbal tea with chamomile, passionflower, or valerian root
limiting any daytime naps to 30 minutes
aromatherapy using essential oils like lavender, sandalwood, or bergamont
If you have difficulty staying asleep, try…..
eating a snack before be that contains a source of protein, such as nuts, yogurt, or cheese
keeping your bedroom as dark as possible
wearing a sleep mask and ear plugs
keeping your bedroom around 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit
a magnesium glycinate supplement before bed
If you feel like you sleep enough but still feel tired all day, try….
getting 10-20 minutes of natural sunlight in the morning (either by going outside or using a light therapy lamp)
getting in 30 minutes of physical activity each day prior to 8 pm
maintaining a consistent sleep schedule- this means going to bed and waking up at the same time very day
asking your doctor about a sleep study
It’s easy to brush off feeling tired as “just” not sleeping well, but this is actually a big deal and has implications for other areas of your health! Having a healthy metabolism goes beyond looking at the food you eat- sometimes it means taking an integrative approach to optimize lifestyle factors, such as sleep, to really feel your best.
References:
Capello, K. (2020). The Impact of Sleep on Learning and Memory. https://www.med.upenn.edu/csi/the-impact-of-sleep-on-learning-and-memory.html
Demasi, O. & Tabatchnik, I. (2019). Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Mood: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. JMIR Ment Health, 6(3). doi: 10.2196/12613
Donga, E., et al. (2010). A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 95(6), 2963-2968. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-2430
Sharma, S. & Kavuru, M. (2010). Sleep and Metabolism: An Overview. doi: 10.1155/2010/270832