One of the most common complaints from people is that they can’t sleep. Some people can’t fall asleep, some can’t stay asleep, others sleep eight-plus hours and still feel tired all day. A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. Your body has the ability to figure it out and heal… as long as we get out of the way. The Western environment is interfering with natural sleep patterns. As you know, modern living comes with artificial light after sunset, consistent indoor temperatures whether the sun is at high noon or long gone behind the horizon, unpredictable schedules, and chronic low-grade stress. You can begin to see how modern living has messed with everybody’s cycles, leaving us all tired… wired at night and dragging ourselves through the day!
How Sleep Can Help You In Your Job
Good sleep can improve concentration and Productivity. Getting an optimal amount of sleep doesn’t just boost your mood and infuse your body with extra energy – it can also help you wow your boss with your improved on-the-job performance. When you’re sleep-deprived, you’ll have more trouble refocusing on the task at hand after a disruption, compared with someone who is well rested. A clear, alert brain allows us to focus. When we are sleepy, more mistakes are made.
Sleep Can Improve Your Memory
Research suggests that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways. First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information. Consolidation means moving the memory from a short-term memory to a long term memory and updating general knowledge with new learning. Sleep actually triggers changes in the brain that solidify memories – strengthening connections between brain cells and transferring information from one brain region to another. After a good nights sleep people retain information and perform better on memory task.
Importance Of Body And Mind Restoration During Sleep
Even more specifically, it appears that while REM sleep is largely devoted to brain repair and restoration, non-REM sleep is principally a time for body repair and restoration. The physical healing of wounds is expedited by sleep, and sleep strengthens the immune system in general. Many of the major restorative functions in the body like muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis and growth hormones occur during sleep.
The Glymphatic System (Waste Clearance)
The glymphatic system is a macroscopic waste clearance system. It is most active during sleep. Research shows how the depth of sleep can impact our brain’s ability to efficiently wash away waste and toxic proteins. Because sleep often becomes increasingly lighter and more disrupted as we become older, the study reinforces and potentially explains the links between aging, sleep deprivation, and heightened risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The study also demonstrates that the glymphatic system can be manipulated by enhancing sleep, a finding that may point to potential clinical approaches, such as sleep therapy or other methods to boost the quality of sleep, for at-risk populations of older adults. The study also sheds light on the cognitive difficulties that older patients often experience after surgery and suggests classes of drugs that could be used to avoid this phenomenon. Cognitive impairment after anesthesia and surgery is a major problem.
Sleep Better Council Facts About What Happens as You Sleep
- Your brain recharges as you sleep
- Your body releases important hormones
- Your cells repair themselves
Sleep Needed by Age
- Newborns (0 – 3 months): 14 – 17 hours
- Infants (4 – 11 months): 12 – 15 hours
- Toddlers (1 – 2 years): 11 – 14 hours
- Preschoolers (3 – 5): 10 – 13 hours
- School-age children (6 – 13): 9 – 11 hours
- Teenagers (14 – 17): 8 – 10 hours
- Younger adults (18 – 25): 7 – 9 hours
- Adults (26 – 64): 7 – 9 hours
- Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7 – 8 hours
Ways Synergy Holistic Health Center Can Help You To De-Stress and Get More Sleep
- Acupuncture – When energy becomes “blocked” or “unbalanced”, illness, pain, or emotional instability will arise. I
- Meditation – Meditation is one of the best ways to improve your health, well-being and happiness.
- Massage – Massage raises the body’s production of endorphins (chemicals believed to improve overall mood) and flushes the waste product lactic acid out of muscles.
- Whole Food Nutrition – Nutrition Response Testing is a great way to learn what supplements your body needs and what your nutritional priorities are for health and healing.
- Sleep Visualization Classes
Contact us (859-525-5000) for more information -or- request and appointment!
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About Synergy Holistic Health Center
SYNERGY Holistic Health Center supports you in your journey towards health, happiness, and wholeness, and to provide a safe space for that transformation to unfold. Our commitment is to honor you and your choices, and to provide guidance, education, and skills to support your goals so that you can experience your optimum health and highest personal potential.
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