Why the Complete Sleep Guide? We spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, which is huge in itself.
We sleep on average between 6 and 8 hours per night. Sleep is one of the vital functions of our body, like breathing and digestion.
In this article, we will explore in detail what sleep is, why it is important for our health, and how we can improve the quality of our sleep.
Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, we all have something to learn about this vital function of our bodies.
Also read: Sleep Smarter: 19 Tips To Improve Your Sleep For Life
Here we go, let’s see all this a little closer.
What Is Sleep?
Sleep is characterized by a loss of awareness and natural perception of the outside world while retaining sensory reception. A gradual decrease in muscle tone is present along with it.
What you need to know is that this sleep duration is genetically programmed. Of course, the needs will not be the same whether we are a child, a teenager, an adult or an elderly person.
The older we get, the more the need for sleep will be reduced.
Sleep is made up of 4 to 6 cycles of about 90 minutes each (we will see in the next sheet).
A biological clock that controls when we go to sleep and wake up by acting on certain hormones like cortisol and melatonin.
Why Is It So Important To Sleep?
In today’s society, in constant movement and in which we must be more and more efficient, where we put pressure on ourselves for nothing (children, spouses, work, friends, etc.), immersing ourselves in the arms of Morpheus can be seen as a waste of time.
But a lack of sleep can unfortunately lead to serious pathologies, so it should not be taken lightly!
→ Trouble sleeping? Here are the 4 best tips to improve your sleep naturally:
“Sleep of sufficient quality and duration is a key factor in the prevention of aging and disease”, assures Dr. Joëlle Adrien, President of Insv.
A good sleep allows:
- Maintaining physical and mental abilities.
- Maintaining body temperature throughout the day.
- The elimination of toxins.
- Replenishment of energy stocks in muscle and nerve cells.
- Hormone production. In particular growth hormone and melatonin (essential because it is she who
- prepares the body and brain for sleep).
- The regulation of metabolic functions (including blood sugar leading to overweight and diabetes).
- Stimulation of the immune defences.
- Regulation of mood and stress activation.
- Maintaining learning and memory skills.
The Different Sleep Cycles?
One thing is certain, we are not all equal when it comes to sleep. We go through the same cycles, but everyone’s needs vary from person to person.
The ability to feel rested and perform well throughout the day determines the ideal length of a night. During the holidays, it is easier to assess your sleep needs.
In one night, several sleep cycles (between 3 to 5) of about 90 minutes follow one another. Within each cycle, we find 4 more or less long phases as the night progresses.
A sleep cycle is divided into 4 different phases:
- falling asleep
- light slow sleep
- deep slow sleep
- deep sleep
- REM sleep that ends the cycle
The falling asleep phase is preceded by a period of quiet wakefulness and the REM sleep phase ends with an intermediate sleep phase. We then leave for a new cycle or we wake up completely.
At the beginning of the night, we will find a majority of the deep slow stage and at the end of the night, a majority of the paradoxical stage.
What Actually Happens In A Sleep Cycle?
- Falling asleep: The eyes tingle, we yawn
- Light slow sleep: We hear, but we don’t understand
- Slow-wave deep sleep: You can’t hear anything anymore
- deep sleep
- REM sleep that ends the cycle: we dream, the brain records the experience
Why Keep A Sleep Diary?
It is a night after night record of our sleep schedules. Bedtimes and sunrise times, periods of sleep, nocturnal awakenings, possibly naps.
You are also asked to assess the quality of your sleep, the shape of the day and finally if you have taken medication or a particular event that could have disturbed your night (music party, crying baby, party, schedule staggered work…)
It is a tool that will allow all people suffering from insomnia or wishing to better know their sleep habits to evaluate and analyze the quality of the latter.
It should preferably be completed the next day when you wake up or during the day.
Keeping a sleep diary is one of the recommendations, especially for people suffering from insomnia.
Moreover, what counts in insomnia is the perception that the patient has of his sleep.
The results will make it possible to collect your feelings about your state of sleep and send them to your doctor.
The simple fact of keeping a sleep diary will already allow you to become aware of your behaviors.
But to go further, I intentionally added a column that I titled “LA CASE INUTILE”. Its interest lies in an awareness of the activities that we do most often out of habit and which interfere with our sleep.
It is divided into 2 sub-columns:
1/ What Activities Do You Do Once In Bed
- I practice reading
- I consult my smartphone/tablet/computer
- I’m watching tv
- I relax under my weighted blanket listening to a meditation
- I discuss with my spouse
2/ How Long Do You Spend On It
To get a good overview of your sleep, fill it in for at least two weeks. At the end of this period, ask yourself the following questions and be proactive:
- Where are you with your sleep debt
- Are there things you can act on?
- What conclusion do you draw from this?…..
- What were you going to do now?
If you wish to have a more in-depth analysis, and what I encourage you to do, is to make an appointment with your doctor and let him know your agenda….
Know Your Chronotype
Are you more morning or evening? Do you prefer getting up early and attacking the day early or, on the contrary, enjoying your bed as long as possible to be in top form in the evening?
To find out, you need to know your chronotype and its circadian rhythm.
Chronotype and circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm regulates a variety of bodily processes, including heart rate, blood pressure, hormone production, and body temperature, as well as mood, memory, and cognitive abilities.
It is in particular he who controls the rhythms of the waking/sleeping state. The day before being the period during which we are awake and the sleep during which we sleep.
The chronotype, on the other hand, is the tendency specific to each individual to prefer to be in the morning or in the evening. It is genetically programmed.
There Are 3 Types Of Chronotype
The morning chronotype: you tend to get up and go to bed early. You are fresh and alert in the morning and more productive at the start of the day. On the other hand, you find it difficult to stay up late.
The late chronotype or evening chronotype: you tend to wake up later. You are tired when you wake up, you have trouble emerging and being in good shape. You are like a Diesel, you start your day slowly to reach your peak level of fitness in the evening.
The intermediate chronotype: In 1976, researchers Jim Horne and Olov Östberg published a 19-question questionnaire in the International Journal of Chronobiology which made it possible for the first time to define its chronotype.
With a few simple questions, this questionnaire will be of great use to you since it will allow you to reorganize your sleep as well as possible.
Do You Have A Sleep Debt?
As we have seen, around 54% of Americans consider their sleep insufficient.
Usually when we talk about debt, we owe someone something! Now you know the sleeper you? the number of hours you need to feel fit and rested the next day.
So, like the Cartesians that we are, if your sleep time is less than your ideal time, you have a debt towards your sleep. Basically, you’re sleep deprived.
You know the proverb: “he who has no debt, gets richer”.
Signs and symptoms of sleep debt include:
- weariness;
- daytime sleepiness, including falling asleep involuntarily (micro-naps);
- irritability;
- depression ;
- dizziness;
- loss of appetite and digestive disorders;
- increased susceptibility to disease.
At work it’s the same thing:
- reduced ability to make decisions;
- reduced ability to carry out complex planning activities;
- reduced ability to communicate;
- decline in productivity or performance;
- reduced level of attention and alertness;
- reduced ability to manage stress at work;
- reduced physical and mental reaction times (according to some studies, the effect is similar to being drunk);
- memory loss or reduced ability to remember details;
- failure to take into account changes in the environment or in the information provided;
- inability to stay awake (when operating machinery or driving a vehicle);
- increased tendency to take risks;
- increased errors of judgement;
- increase in absences due to illness;
- increased accident rates.
How To Repay Your Sleep Debt?
It is not enough to compensate for your nights that are too short with longer nights.
If, for example, your sleep requirement is 8 hours and you only sleep 4 hours one night, it will be useless to sleep 12 hours the following night to compensate.
A lack of sleep does not catch up in this way, it does not allow you to recover properly from a night that is too short.
Here’s how to make up for that chronic lack of sleep:
- It is recommended to go to bed earlier than usual the days following the debt. Go to bed 1 hour before for example
- Take a 20 to 30 minute nap every day. Sleeping for 20 minutes a day is enough to allow the body to recover, say sleep specialists. Preferably between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- Take a prophylactic nap: sleep before the sleep debt period (night work, night commute, nightclub, etc.)
Conclusion
Sleep is a vital function of our body and mind. It allows us to recover, regenerate our cells, strengthen our immune system and consolidate our memory.
Plus, quality sleep helps us be more focused, productive, and emotionally stable.
However, despite the importance of sleep, many people do not get enough sleep or suffer from sleep disorders.
It is therefore essential to take steps to improve our sleep, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a comfortable sleeping environment and avoiding stimulants before bedtime.
Finally, I encourage you to take care of your sleep by establishing a healthy sleep routine and giving your body and mind time to rest and recover each night. Your body will thank you for it.
For further
What are the seven mistakes to avoid to get a good night’s sleep?
Weighted blanket increases pre-sleep salivary melatonin concentrations in healthy young adults
What are the 5 best fruits to eat at night for a good night’s sleep?