Ways to Optimize Your Sleep

Getting good quality sleep is one of the most important foundations to our longevity and overall health, and the good news is that its virtually free. There are many studies linking various diseases to extended periods of poor sleep quality. So, let's talk about the different phases of sleep, research and health benefits that are elicited from getting quality sleep, and supplements that can be supportive.

Phases of Sleep:

There are four stages of sleep, the first being NREM (non-rapid eye movement) which is broken down into N1, N2, N3 and the last phase is REM (rapid eye movement). Let's breakdown what happens in each stage.

NREM Stage 1 (N1)

- Will last for approximately 5 minutes

- This is the lightest part of sleep

- During this phase individuals will experience drifting in and out of consciousness and muscle twitches

NREM Stage 2 (N2)

- Last for 10-25 minutes

- This often accounts for the majority of the sleep cycle.

- Sleep Spindles and K Complexes are often exhibited during this phase of sleep and often act as gatekeepers to external stimuli, preventing us from waking too easily.

- Reduction of heart rate and body temperature

- Decreased muscle activity

- It is speculated that during this stage our brain starts the process of memory consolidation, cognitive processing, and improving overall sleep quality.

NREM Stage 3 (N3)

- Lasts for 20-40 minutes

- Also known as “deep sleep”

- Delta wave is most predominate in this phase

- This is the most restorative phase of NREM sleep

- Memory consolidation for long term memory continues

- Improves immune function

- Physical and mental restoration

- Emotional, mental, and hormonal regulation

- Glymphatics (lymphatic system of the brain and spinal cord fluid) are most active during this stage

REM

- Usually occurs 90 minutes after falling asleep and will repeat throughout the night

- Associated with rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and vivid dreams

-Temporary paralysis (which is known as REM atonia) occurs, which prevents us from acting out our dreams

- Has been linked to enhance creative thinking, motor skills, coordination, and maintaining overall brain health

Research/Health Benefits:

1. Improved Cardiovascular Health

2. Research has seen a link between chronic sleep deprivation and an increase risk of heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), and strokes. This is a big one because the leading causes of death in America is heart disease.

3. Optimized Physical Health

4. Whether you are a professional athlete or a blue collar worker, your body needs to repair itself from everyday activities. Getting adequate sleep has been shown to improve muscle recovery, coordination, boost the immune system, and improve weight management!

5. Reduction of Headaches/Migraines

6. Headaches strongly impact quality of life and longevity. Depending on how you go about treating your own headaches, it can also affect your other internal systems. Headaches are one of the most searched condition on the internet and there are several studies that have found that headaches can be associated with a lack of quality sleep. In Migraine Buddy (one of the most popular applications for tracking migraines) they review statistics of what clients have reported is most helpful to prevent or treat migraines, one of which was getting enough sleep!

7. Better Cognitive Function

8. For optimal function we need all phases of sleep to occur, but N3 and REM sleep have specifically been shown to improve cognitive function and memory. This is largely due to the glymphatic system, which functions to detoxify the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. However, the only time the glymphactic system operates is during sleep and it often take 7-8 hours for it to fully run its cycle.

9. Improved Mental Health

10. Quality sleep has been shown to reduce stress and decrease the occurrence of anxiety and depression. It also plays an important role in hormone balance, another contributor to mental health.

Supplements to Support Rejuvenating Sleep:

Supplements are a powerful tool that can improve sleep quality when used appropriately. However, if you are considering taking any supplements for yourself or for your children/loved ones, you should always consult your healthcare professional as dosing is highly individualized and adverse effects can occur if not taken properly.

One good example of this is according to the CDC, from 2012-2021 there were 260,435 cases of pediatric melatonin ingestion reported to poison control. The speculated ramifications of long-term misuse of melatonin in children is either delayed or premature puberty. This is largely due to non-medical professionals touting melatonin as "safe for all" and parents are utilizing a "one size fits all approach" to dosing.

These supplements (when used appropriately) can assist in sleep quality:

- Melatonin

- L-Theanine

- Taurine

- Magnesium

- Herbs such as Passion Flower, Valerian, and Chamomile

- GABA

- 5-HTP

References:

1. Singh, N. N., & Sahota, P. (2013). Sleep-related headache and its management. Current treatment options in neurology, 15(6), 704–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-013-0258-1

2. Ferini-Strambi, L., Galbiati, A., & Combi, R. (2019). Sleep disorder-related headaches. Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 40(Suppl 1), 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03837-z

3. Lao, X. Q., Liu, X., Deng, H. B., Chan, T. C., Ho, K. F., Wang, F., Vermeulen, R., Tam, T., Wong, M. C. S., Tse, L. A., Chang, L. Y., & Yeoh, E. K. (2018). Sleep Quality, Sleep Duration, and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study With 60,586 Adults. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 14(1), 109–117. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.6894

4. Alhola, P., & Polo-Kantola, P. (2007). Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 3(5), 553–567.

5. Scott, A. J., Webb, T. L., Martyn-St James, M., Rowse, G., & Weich, S. (2021). Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep medicine reviews, 60, 101556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556