Let's talk about sleep

Did you sleep ok? This question that we are often asked in the morning and give a semi-automatic response to is actually critical to determining your overall health and well-being. Optimal sleep – in terms of both quantity as well as quality – allows our bodies to recover, detoxify, and generally speaking do a major cleaning job, getting rid of damaged cells (in the so-called process of autophagy – more on why it matters here).

There is no coincidence that sleep deficiency has been linked to higher risk for chronic disease and thus overall mortality, higher risk of obesity (due to overeating and higher risk of being more sedentary), as well as irritability and bad mood, to name just a few. So, this is no joke. If you suffer from poor sleep, this is absolutely the number one thing that you need to tackle to get your health back on track.

While the quantity of sleep we need changes with age and with medical conditions, on average, an adult should aim at getting 7-9 hours per night. But quality also matters. If you wake up feeling tired, with low energy, etc. this may signal that the quality of sleep you are getting is not sufficient. That could be due to waking up several times at night and/or insufficient amount of deep sleep. There are plenty of devices on the market that help you track your sleep and get quite a detailed information on your sleep patters. I would recommend SleepCycle – a free app that will give you insight into your sleep phases, the number of times you are awake and even your snoring (with included recording, so no more denying that you actually snore
;-)). I personally also use an Oura ring, which is quite an advanced option providing you also with information on your body temperature, heart rate variability, etc.

So, if your sleep is less than ideal, what can you actually do to make it better? Turns out, there are actually quite a few things that are at our disposal to dramatically improve the quantity and quality of our sleep.

Two words for you: circadian rhythm. You need to become familiar with what it means and, more importantly, how to ensure that you live
your life in accordance with it. Roughly speaking, every cell in our body, every organ has an internal circadian clock that tells them when it is time to perform their various duties. Our bodies are therefore programmed to wake up when there is light and to start winding down when it is dark. This most basic expression of circadian rhythm can actually get quite easily disturbed in the modern world and this is thanks to the invention of electric bulb! But these days it is not just the lights that can keep us awake. We are also surrounded by devices that emit the so-called ‘blue light’ – TV, cell phone, tablet, etc. –using these at night can easily disturb our sleep patterns as it sends a signal to our brain that it is still the daytime.

In order to fix your sleep you need to fix your sleep hygiene and develop a routine that works for you. Yes, you have heard it, our bodies
thrive on a routine when it comes to sleeping! Going to bed at similar time each night and, more importantly, waking up in the morning at similar times is one of the key things you can do to address your sleeping problems. That includes the weekends!

But what if, despite your best attempts at keeping a steady routine, you can’t fall asleep or you wake up at night? I will tackle that in the next blog, so stay tuned.

Hello! I am Magda and I work with people that are ready to transform their health and wellbeing. What are your health goals that you have not been able to reach? Read more about me and my services.

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