This past week, I participated in a webinar on sleep deprivation and its metabolic consequences, which inspired this blog post!
Each time I meet with a new client, I ask about his/her sleeping habits. It is overwhelming common for clients to indicate they seldom feel rested, even if they aim to sleep 7-8 hours each night. The longer I work in private practice, the more I realize the commonality of poor sleep quality and insomnia in many of my clients. Sleep often gets pushed on the back burner in our achievement-obsessed, overcommitted society, whereas nutrition and exercise rob the spotlight when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. However, adequate rest is imperative if you want to be healthy for many reasons.
The quality of your sleep heavily influences the health of your immune system. It is unlikely you will have strong immunity if you are in a chronic sleep deficit. Our immune systems are repaired during the time window of 10 PM - 2 AM every 24 hours. If you usually don’t go to bed until 11 PM (or later) or you wake up throughout the night, your immune system is not receiving the proper rest it needs to naturally repair so it can protect your body from unwanted pathogens. Subsequently, if you are chronically sleep deprived, your risk for becoming sick or developing food sensitivities is increased.
Healthy cognitive functioning is also dependent upon quality sleep. In fact, sleep starts with the brain. It is during rest when our brains are able to repair for optimal performance and memory recall. Even short periods of sleep deprivation can decrease the ability to form new memories. If your sleep is subpar, then your mental processing during the day will likely be lackluster as well. College students out there, remember this during exam week when deciding whether to pull an all-nighter!
Short sleep can influence body weight in several different ways. First of all, inadequate sleep influences appetite hormone secretion. When a person is sleep deprived, leptin (the hormone that promotes satiety) is decreased and ghrelin (the hormone that increases appetite) is increased. Also, the reward center in the brain responds more strongly to images of high-calorie, nutrient-devoid foods. The brain can easily mistakingly identify calorie-dense foods as a way to increase energy quickly. Sleep deprivation increases the appeal of processed foods over nutrient-dense foods, while dulling our inhibition to know when to stop eating!
Exercise recovery is expedited during rest. If you are an athlete, you are probably aware of the importance of human growth hormone that is secreted during sleep and its important role with post-workout recovery. If you are putting in work on the track or in the gym and your overall nutrition is adequate for your metabolic demands, but your post-workout recovery is subpar, then inadequate sleep could be to blame (lack of human growth hormone). If this is the case, focusing on improving your rest at night, rather than training harder, might be the solution for improved performance!
You may be wondering, how much sleep do I need each night? This can vary throughout our lifetime with growing children requiring the most sleep and older adults often needing less sleep. Also, stressful periods (mentally and physically) usually increase our need for sleep. If you are able to sleep through the night, there is a simple experiment you can do to find out how much sleep you will want to average each night: don’t set an alarm clock for 3 consecutive nights and average the number of hours you naturally sleep. Obviously, don’t attempt this experiment when you have a morning obligation that may interfere with your body’s natural wake time or if you are setting an alarm clock.
Another factor to consider when focusing on improving sleep quality is the body’s natural circadian rhythm and how it helps us maintain a normal sleep-wake cycle. If you have ever flown from the west coast to the east coast or changed multiple time zones in one day, you are aware that the body’s response to sunlight exposure is key in maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm. However, you may not be aware that artificial light exposure can disrupt this rhythm since it is stimulating, particularly screen exposure such as a smartphone, TV, computer monitor, tablet, or other electronic light display. Bright light from electronic screens decreases the release of melatonin in the body, an important sleep hormone, so minimizing "screen time" 1 hour before going to bed can help promote a more restful night's sleep. I make a point to turn off my cell phone 30-60 minutes before my bedtime so I set myself up for a good sleep.
Another factor to consider when focusing on improving sleep quality is the body’s natural circadian rhythm and how it helps us maintain a normal sleep-wake cycle. If you have ever flown from the west coast to the east coast or changed multiple time zones in one day, you are aware that the body’s response to sunlight exposure is key in maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm. However, you may not be aware that artificial light exposure can disrupt this rhythm since it is stimulating, particularly screen exposure such as a smartphone, TV, computer monitor, tablet, or other electronic light display. Bright light from electronic screens decreases the release of melatonin in the body, an important sleep hormone, so minimizing "screen time" 1 hour before going to bed can help promote a more restful night's sleep. I make a point to turn off my cell phone 30-60 minutes before my bedtime so I set myself up for a good sleep.
Nutrition Interventions:
1. Since good sleep starts with a healthy brain, let’s briefly review foundational nutrients for brain health. For optimal brain functioning, make sure your diet includes a balance of fiber-rich carbohydrates, heart-healthy fat, and lean protein. Most people are unaware that optimal brain processing requires adequate glucose from nutrient-dense carbohydrates. Quality sources include: potatoes (with skin), whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes. Often, people who follow carbohydrate-restricted diets have difficulty with mental processing, which can also prevent restful sleep at night. If you usually eat an early dinner and then fast 3+ hours before going to bed, you might consider adding a small snack that provides some carbohydrates and a bit of protein before going to bed for enhanced sleep. Examples could include: yogurt + fruit, natural protein supplement + almond milk, or sweet potato + low-fat cottage cheese or kefir.
Also, quality fat is important for neurotransmitter functioning in the brain. EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water, wild-caught fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies, cod oil, etc.) are particularly beneficial for brain health. However, keep in mind that high-fat bedtime snacks right before hitting the pillow can actually interfere with sleep, even “healthy” fat.
2. Magnesium is a vital mineral that doesn’t get as much attention as it should since stress, exercise, coffee, and soda decrease magnesium levels in the body. Magnesium offsets the excitatory circuits in the brain, creating a sedative effect. Rich food sources of magnesium include: green leafy vegetables, nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds), legumes (lentils, peanuts, soybeans), and whole grains. If you choose to use a magnesium supplement, start off conservatively with the dosage since certain forms of supplementary magnesium can induce diarrhea in some individuals (this is why Milk of Magnesia is used for constipation).
3. Potassium-rich fruits and dark leafy greens (spinach) are known to help induce sleep. Examples include: bananas, winter squash, yogurt, white beans, and sweet and white potatoes (with skin).
4. Consider a natural sleeping aid, which can be taken as needed. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the circadian rhythm and helps induce sleep. If you have difficulty staying asleep throughout the night, you could benefit from choosing a sustained release melatonin over a fast-absorbed melatonin. You could also add a cup of 100% cherry juice or eat cherries as a bedtime snack since they are a natural food source of melatonin. Another option is Gentle Sleep Complex by Shaklee, which contains valerian, chamomile, and passion flower to maintain a calm state and promote restful sleep.
As a “thank you” for reading my blog, I’m doing a drawing for a free bottle of Gentle Sleep Complex! To qualify for the drawing:
- “Like” my business Facebook page
- Share a comment below about your favorite sleep remedy
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