IS SLEEP THE MISSING KEY ?

 Have you ever questioned the below :

 Am I  getting enough sleep ? how many hours should I sleep ? still tired after night sleep  ? o  what are the benefits of sleep and what is sleep ? If so you are not a alone, with the advancement of science , research and data now we have better understanding than what we did decade ago. 

WHAT IS SLEEP?

 Sleep is simply the  natural mechanism for recharging & repairing  physical , physiological  and psychological factors. My analogy would be just visualize your  low battery mobile phone after day’s work now you have 2 options to re-charge, one is when the phone is switched on and the other when its completely shutdown, later will charge the phone faster and it will enable the phone & battery  longevity. 

Did you know on average person sleep 25-30 years of their life span, human body and brain are complex systems even as you read this scientist are researching and improving the understanding of sleep its impact on  human body to improve well being, athletic performance & quality of life

Mammals & birds are wired to sleep, one could argue since  evolution both species are geared to hunt, eat, mate & sleep. Sleep might be the best thing for you as per history cave man era , staying still at night might have prevented you from being the prey.

WHAT ARE THE LESS KNOW BENEFITS OF SLEEP 

• Good quality sleep is associated with cell synthesis (growth & development of cells) 
•  Muscle tissue repair
• Growth hormone release
•  Removes toxins from the brain which is accumulated whilst you are awake
• Improves nerve cell communication (neurons)
• Increase brain plasticity (replaying & storing events of the day, also process and affirm new memories) as neuron creates new synapse,
• Enhance immunity (as even a moderate sleep might drop your immunity by 40-50%                           

  As for how it directly effects your metabolism, heart, respiratory and endocrine systems are still being further investigated . Adding to that right amount of sleep benefits all components biology &physiology in humans 

 HOW SLEEP OCCUR

 It all boils down to Circadian Rhythm. Circadian (approximate day /24hours), hence best explanation is sleep -wake cycle is calibrated to sun rise & sun set (light) & temperature, which process mind and body functions (releasing hormones, body temperature, metabolism) throughout the 24 period.

 This is why when we train athletes we emphasis certain training concepts on a certain times of the day, then again it depends on individual athlete, training cycle, physical and mental status, training load & volume e.g. 1500-1600hrs one athlete could train for reaction time which gains the maximum benefit for his or her sporting event. 

SLEEP PROCESS :

 It all starts in the brain’s Hypothalamus (which effects sleep & arousal) which the nervous system connects to the endocrine system, within Hypothalamus there is SCN (Suprachiasmatic Nucleus) which receive information regarding light via eyes and the optic nerve, then  it decides on bodily rhythms & functions . With the sunrise SCN triggers hormone cortisol which increases heart rate, blood pressure, increase memory capacity & concentration, delays melatonin (your sleep hormone), physically and cognitively reason as to why you will function best in the morning.

 As the day progress whether you are working at desk , house work or an athlete training for competition second triggers happens due to the buildup of Adenosine in the brain which is which is a byproduct of neurons & other cells which burns up ATP (adenosine triphosphate ) energy molecules , when you get a overload of Adenosine you tend to get sleepy that is your body’s communication method of saying “my battery is low & it’s time to recharge” reverting to my first analogy of the mobile phone. 

 Next they sun set and the darkness appear SCN sends signals to the pineal glad to produce melatonin sleep hormone then your body will go in to the stages of sleep. When sleeping adenosine drops & reabsorbs by neurons the very reason why we feel refreshed after good quality sleep.

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF SLEEP: 

 These were defined by electrical activity in inside the brain monitored by EEG. Stages are categorized by frequency and amplitude. We have NREM (Non- Rapid Eye Movement) in 3 stages each linked with difference brain frequency & activity followed by REM (Rapid Eye Movement) these 4 stages cycles through the night each lasting around 90-110 min. 

STAGE 1 NREM 1: Low amplitude high frequency (theta waves) from wake mode blends to sleep mode lasts few minutes, some may experience hallucination. most common is hypnotic jerks (as if you were falling) associates with light sleep, low heart rate, slow breathing , light movement 

STAGE 2 NREM 2: Light sleep before the deep sleep ,body temperature and other functions drop further than stage 1. more theta waves& sleep spindles ( ability to sleep with loud noise ) K-complex (suppress cortico arousal keeping you at sleep) some memories are transferred to long term memory. More repeated sleep cycles are in this stage

STAGE3 NREM 3: Slow wave sleep or delta sleep deep sleep stage low frequency high amplitude waves sleep walking or talking may occur. This stage happens in first section of the night, heart rate, breathing and muscle relaxation are at its best

 REM SLEEP: Muscle are paralyzed to prevent you from acting upon your dreams, as dreams occur in this stage it can be defined as paradoxical ( active mind with a paralyzed body).

 Usually the first cycle happens in 90 minutes Brain will have mixed frequency.

WHAT IS A SLEEP CYCLE ?

 NREM 1-3 + NREM 2 + REM + N1 (cycle begins) for about 4-5 rounds. Each cycle lasting 90-110 minutes 

HOW MANY HOURS OF SLEEP? Majority of research and studies by experts, its evidence leads to 7-9 hours are optimal for adults. When it comes to kids or older population this may vary, on the other side of the spectrum the elite athletes sleep pattern are based on the time zone where the competition is based, training cycle, individual training loads, nutrition, recovery cycles, training age, metabolic age, biological age are few points as performance coaches we take into account. 

I would suggest invest in a good quality health watch to track your sleep, it may be not 100 percent accurate however you will have a good understanding on quality of sleep , hours etc.

NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS OF SLEEPING UNDER 7 HOURS OR SLEEPING OVER 9HOURS 

•  Heart disease
• Diabetes 
• Obesity 
• Decrease in athletic performance
• Depression 
• Stroke
• Mental illness 
• Decrease in immunity 

                                                                                                           

  above conditions not limited and further clarification should be address with your doctor /physicians , especially if you have troubles with sleeping patterns which are abnormal      

SLEEP RELATED CONDITIONS WHICH NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION:

•  Primary Insomnia (hyper arousal ) or secondary Insomnia (with health conditions)
•  Sleep Apnea = Breathing interruption ( blood O2 will drop fast) 
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea= Breathing is blocked partially ( snoring) 
• Central Sleep Apnea ( interruption of brain signals telling the body to breath)  these are the most common conditions for adults this is why it is important to have regular medical checkup with your Doctor. 

 13 TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER & EFFICIENTLY 

1. Have a clean & a organized room
2. Have clean sheets, comfortable mattress and pillows
3. Set room temperature to suit your personal needs
4. Have a regular time to wake up and sleep event when you travel adjust to the country zone
5. Only associate your bed to sleep and to have Sex
6. Have dim lights switch off all phones, computers , TV 1 hour prior to  bed,  use blue light protective glasses
7. Cut down caffeine 12 hours before bed time
8. Use meditation or other relaxation methods
9. Have a warm bath shower before bed time or some of the athlete prefer Ice bath or contrast showers then again it’s your personal choice 
10. Read a book after warm shower
11. Don’t just lie in bed, if you are not sleep do some  other activity and come back to bed only to sleep
12. Cut out alcohol and nicotine completely or at least few hours before bed time
13. Use a sleep tracking app through your smartphone or invest in health & fitness wearable tracker

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 Hope you find this information useful, always consult your doctor prior to starting any fitness, nutrition or heath/sports related activity. Love to here your thoughts and remember to try the sleep tips

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