Understanding More About Sleep

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) – ‘Can’t stop moving’ – people who suffer this condition complain of a creeping, crawling, tingling sensation in their legs which make them jump around to relieve discomfort and delaying them from falling asleep.  Pregnant women may suffer from this condition.  It is believed to be an imbalance in the nervous system.  We suggest a visit to your doctor to check your iron levels and kidneys, but this can also be a side effect of some medications. Up your magnesium intake.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) – involuntary limb movements either whilst asleep or awake. Often the sufferer is unaware of this whilst asleep but their bed mate isn’t!  We suggest a blood test at your doctors to check your iron levels is a good idea.

Paradoxical Insomnia – when you think you are not sleeping but you really are – several times a night we may be in the 5^th phase of sleep and we feel as though we are semi conscious. We  feel awake but in reality we are still asleep. Clock watching is the biggest issue here – try not to! Turn it away from you and use all your will power not to monitor the time through the night!

Hyper somnia /over sleeping- getting to bed too late and oversleeping the next morning can shift the circadian pattern – often seen with teenagers. Get to bed earlier and pay attention to nutrition and exercise.

Nightmares – These unpleasant dreams occur during REM sleep. As a result you are likely to remember the graphic details.  Caffeine and alcohol can exacerbate nightmares so try to reduce the intake of these substances close to bedtime.  Pay attention to creative pursuits as this may provide a much needed release and allow you to sleep in peace. Some report success with art therapy to relieve terrible nightmares.

Night terrors - Happen whilst asleep and the sufferer is mostly unaware they are happening although they appear awake and alert.  The often won’t remember although they can be distressing for those who are awake. 

Teeth grinding  - Can be the manifestation of deep seated anxiety or tension.  Some use a gum guard to prevent grinding their teeth as it can cause facial pain, neck pain, headaches, ground down/fractured teeth and in extreme cases can also affect gums, bone and jaw mechanisms.  Learning to deal with stress and encouraging expression through art, singing, drama, music or martial arts helps to relieve tension. 

Insomniacs sometimes resort to alcohol, drugs or stimulants like caffeine and energy drinks to either help them to sleep or stay awake and function normally.  These substances actually exacerbate the problem and one can become stuck in a fatigue cycle which is hard to break. 

Too much caffeine in your blood stimulates your nervous system and can make you jittery.  It stops the liver from breaking down adrenaline so actually adds to feeling of being tired, whilst also delaying sleep onset and shortening overall sleep time and depth. 

Alcohol – is a relaxant and a stimulant.  It may help you to fall asleep quickly but will adversely affect your sleep quality as it affects the neurotransmitters needed for peaceful sleep. Alcohol consumed 6 hours before sleeping can disturb the sleep cycle so avoid it if you have trouble sleeping at night. It also exacerbates sleep apnoea because it relaxes the throat muscles and affects the brain’s breathing centre by masking the levels of oxygen levels in the blood.  Hangover symptoms are often partially due to disrupted sleep as well as dehydration.

Nicotine – is a stimulant and which enhances the effect of adrenaline.  Whilst you may find it relaxing to smoke it is actually stimulating your nervous system and delaying sleep onset.

So, all of these substances may be consumed to relax one but their use actually creates a worse state of insomnia, which leaves us reaching for more of these substances. This is a fatigue cycle.  Top tips for natural sleep will provide some thoughts for you to consider on how to break this cycle.

We have daily rhythms of waking and sleeping called Circadian rhythms.  While we sleep there are distinct phases of sleep which repeat in a cycle/pattern every 100 minutes, so we may pass through these phases a number of times each night depending on how long we sleep.

Sleep is an active process and during each of these phases there is a complex exchange of hormones and chemical messengers affecting our nervous systems.   Brilliant sleep requires this to be a balanced system. The best sleep happens when all these phases occur naturally - if they are broken/interrupted the quality of sleep may be affected.

Insomnia has many unappealing side effects.  Mental tiredness can slow reaction time, impair decision making, reduce work effectiveness/performance and cause irritability and mood swings.  A lack of sleep can increase the risk of illness as our immune systems become compromised.  When you sleep your heart has a chance to rest, so poor or too little sleep increases your chances of heart disease.  Your metabolism is also disrupted by exhaustion.  Production of the hormone Leptin (which tells the body how much energy you have to use) peaks during the night, so if you are not sleeping well, this can be miscalculated – the result is you end up storing fat instead of burning it. 

A lack of sleep can also reduce the effectiveness of exercise. While you are in your cell repair phase of sleep, 70% of your daily Growth Hormone gets released.  This hormone is required to maximise the effects of exercise and complete the biological process of weight loss.  Testosterone levels also plummet when you don't get enough sleep - that's means a lack of motivation and a low libido which can affect your sex life.

Read our top tips on how to sleep better, naturally.