QUALITY SHUT – EYE – The Essence of wellbeing
By Linda van Doornewaard – Holistic Therapist/ Reflexolgist
As you fall asleep…
Our timing of sleep is largely controlled by our inner circadian clock, circadian coming from the Latin circa meaning around and diem meaning day. As it sounds, this internal time keeping usually follows daylight and works on a 24-hour basis. Of course it can be adjusted, essential when traveling to countries in different time zones. Melatonin, which brings on sleep, is at its lowest during the day, and is released by the pituitary gland as the light starts dimming, or around 9pm.
As you nod off, you stop hearing most sounds unless they’re loud, and even then most of us can get through an occasional barking dog. As you become less aware of your surroundings you enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when your eyes twitch and move while your brain remains as active as it is during waking hours. You’re more likely to remember your dreams if stirred awake during REM. Once your eye movement decreases or stops completely, you enter the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase, when the breathing slows to a rhythmic pace and the body temperature drops alongside the blood pressure. You’ve now entered deep sleep and for the remaining hours of the night, this pattern of going from REM to NREM sleep repeats itself, with the former increasing gradually.
OUR BASIC NEEDS
Rats deprived of sleep will die after two to five weeks as their immune system slowly shuts down. There is an individual variability for how much sleep each person needs for proper function. The majority of people sleep from six to nine hours, but children sleep more whilst the elderly sleep less.
And the best time to sleep? This greatly depends on your schedule. You usually know what feels best for you and when you’re most alert. For most of us, work sets our schedule, in which case finding the balance between the hours you’re required to be awake and your natural body clock is the ideal.
DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
Dreaming is just the brain’s way of digesting and organizing thoughts we gather through the day, so it is not unusual to dream up a solution to a problem that’s been nagging you. Dreams can also be entertaining and bazaar, can let you try something out that you are not sure about in real life, and, of course, can also descend into the murky, scary realm of nightmares.
For some, dreams have been a way to interpret the meaning of life. In Greek literature, Homer described his dream in The Iliad. Socrates supposedly studied music because he was told to in a dream and Aristotle believed that dreams tell a great deal about a person’s physical health. Hippocrates later adapted this theory, which is still practiced by some doctors.
Nightmares are more common in children and decrease from adolescence to adulthood. They also occur more in women. Some medications are reported to increase nightmares. Occasional nightmares are not said to have much pathological effect, but recurrent nightmares could be very distressing. Unlike dreams, nightmares often occur as a result of stress and illness, or when we’re in a state of grief,. They can also result from alcohol or drug abuse. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders can also offset nightmares. People who suffer from frequent nightmares should see a sleep specialist to pinpoint its cause.
BENEFITS OF SLEEPING
We naturally look better when we’re healthy. In the fast-paced lifestyle we life in, sleeping for long stretches may hardly seem possible. But efficient sleep helps us stay alert, keeps our memory in check and gives us the clarity we need to solve problems, benefiting our general wellbeing, not to mention avoiding accidents that tend to occur from sleeplessness, such as when driving. The chances of death from coronary heart disease, cancer or stroke are greater for those who sleep less than four hours than those who sleep an average of seven to eight hours.
SLEEP DEPREVATION
The long-term effects of sleep deprivation include high blood pressure, artery constriction, anxiety, stress, and stiff limbs and muscles. These are just the physiological affects, on the mental side as a person becomes increasingly sleep deprived, he begins to lose the ability to reason. His actions and reactions slow down, very much like being intoxicated. Eventually, not sleeping would affect the person’s performance at work, not to mention the rest of their life. A few nights without sleep and with great stress can mean a complete mental and physical collapse.
SLEEP DISORDERS
At any sleep clinic you’re bound to find those suffering from the most common sleep disorders: insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy or parasomnia (sleep walking or talking also fit into this category.)
Insomnia for the most part is usually self-caused. Lifestyle plays a very important part in your sleep pattern. Sleeplessness is always worse in larger cities with a lot of entertainment centered around going to bars and restaurants at night and staying until early morning.
WHAT’S THE CURE?
One way to increase your chances of developing a healthy sleep pattern is to change your habits. Stop watching TV till late hours as this can act as a stimulant. Instead, read or do relaxation exercises to slow the brain down. Listening to relaxing music or taking a warm bath before you going to bed is a good idea. Try to get eight full hours, and avoid caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants. Alcohol is also best avoided right before heading to bed as it also alters your brain’s natural process.
SLEEPIEST CITIES
When you work it out, we spend huge amounts of our life asleep- around a third in fact. And while it may not be the most exciting part of your life, it is one of the most essential. Not surprisingly, Asia heads to bed way later than the rest of the world. According to surveys, seven of the top ten countries that stay up the latest are all within the region of Asia. Taiwan ranked second after Portugal, while Hong Kong takes fourth place with 31% going to bed after 1am.
TRIVIA
* The average person sleeps about 2,555 hours a year and spends six years of their life dreaming. By the time we reach 80, we will have slept for over 233,600 hours or 26.67 years!
* Sleeping on your right side improves digestion
* Insects may appear to sleep by not moving at night, but the fact is they do not sleep at all. Armadillos sleep about 18 hours or more each day while giraffes and elephants only need two to four. Dolphins sleep while moving
* Some of the world’s most famous night owls include Judy Garland, whose addiction to sleeping pills kept her up for days. Margaret Thatcher is known for saying “Sleep is for wimps” Napoleon lived on sleeping just four hours a night. Leonardo Da Vinci slept 15 minutes every four hours.
* Oxford University researchers conclude that counting sheep to fall asleep is not as effective as picturing a green meadow.
* The WHO has suggested working night shifts could help cause cancer.
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