Foundation of health starts with....Sleep

First and foremost, I am not a sleep scientist. I do not study sleep. I do however, enjoy getting a sound night of it. I do enjoy the feeling that I get when I get an uninterrupted night of sleep and am able to wake up in the morning with energy and the feeling of being able to “not just drag myself” through my morning routine.

My first introduction to interrupted sleep and its effects on my performance and behavior was when I was twenty- three and had just joined the US military. In 2002, I had graduated college and since I did not have a teaching degree or business degree, I became a little uncertain of my next steps as it pertained to a career path. That is when decided to join the United States Marine Corps. By November of 2002, I had arrived at recruit training in Parris Island. It was here that I would begin to experience sleep deprivation and interrupted sleep. Most military recruits and service members are familiar with fire watch. This meant that there were always two to four recruits who would circulate around the squad bay doing tasks such as checking rifles to ensure they were locked and secured, ensuring laundry was done and returned to the respective recruit, and they would spend time cleaning the bathroom from the night before. Having a fire watch, which is vital and a key important role to have to ensure the safety of the whole, also meant that there was always a light on somewhere in the squad bay and that with someone always moving around, the sleep a recruit was supposed to be getting was likely being at least mildly interrupted. The one time of the day that was quiet and not distracted with a Drill Instructor stressing out a recruit with their verbal assessments of how “Jacked Up” one was, was during this time. It was then the one time that was alternatively affected by disruption. Once boot camp was over, sleep deprivation never really stopped. At each and every training event, especially those training events that were held in the field, there was a standing fire watch. This resulted in at least 4 hours of lost slumber each night one was on fire watch. Fast forward to working in the fleet and deployments with now the sounds of combat in the distance, or other less restful Marines who had no issues with waking a sleeping Marine just because it was a Saturday night.

Given the chronology of at least my experience with sleep and sleep disruption, it can be no wonder why military service member or veterans have some level of difficulty with sleep. However, it does not have to be the military that is the source of ones sleep disruption. It could be the care of a sick loved one, a medical issue one may be dealing with, a person’s career such as being a night shift nurse, or an environmental issue. No matter what the situation is, years of impaired sleep will eventually take a toll and as more studies and science is coming out, sleep is the foundation of just about everything in our life. If we want to optimize anything, we need to optimize sleep. So, what is sleep?

Sleep is a biologic process where our brain is in a state of reduced consciousness however it is not in a state of dormancy as once thought.  It is a normal body process that evolution has determined to be of key importance. During sleep, which is composed of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NREM), which has 3 stages. Throughout sleep our brains are filtering and processing the information from the day. It is also as state of energy conservation, repair and recovery, and a form of brain maintenance where we process and store memories and learned information(1). During NREM-Stage 1, which is considered the lightest stage, makes up about 5% of our total sleep cycle. NREM-Stage 2, we go a little deeper into sleep marked with increases in electrical brain activity where our brain is re-organizing memories and learned tasks from the day. This stage is about 45% of our total sleep cycle. We then will proceed into NREM-Stage 3, making about 25% of total sleep, which is our deepest stage which allows us to feel rested. Then REM sleep is where we dream. This stage takes up about 25% of total sleep.

The literature is growing regarding sleep and its influence on many other facets of our lives. Take sleep and mental health for example. Sleep influences brain health and is linked to cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life, should we not be getting sufficient sleep in our youth. Specifically, lack of proper and sufficient sleep in middle age can increase the risk of dementia in later years. (2) With regards to sleep and obesity, not getting sufficient sleep can affect our hormones for which there are two hormones that are linked to eating. Leptin and Ghrelin helps regulate our desire to eat and our ability to stop eating. When we are sleep deprived these hormones are affected which can drive the desire to eat more food. With less sleep, we are less likely to have the energy to workout. These are just two example of sleep influencing some other aspect our life. There is a lot to sleep and I do think it is important for everyone to have a basic understanding of what sleep is and what it can do to our health.

Currently I am working on minimizing excessive computer lights and cell phone lights in the evening. I also take a packet of Live Momentous or a Thorne Sleep Bundle about 30 min prior to bed each night. I do read in the evening which does seem to facilitate some promotion of wanting to sleep. I also really try to minimize fluids within 30 minutes of bed time. I dress for bed according to the weather in the house and outside. I am also working on getting no less than 6 hours and shooting for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. I have also cut back on my caffeine intake, my pre-workouts drinks, and energy drinks to help calm my nervous system such that I will be more relaxed for when I go to bed. I have found by some of these adjustment, not only am I sleeping better but I also feel I need less caffeine the next day which only seems to help me sleep the next night. When I do caffeine, it is in the form of 8-10 oz of black coffee, yerba matte tea, green tea or some other form of tea. I also ensure that the room is as dark as I can get it, and in the case, I do need to get up to use the restroom, I do have a small night light in the bathrooms for safety and to not blast myself with bright lights in the middle of the night.

As a part of some resources that may be of benefit to the reader, I would like to share that on April 3rd,10th,17th, 24th, May 1st and 8th, Dr Andrew Huberman held a 6 part podcast interview with Dr Matt Walker in which they discussed the science and protocols to not only help improve sleep but also how to structure sleep, when to consume caffeine, when to take naps, how sleep influences memory and learning, how it can boost mood and emotional regulation, and finally they discussed nightmares and dreaming. I recommend checking this podcast out for whatever aspect of sleep that may be of benefit for the reader. Some other resources include the book Build to Move by Kelly and Juliet Starrett, the Matt Walker Podcast where he discusses sleep and another topic, some supplementation strategies such as Live Momentous Sleep Packets or Thorne Sleep Bundle, however when appropriate, please consult with a medical physician prior to consuming anything new, even supplements.

And as I normally provide some action steps, I have done the same here which can include: Reading a good book, cutting back on caffeine and do not consume after 2-4 pm, eliminating energy drinks if at all possible, get room darkening shades, turning your cell phone down or away from you as well as minimizing its brightness with settings on your phone, and take the TV out of the room, if there is one present in the bedroom. Make the bedroom a place only for sleep, intimacy, and/or sex.

Reference:

1.     https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/12148-sleep-basics

2.     Association of sleep duration in middle and old age with incidence of dementia. Sabia S, Fayosse A, Dumurgier J, van Hees VT, Paquet C, Sommerlad A, Kivimäki M, Dugravot A, Singh-Manoux A. Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 20;12(1):2289. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22354-2. PMID: 33879784.

3.     NIH Research Matters: lack of sleep in middle age may increase Dementia Risk. April 27th 2021. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lack-sleep-middle-age-may-increase-dementia-risk.

4.     Obesity and Sleep. December 22, 2023. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/obesity-and-sleep.

5.     Huberman Lab with Andrew Huberman: Guest Series with Dr Matt Walker. Dates: April 10th, April 17th, April 24th, May 1st, May 8th, 2024.