I woke up in the middle of the night last night and then tossed and turned for what seemed like a very looong time until I eventually fell asleep again… and then I woke up very early, long before I wanted to!
And now, a few hours later, my brain feels a lot less sharp than usual. I have inadvertently bumped into one or two pieces of furniture, and my typos (as I attempt to write this) come thick and fast.
As a psychologist with a huge interest in brain health, I know that my clumsiness this morning is very likely to be a direct result of the disrupted, and thus poor quality, sleep I had last night.
And scientific studies show, unfortunately, that just one evening of poor quality sleep is enough to have a negative impact on many other less visible aspects of my functioning, including my immune system (as well as my microbiome and brain cells).
It seems that the main reason poor sleep has a negative impact on your immune system is because it disrupts your circadian rhythm which, in turn, triggers inflammation.
Circadian rhythms drive hormone, and other physiological, changes that cause us to move back and forth along a continuum of sleep and wakefulness throughout the 24-hour day. When your circadian rhythm is regularly disrupted by poor quality sleep, you become more prone to unhealthy chronic inflammation, and your immune system becomes compromised.
Going to bed at the same time and waking at the same time every day reinforces the healthy circadian rhythms that govern both our sleep and our immune function.
I describe a few habits below to improve your sleep hygiene and promote a better night's sleep in order to ensure a strong immune system. Bear in mind, that because your brain is somewhat unique in structure and function you should experiment a bit with all of these suggestions:
1. Create the conditions for quality sleep. These “conditions” are critical and start around mid-morning for many of us because what we do at this time of day can affect our sleep 10 hours later. Try to limit the following ‘inputs’ and see how this affects your quality of sleep:
- Caffeine is a crucial offender and blocks the brain’s sleep signal. It is found in: coffee, most ceylon teas, dark chocolate and some pharmaceutical drugs, e.g. weight loss pills and painkillers. Perhaps surprisingly, 50% of caffeine is still in your system 5 to 7 hours after you have drunk it, overriding your internal sleep cycles, so try to stop the caffeine intake about ten hours before bed.
- Electronic devices with LED screens also negatively affect the brain’s sleep signal. As the day wears on the sun’s light turns from predominantly blue light to predominantly yellow wavelength light. This causes your brain to start producing melatonin, the “sleep hormone” that makes you feel drowsy. LED screens, however, emit blue light, which stops the brain from producing and releasing melatonin.
So, turn off all electronic devices about 3 hours before bed-time. If this is just not possible, then ensure that you turn on the “dimmer switch” or choose the yellow light option on your smart phone and tablet. Also, bright light and/or cool white LED light, particularly in your bedroom, needs to be turned down or off.
- Food after 6:30pm can make it hard to fall asleep. Sugar-rich foods and heavy meals are especially problematic. The later you eat, the harder it becomes to achieve a full night of restful sleep. Also alcohol may help you to relax, but it will often impact your quality of sleep.
2. Develop a consistent evening routine. This is another crucial aspect of your “sleep hygiene” because it helps to ensure a long, deep night’s rest.
- Go to bed at about the same time every night. Set a bedtime alarm if you need to. Most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Listen to your circadian rhythm, which essentially means determining whether you are a morning or an evening person. Then time your eight hours sleep to suit your body’s rhythm.
- Write a “to do” list for the next day, especially if the stress of your current situation is keeping you from falling asleep quickly. By doing this, you are essentially “downloading” your internal “worry programme”, before you shut your eyes.
- Sleep in the dark. Heavy curtains, Blackout blinds and not even one dim bedside lamp. Even a low lamp will delay the production and release of sleep-inducing melatonin.
- Cool your room. Your body temperature needs to drop two to three degrees to fall asleep. An ideal room temperature is between 15C and 19C (i.e. 65F).
- Cool your body by having a hot shower or bath. It’s not the water’s heat that makes you sleepy, but your body temperature dropping after you get out of the tub.
- Get into bed with enough time to fully relax. Take five or more deep breaths and consciously relax the muscles throughout your whole body lying on your mattress.
- Listen to a guided meditation once in bed and while your eyes are closed to help release stress, and/or take natural supplements to reduce anxiety and promote sleep.
Bear in mind that emotional stress, such as that accompanying the current uncertainties, is a common obstacle to sleep. And, in turn, not getting enough sleep makes us more vulnerable to the physical and emotional effects of stress. It can become a very difficult, and debilitating, cycle.
Now, more than ever, getting quality sleep is important for reducing your stress and supporting your immune system.
News supplied by Alistair-Mork Chadwick.