“Slumber is the Chief Nourisher in Life’s Feast”
-Shakespeare
Sleep nourishes your mind-body-spirit and is integrally related to wellness. Sufficient quantity and quality of sleep are vital for optimal functioning of all biological processes e.g., digestion, immunity, hormonal balance, mental health, learning, memory, clearance of toxins, growth, healing, and cell regeneration. Children and teens should strive for nine to ten hours of sleep to support growth and development, whereas most adults should ideally sleep seven to eight hours. However, the average American sleeps only four to six hours per night, contributing to a cumulative debt, which impairs the ability of your mind and body to function.
Insufficient sleep increases your stress hormone levels with serious health consequences, such as neurological deficits (in memory, concentration, or neuromuscular control) and cardio-metabolic risks (of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and infections). When you are sleep deprived, naps improve your attentiveness, coordination, reflexes, and spirit. A twenty-minute snooze enhances motor skills and mental clarity, while fifty to ninety minutes of napping regulates your nervous system and brings deeper REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, to generate new neural connections.
While your conscious self is off duty, several other systems are hard at work during the night shift. Your night crew is busy repairing your muscles, building your bones, replenishing your energy reserves, and refreshing your nervous system’s software. New data is updated from the neuromuscular learning that occurred during the day, and your neural trash is emptied by clearing toxins from your brain. The nervous system actually reactivates and reorganizes recently learned information, improving muscle memory, and boosting performance. If your unconscious night shift is cut short, your body and mind don’t have time to adequately recharge and reap all the benefits of everything you learned during the day.
Chronic sleep insufficiency wears you down mentally and physically, making you more prone to injury. Prioritize time for full recovery to ensure all systems are primed. Morning sunlight exposure helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle and maintain a balanced circadian rhythm to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed. Avoid factors that can disrupt sleep, such as caffeine, alcohol, or using electronics before bedtime. Preliminary research links blue light emitted from screens to serious health problems such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and vision loss. Blue light also tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime, inhibiting the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. Instead of looking at a screen before bed, try to establish a relaxing pre-sleep routine, such as a soothing bath, mindful breathing, or meditation. Indulge in natural soundscape serenity of rainfall, ocean waves, or flowing water to create a peaceful environment for rest and rejuvenation.
Healthy sleep habits help you learn faster, optimize strength and fitness, and protect you from disease, dysfunction, and injury. Savor sweet slumber to nourish your life’s feast!