Our daily life is a reflection of the sleep we had the night before.
Your quality of sleep has an impact on your energy through the day, your metabolism, your mood and weight.
During sleep, the body recharges, repairs damaged tissue and initiates growth while the mind processes, sorts and stores all the information it has taken in through the previous day.
Research from the University of Chicago Medical Report (Dec 2, 1999, Vol 19. No 6) states that 4 – 6 hours of sleep nightly accumulates a sleep debt which shows signs of deterioration in neurological [nervous system] and cognitive [mood/perception] function. The research also mentions that with sleep deprivation comes symptoms of aging, glucose intolerance leading to diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss.
During your sleep cycle, you move from alertness, relaxation, unconscious light sleep (incorporating non-REM), rejuvenating deep sleep and dreaming moving into REM, moving back to light sleep.
This cycle takes an average of 90 minutes and for a good night sleep you need at least 5 cycles (i.e. 8 hours). Your best sleep is done before midnight therefore go to be by 9:30pm for the best night sleep.
Alcohol inhibits the first few cycles of sleep which is why you may find that you do not wake refreshed after drinking the night before.
We naturally know that a bad night sleep can spoil a good day!
Warning signs of Sleep Deprivation include:

• Poor motivation
• Low energy and/or hyperactivity
• Addictions and increased cravings of sugar, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and recreational drugs
• Irritability
• Foggy brain / confusion
• Increased susceptibility to infection and cold like symptoms
• Headaches, depression and anxiety
• Mouth breathing (waking with a dry mouth) and snoring
• Generally, to work towards a good night sleep you need to:
• establish a set cycle for going to bed and waking up
• avoid caffeine after midday
• avoid alcohol at night
• eat more fruits fresh and in season
• ensure you are not overheated nor overcooled
• keep electrical appliances at least 1 metre away
• avoid TV and nicotine before bed
• try to take medications earlier in the day (speak to your GP to establish if this is possible)
  

At night, when the body craves sugar or other substances or you feel hyperactive it is because you need to go to sleep but your brain is receiving signals telling it to keep awake and is calling for these substances and extra movement/activity to keep awake.

There is a lot more that you can do to initiate better sleep, sleep through the night and wake refreshed and form long-term constructive, practical sleep habits. Our nutritionist, Tania Smith, can investigate the potential blocks to a good night sleep. Often this is through the imbalance of stress, biochemically and/or through your current lifestyle choices. All these factors lead to your current habits and changes can be made gently and directly to help you achieve good health.

To book an appointment with Josie Franco call 9527 3322