Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation – Why Sleep Matters

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This article was written by a guest contributor. For guest contribution guidelines, please visit this page. Riley Cooper, health analyst and sports enthusiast, is a graduate of the University of Southampton and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Riley provides in-depth analysis and consultancy to multiple corporations.

Sleep is essential to well-being. It aids health and wellness and allows the body to rejuvenate. Various natural sleep aids are available, such as Lion’s Mane. 

When we sleep, our bodies recharge. Sleep studies suggest that we spend 25% to 33% of our lives sleeping. So naturally, it’s important to dissect and understand what happens when we sleep since we spend so much time doing it. The belief that the mind, body and soul are dormant during rest cycles has been debunked. Activity occurs at a different level while we are sleeping. Multiple processes affect our physical and mental health. Improved sleep quality enhances overall life quality.

Extensive research into sleep patterns reveals two particular forms of sleep activity: REM and non-REM. Rapid Eye Movement sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep takes place. During the non-REM sleep – the first cycle, there are 4 unique stages. The first of these encompasses being awake and falling asleep. Next up is light sleep, when the pulse and breathing become regulated and the body temperature gradually decreases. During stages 3 and 4, the body goes into a deep sleep. REM sleep was thought to be significant for memory and learning, but now the data indicates that non-REM sleep is much more important.

Once the REM sleep cycle begins, your eyes begin moving rapidly. Brain activity is akin to wakeful moments. Important things occur during the REM sleep cycle, notably increased breath rate and temporary paralysis of the body as dreams occur. The sleep cycles repeat, with less time spent in deeper stages of sleep (Stage 3 and 4). Typically, our bodies undergo several sleep cycles, but the majority of your time is spent in REM sleep .

Two primary processes govern sleep cycles, including our sleep drive and our circadian rhythm. Our bodies determine our sleep drive. The longer we are awake, the greater our sleep drive becomes. Unlike hunger which cannot be forced on the body, a desire to sleep will shut the body down when you’re mentally and physically exhausted. Our circadian rhythm is a built-in biological clock. It increases melatonin levels at night and then reduces them when daylight approaches.

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Factors that Disrupt Sleep Patterns 

Everyday concerns weigh heavily on our minds while we try to fall asleep. These can include financial obligations, work pressures, academic challenges, or emotional issues. Regardless, the greater the stress, the worse your sleep. In addition, various beverages can cause erratic sleep patterns, notably tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks. Contrary to popular opinion, alcohol can harm multiple sleep cycle stages. 

Other issues to consider include ambient temperature. According to sleep therapists, the optimal temperature for falling asleep is 18°C (65°F). While this is well below the threshold in most households, it makes it much easier to fall asleep if the room temperature is cooler. The lower your body temperature at night, the quicker you fall asleep.

Diet is an important component of overall health and wellness. If you eat foods high in calories, reaching REM sleep is much more difficult. There is a medical condition that has been attributed to interrupted sleep – sleep apnea. This potentially serious condition often goes undiagnosed. Excessive snoring, extreme fatigue during the day, mood swings, headaches and concentration problems are common with sleep apnea.

Then, of course, other elements can be corrected, such as a daily exercise regimen based on your chronotype. TVs, smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are ill-advised before bed too. These electronic gadgets and the blue lights of smartphones stimulate the brain and make it much more difficult to fall asleep. Turn off all your gadgets and electronics at least one hour before bedtime. Often, improved sleep is a function of many different components that we can control.

Why Do We Need to Sleep?

Brain behavior is affected by lack of sleep. 

Indeed, our very brain plasticity depends on adequate sleep for practical functionality. Insufficient sleep deprives our brain of the ability to process information, learn and retain information. While we sleep, our brains can also remove waste products from brain cells. Beyond the cerebral element, there are many advantages to sleeping. These are systemic and entail overall health and wellness. An adequate amount of sleep is pivotal to a healthy immune system, healthy disposition and a healthy metabolism. Our very essence is impacted by sleep or lack thereof.

Melatonin, valerian root, magnesium, lavender, glycine, passionflower, L-theanine, Ginkgo biloba and tryptophan have all been touted as natural sleep aids to assist individuals. Nowadays, more and more people are turning to medicinal mushrooms for the wide variety of health and wellness benefits they confer. These organic foods have no cholesterol, fat and antioxidants are the ultimate free radical scavengers. Medicinal mushrooms deliver on expectations, time and again. Folks interested in learning how long Lion’s Mane takes to work will be comforted to know that it’s a slow and gradual process. It can take 2 – 4 weeks before any noticeable effects are felt. Lion’s Mane mushrooms feed the body with ample doses of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other elements needed for a good night’s rest.

Fortunately, there are many effective ways to help the body relax in anticipation of a healthy sleep cycle. These include exercise, diet and supplementation. It is unhealthy and dangerous to use sedatives as a long-term remedy for sleep disorders. These are addictive, and our bodies can rapidly develop a tolerance to the medication. For this reason, healthy alternatives are being sought out by the medical and scientific community around the world. Across Asia, medicinal mushrooms have shown great promise as a powerful sleep aid. While the research is limited, preliminary evidence suggests that one particular form of medicinal mushrooms – Lion’s Mane – can benefit REM sleep and mood.

The best part of it all – it’s safe to take over the long-term. Healthy eating, healthy sleeping and healthy living are possible.

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