Sleep, Wonderful Sleep

Why We so Need it, and What to Do if it is Elusive

Deep, restorative sleep is when our bodies (and our brains specifically) clear away the accumulated junk from the day. You can think of it as your own garbage disposal system. Older people need even more quality sleep because we spend less time in the deep, restorative sleep, and our brains are making less melatonin, the sleep hormone, which is secreted more often in the earliest stages of sleep. All the more reason to turn in early!

Inadequate sleep boosts the inflammatory system and causes you to store excess body fat, both of which increase your chances of getting sick and sleeping even less. It is a vicious cycle. Chronic sleep deprivation also leads to many health problems. Sleep deprived people have higher levels of the hormone ghrelin which stimulates appetite and lower levels of leptin, the appetite-controlling hormone. That is why it is always hardest to stay on a healthy eating plan when you are sleep deprived!

It is true that as we age a number of other factors may make it harder for us to get adequate sleep: cortisol stays higher at night, while melatonin is lower; more belly fat contributes to hormonal fluctuations and increased inflammation; heartburn and indigestion, more common as we age, contribute to sleeplessness; hormonal fluctuations during menopause can keep us awake, while an enlarged prostate gives the sensation of a full bladder, disrupting the sleep of older men.

But there are some things we can do…

• Stay off electronics close to bedtime (I am terrible at this ☹)

• Keep a cool, dark bedroom (brain’s own alarm clock is very light sensitive)

• Keep the same sleep schedule (even on the weekends!) and turn in early (more in line with body’s natural hormone cycles)

• Avoid alcohol and eating within 3 hours of sleep (both of which spike insulin; resulting blood sugar crash triggers stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol)

• Avoid caffeine after midday (a stimulant, caffeine increases cortisol and epinephrine, which keep your body amped up)

• Get early in the day exercise (increases time in deep sleep stages)

• Get some sunlight before midday to help set your circadian (sleep/wake) clock

• Listen to calming music or plug in a fan or a white-noise machine

• Practice daily meditation, prayer, or relaxation (deep breathing) exercises

• Take a hot bath/shower (initial spike in body temperature leads to cooling which will relax body)

• Eat foods high in tryptophan (high protein foods like poultry; hazelnuts/pumpkin seeds; dairy)