A good night sleep is on the top of a lot of people’s wish list. Just be sure to not over think it! This article will help you understand sleep a little better and offer tips on how to promote better sleep.
There are different stages of sleep, which include light sleep, slow wave sleep and REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep). The majority of slow wave sleep, which is the stage of deep or restorative sleep, occurs during the first few hours of sleep and as a result this first 3 – 4 hour period is often called “core sleep”. Long naps (daytime sleeping) can be detrimental to the quality of sleep achieved at night. Once asleep in bed at night, the brain recognizes that it had some slow wave sleep not that long ago during the nap and so will not enter this stage when sleeping in bed. Naps longer than 25-30 minutes will start entering the slow wave sleep stage. Those who nap longer than the recommended 20 – 25 minutes and still do sleep all night may not be reaching this deeply restorative stage at night. Thus the body feels tired the next morning, even after all that sleep.
All stages of sleep provide us with something important. The light stages of sleep (eg. short naps) do rest and restore us, but the slow wave sleep “restoration” is a more profound state where the body is rejuvenating, healing, strengthening the immune system, and literally recharging our batteries. There are many things that affect people’s ability to achieve this deep, restorative sleep, such as: aging, snoring, depression, pain, noise, caffeine/alcohol intake, long naps and certain medications. Often a sleep diary can help to identify any patterns or influences on sleep.
There are many ways to promote better sleep. First, improve your health with good lifestyle habits such as being active, managing stress and healthy eating. Next, set a bedtime routine that involves some relaxation before bed, going to and getting up from bed at the same time and avoid watching the clock. The main goal while in bed should be rest, not sleep.
It is normal for everyone to wake numerous times during the night, however, most people aren’t even aware of it. Some studies show people can wake up as often as 2-3 times an hour, every night, all night. Most sleep experts do not consider mid-night awakening a problem as long as you fall back asleep within 25 minutes or so. The body will take whatever sleep it needs and there isn’t necessarily a recommended number of hours to strive for each night.
Finally, many of us are wakened by our thoughts in the middle of the night. Keep a pad of paper and a pen on the night side table and jot these thoughts down. This is a way of clearing your mind and ensuring that this thought won’t be forgotten by morning.
The Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team has a new group this fall focusing on achieving a good night sleep. Learn more about sleep cycles and how beliefs, behaviors and outside factors can affect sleep. This group uses cognitive behavioral techniques that help identify and replace thoughts and behaviours that cause or worsen sleep problems with habits that promote sound sleep.
For more information about the free services visit www.mmfht.ca or call our Drayton office at 519-638-2110, or our Clifford office at 519-327-4777 to book an appointment.
