When you wake after one, you feel refreshed, energized, motivated and happy; you know nothing beats a good night's sleep. But waking after tossing and turning for most of the night can make you feel the exact opposite. Unfortunately, those who suffer from common sleep disorders may wake feeling as if they hadn't slept at all, which leaves them unable to get a good start on the day.

Let's explore why sleep is important for good health, common sleep disorders, and natural ways to help alleviate their symptoms so you can rest well and wake up feeling refreshed. 

Nutritional Information

# type of sleep time spent
1beginning stage, light sleep. aren't aware you are asleep. 5 - 10 min.
2falling deeper - body temp decreases and heart rate slows. 20 min.
3transitional period between light and very deep sleep. varies
4deep sleep. time when sleep walking and bed-wetting occur. 30 min.
5rem (rapid eye movement) sleep. dreaming occurs. increases

What is REM Sleep?

The 5th stage of sleep is known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the stage when we dream. This stage occurs approximately 90 minutes after we fall asleep and gets progressively longer each time we cycle through it, eventually lasting up to an hour.

How Does Sleep Benefit My Health?

Sleep and the Brain

We need sleep to rest and repair both body and mind. Most sleep cycles support physical recovery and restoration. REM sleep plays an important role in mental recovery. Short sleep duration can reduce REM sleep and mental restoration. Children need quality sleep to support learning and memory formation. Sleep regulates many important bodily processes and hormones. Without proper sleep signals, glands and cells may function less efficiently. Neurotransmitter imbalances can contribute to depression symptoms. Low adrenal or thyroid function may contribute to fatigue or anxiety symptoms.

Sleep and Repair

During the time we are sleeping, our body is still quite active on the cellular level. As stated above, this is a time when many hormones and neurotransmitters are produced and stored for later use. Also, the body takes this time to heal and rebuild our bodies from any trauma or stress from the previous day's activities.

Our muscles repair themselves and gain strength from the previous day's use, and any cuts, bruises or other wounds are allowed to heal. Without this time of rejuvenation, our body cannot keep up with the constant daily insult, and we begin to feel the physical effects that we associate with aging. Giving your body sufficient sleep can help to reduce these effects and leave you feeling revitalized. Maybe there's something to the phrase "getting your beauty sleep".

How Can I Get Quality Sleep?

Amount of Sleep

There is no one correct amount of sleep for everyone. Each person has unique needs based on their own physiology, genetics, age, and physical and mental-emotional stress levels. In times of learning, stress, high activity, or growth, our bodies require more sleep than they normally would. Please see the chart below for general daily sleep guidelines based on age:

Nutritional Information
infants birth - 2 months 12 - 18 hours
babies 3 - 11 months 14 - 15 hours
toddlers 1 - 3 years 12 hours
children 3 - 5 years 11 - 13 hours
youth 5 - 10 years 10 - 11 hours
adolescents 10 - 17 years 8.5 - 9.5 hours
adults 18 years + 7.5 - 9 hours

Many people fail to achieve the required number of hours of sleep in a day. As we age, it becomes more difficult to get a full night's sleep, so napping during the day can help to fill any gaps. Any time we fail to achieve the required amount of sleep, our bodies are unable to fully repair and a "sleep debt" accumulates.

Sleep Debt

When we fail to get enough sleep for our body to heal, repair and mentally integrate the previous day, it is a condition known as "sleep debt". As the phrase implies, the effects of insufficient sleep accumulate over time, and leave a backlog of healing processes unfinished. Eventually, the body requires a sleep repayment, such as a night of sleeping extra hours or increased napping during the day, so it can catch up with integration and repair. Most of us are familiar with sleeping for several extra hours on a weekend to make up for lack of sleep during a busy week. This is an example of repaying your sleep debt. Failing to repay your sleep debt over time can result in sleep deprivation, a condition that can result in a number of problems such as hallucinations, emotional instability, depression, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and lowered immune status resulting in more frequent colds and infections.

Sunlight and Sleep

Ever wonder how your body knows when to sleep and when to wake up? Why do you get hungry and active during the day, but want to be still and relaxed at night? The body's daily rhythms, called circadian rhythms, dictate all of these functions. These rhythms are tied to the exposure of our eyes to sunlight during the day and darkness at night. In fact, as the light dims towards the end of the day, the body begins to produce increasing amounts of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for our "feeling sleepy". Thus, being exposed to light, even artificial light, can reduce the amount of melatonin produced in our brains and disrupt the natural sleep cycle. This effect is most pronounced when the light is in the blue spectrum and comes from above eye level, instead of below. The most common understanding of disturbance of the natural circadian rhythm is the condition we know as "jet lag", in which a person changes their circadian rhythm by exposing themselves to a different light-dark schedule by flying in or out of a different time zone. This can often result in sleep difficulties, fatigue, and mental confusion until the body can adapt and re-establish its natural pattern.

Sleep Hygiene

Maintaining regular sleeping habits is an essential component of healthy sleep. Go to bed only when you are tired and do not stay in bed if you are not sleepy. Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex. Get up at the same time each day. Do not nap unless it is a daily routine and exercise during the day but not before bed. Take a hot bath or shower 1-2 hours before bed. Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable. This may require covering alarm clock lights and unplugging other electronic devices nearby. If necessary, use a white noise machine to generate background noise. Put worries out of your mind and think of positive things. For occasional sleeplessness, try herbal combinations or melatonin.

What you can do to sleep better:

  • Help your body control stress with exercises like tai chi and yoga.
  • Take supplements to optimize neurotransmitter production, like melatonin and 5-HTP.
  • Take supplements to support adrenal health. (see list below)
  • Do not drink coffee, black tea, or cola; they all contain caffeine.
  • Eat plenty of fresh vegetables.
  • Do not eat too late in the evening.
  • Maintain a regular sleep cycle.
  • Use relaxation techniques like self-hypnosis.

5 Common Sleep Disorders

Because of its extremely important role in our lives, lack of sleep quickly takes a toll on one's body and mind. Not getting enough sleep can quickly lead to mood disorders, memory loss, reduced healing, poor stress management, and physical complaints. There are a number of different conditions that can affect sleep, a few of which we have listed below:

1. Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is one of the sleep disorders that affects more people than is diagnosed. Research suggests that as much as 25% of the Canadian population suffers from sleep apnea but remains undiagnosed.

During sleep, some people have a condition called sleep apnea, in which they stop breathing for a period of time that can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. These pauses can occur 5 to 30 times or more each hour. People often snort or choke loudly before normal breathing resumes. This condition can disrupt sleep and cause daytime fatigue and sleepiness. Some signs and symptoms are: morning headaches, irritability, mood swings, depression, sexual dysfunction, and learning or memory difficulties. When left untreated, sleep apnea increases the risk of a number of different health conditions, such as: cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, diabetes, and mental decline.

2. Insomnia

Insomnia is a condition of habitual sleeplessness that affects approximately one in ten individuals and becomes more common as we age. It can involve either the inability to fall asleep, or the inability to stay asleep, or both. Some causes of insomnia include: use of stimulants like caffeine or antihistamines, evening eating, evening exercise, shift work, an uncomfortable sleep environment, a weak bladder, and mental-emotional causes such as worry, grief or stress. Chronic insomnia is usually caused by a medical condition such as hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, restless leg syndrome, arthritis, indigestion or breathing disorders like sleep apnea. Half of all chronic insomniacs suffer from depression or another psychological disorder.

3. Narcolepsy

This nervous system disorder causes excessive sleepiness and can result in frequent daytime attacks of sudden sleep. It can also have symptoms of sleep paralysis and cataplexy, a condition where strong emotions cause sudden loss of muscle function and collapse. The cause of narcolepsy is not currently known, although it appears that there is a genetic component. Conventional treatment uses antidepressants and stimulants to support narcoleptics. It is often beneficial to attempt to control the symptoms naturally using proper lifestyle habits.

4. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

This condition does not directly involve sleep. However, it often occurs at night and affects sleep quality and quantity. People with restless leg syndrome (RLS) descirbe unusual senations or pain in their legs. This sensation produces a need to move the affected limb in order to temporarily stop the sensation. It typically occurs in the legs, although some individuals can experience it in their arms or torso. RLS may be associated with iron deficiency or a neurotransmitter deficiency.

5. Snoring

The most common of the sleep disorders is snoring. The noise associated with snoring is caused by the relaxation and vibration of soft tissues in the airway. There are a wide variety of different possible causes, but all result in a noise that can disturb your sleep and that of others around you. Sleep apnea often occurs alongside snoring and may contribute to symptoms. Loud snoring should prompt a sleep study to rule out other conditions. Changing sleep position may reduce snoring symptoms. Airway exercises may also reduce soft tissue movement during sleep. Other interventions target underlying sources for airway swelling, such as allergies or illness, to prevent obstruction of the airway.