The Importance of Sleep.
How sleep affects your physical and mental well-being.
In today’s fast-paced world, a good night’s sleep often falls fairly low on our list of priorities, coming behind work, social activities, commitments and chores. However, sleep shouldn’t be seen as an indulgence; it’s as important to your physical and mental health as food and water.
While we sleep, we maintain critical bodily functions, we restore our energy, we repair muscle tissue, and we allow our brains to process new information.
Chronic sleep deprivation (frequent and consistent periods of fewer than 7 hours of sleep) has been linked to an increased risk for several serious health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, memory loss, lowered libido and depression. A lack of sleep can also affect your immune system; reducing your body’s ability to fight off infections.
To promote a good night’s sleep, it is important to practice good sleep hygiene. Some tips for this include:
Establish a sleep routine - having a regular bedtime helps train the body to get better sleep.
Cut out caffeine - for many people, caffeine has a stimulatory effect, and for some, even drinking it during the day can keep them from falling asleep at night. A rule of thumb is to avoid consuming foods are beverages that contain caffeine any later than mid-afternoon. This includes tea, coffee, certain soft drinks and chocolate.
Limit screen time before bed - aim to put away all electronics at least one hour before bed. The bright lights (specifically, blue light) stimulate the brain, which may make falling asleep more difficult.
Avoid eating right before bed - going to bed on a full stomach can disrupt sleep and keep you awake as the body is working to digest your food. This is particularly applicable to the consumption of spicy food which often contains capsaicin which can raise body temperature and affect sleep.
If all else fails, there are various natural aids that can be tried that may aid in getting a good night’s sleep. Some tried and tested remedies are:
Melatonin - melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your body’s sleep cycle. It is available as a dietary supplement.
Valerian - Valerian is extracted from the plant and sold as a dietary supplement. Alternatively, it can be consumed as a tea.
Magnesium - increases levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter with calming effects. Magnesium is available as a supplement, or can be increased in the diet by consumption of dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains, avocados, almonds and bananas (to name a few!).
Passionflower - also known as Passiflora incarnata or ‘maypop’, is a popular herbal remedy for insomnia and disordered sleep. It has proven most effective when consumed as a tea, rather than as a supplement.
These are just some suggestions of many when it comes to improving sleep quality. The most important thing to consider if you’re suffering from chronic or frequent difficulty sleeping is determining whether there’s an underlying cause. This is where nutritional therapy and a holistic view of the body can be invaluable in pinpointing what might be driving your struggle to get a good night’s sleep.
Boyle, N.B. Lawton, C. Dye, L. (2017). ‘The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress - a systematic review’, Nutrients, 9(5), p.429.; Shinjyo, N. Waddell, G. Green, J. (2020). ‘Valerian root in treating sleep problems and associated disorders - a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 25.; Fatemeh, G. Sajjad, M. Nilufar, R. et al. (2022). ‘Effect of melatonin supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials’, Journal of Neurology, 269, 1. pp.205-6.