While Your Were Sleeping

What happens while you sleep?

The first stage of sleep is slow-wave sleep where most of your brain is inactive which allows for restoration of energy in your nervous system.

The second stage of sleep is REM sleep (rapid eye movement) where some parts of your brain are silent while other parts are very active. During REM sleep the secondary sensory cortex is more active.

When you are awake and see something, the stimuli comes in through your retina, through your primary visual cortex, then over to your secondary and tertiary visual cortices, etc. But during REM sleep, the activity starts in the secondary and tertiary cortices rather than the primary visual cortex. In other words, those parts of your brain are processing things even though you aren’t actually seeing anything – you are dreaming.

Why do you need sleep?

First off, to restore energy to your brain. While the brain account for only 3% of your body weight, it uses 20-25% of your energy. Unfortunately, your brains cells cannot store energy. You need to replenish your reserves with sleep.

Another very important function of sleep is the consolidation of memories (particularly during REM). If your REM sleep is disrupted, it interferes with your cognition – you won’t remember or learn things as well.

Dreaming is an important activity during sleep. The subcortical/subconscious communicates in the form of images – dream images. Dreaming is also a chance to use circuits in your brain that you may have underused during the day.

Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation is a stressor.  Levels of glucocorticoids rise when you are sleep deprived. This can affect your bodies ability to form long-term memory, your metabolism and your immune systems – and not in a good way.

One way to improve the quality and length of sleep is by practicing a meditation/relaxation exercise right before you go to bed. It will help you sleep more soundly and keep you from waking up as often.

Moira

A Little Shut Eye

How much sleep do you really need? While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need at least eight hours of sleep each night to function at their best.

However, a recent survey found that more people are sleeping less than six hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week. If you’re not getting the optimal amount of sleep, you are putting yourself at risk for health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure and a decrease in the immune system’s power.

Sleep is important! It affects:

Learning and memory: As mentioned on Friday sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation.

Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way your body processes and stores carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that can affect your appetite.

Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness.

Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.

Disease: Sleep deprivation alters the activity of your body’s NK cells and can affect your immune system.

Short of taking a pill, there are numerous ways to encourage a good night’s sleep.

Relaxation is always beneficial, but especially if you are struggling with sleep. Practicing relaxation techniques before bed is a great way to wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep. Some simple relaxation techniques include:

Deep Breathing

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Visualization 

Sweet dreams!

Moira

Abdominal Breathing

We breathe without giving it any thought. Inhale. Exhale.

What if I told you the way you breathe can affect your stress level? Would you think about it then?

Turns out abdominal breathing sends more oxygen into your blood stream. This is a good thing. The oxygen improves the lactate levels in your blood and lowers the lactic acid in your body. Lactic acid contributes to anxiety.

Try to practice abdominal breathing at least twice a day - or, whenever you find your mind dwelling on upsetting thoughts or when you experience pain.

To begin:

·         Place one hand your abdomen. When you take a deep breath in, the hand on your abdomen should rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. You want to fill your entire lung with air.

·         After exhaling through the mouth, take a slow deep breath in through your nose and hold it.

·         Slowly exhale through your mouth. As all the air is released with relaxation, gently contract your abdominal muscles to completely evacuate the remaining air from the lungs. Remember, respiration deepens not by inhaling more air but through completely exhaling it.

·         Repeat the cycle four more times for a total of 5 deep breaths and try to breathe at a rate of one breath every 10 seconds (or 6 breaths per minute).

Once you feel comfortable practicing the technique, you may incorporate words to enhance the exercise. For example, you might say to yourself the word, relaxation (with inhalation) and stress or anger (with exhalation). The idea being to bring in the feeling/emotion you want with inhalation and release those you don't want with exhalation.

Moira

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

In 1929, Dr. Edmund Jacobson published Progressive Relaxation. In it, he detailed a technique that focuses on tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body.

The technique is now called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). The mental component of the technique focuses on the difference between feelings tension and relaxation. During PMR the eyes are closed and concentration is directed to the sensation of tension and relaxation. Feelings of warmth and heaviness are felt in the relaxed muscle after it is tensed, a mental relaxation is felt as a result. With practice, one can learn how to effectively relax and deter anxiety.

Since Dr. Jacobson’s ground-breaking work, practitioners who are trained in various body therapies have come to believe muscle tension serves an important role in keeping psychological material repressed. They believe tension stops energy flow and therefore the flow of emotions.

It is best to consult a physician before beginning PMR – especially if you have suffered a serious injury, have muscle spasms or back problems.

PMR tips –

• Find a quiet place with no electronic distractions
• Remove restrictive clothing
• Sit in a comfortable chair – you may practice PMR lying down but you just might fall asleep
• Remember to hold the tension in each area for fifteen seconds
• When you finish a session, relax with your eyes closed for a few seconds before getting up slowly

To begin –

·         Start with the right hand and lower arm. Make a tight fist and feel the tension in the hand, over the knuckles and up into the lower arm. Hold it for 15 seconds, then let go and relax. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation in your hand and lower arm.

·         To tense the right bicep, push your elbow down against the arm of the chair, feel the tension, study it, and then let go and relax

·         Move to the left hand and lower arm - make a tight fist......

·         Right bicep - push your elbow against the arm of the chair......

·         Move to the muscles of the face – start with the forehead. Tense the forehead by lifting the eyebrows as high as possible. Tense the muscles of the upper cheeks and nose by squinting tightly. At the same time wrinkle the nose.

·         Tense the muscles in the lower part of the face and jaw by gentling bite the teeth together while pulling the corners of the mouth back. Remember to feel the tension.

·         To tense the muscles of the neck – make a fist and push the chin against it, creating tension in the back and sides of the neck

·         Tense by shoulders by lifting them towards the ears. At the same time, create the tension in the back of the neck.

·         To tense the upper back - take a deep breath and hold it. At the same time, pull the shoulder blades together and try to make them touch

·         Tense stomach and abdominal muscles by pulling the stomach muscles in and holding them

·         Tense the right thigh by lifting the leg up off the chair - feel the tension in the upper leg and into the hip

·         Tense the right calf by pointing the toes

·         Tense the right foot by pointing the toes and turning the foot inward

·         To tense the left leg, lift it up off the chair

·         Tense the left calf by pointing the toes

·         Tense the left foot by pointing the toes, turning the foot inward

·         Now that each muscle groups in the body had been tensed and relaxed, try to relax each muscle group more deeply. Take deep breaths and let go of any remaining tension 

Moira