Sleep... Yes it's important, we know this, we've heard it, yet how much do we really understand it?
I've never been one to have trouble sleeping, in fact, my friends will say I value my sleep more than I do some relationships. However, as you know, I now have a 6 month old baby girl, and well… sleep has become a distant luxury. Our little girl wakes up on average 4 times per night to feed. I get up and feed her and try to go back to sleep, but often times my mind wanders and by the time I fall back asleep, she's waking up for her next feeding. It's exhausting, but it's what needs to be done for our little girl. Nick on the other hand, well he gets to sleep, every night. It's an agreement we've chosen based on our priorities, I'm currently not seeing clients and he is. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't let a sleep deprived Chiropractor adjust me. So this is the agreement we have.
One day Nick approached me and mentioned that I've seemed very short tempered lately and that sometimes things bother me that have never been an issue before. I know what you're thinking.... Brave man to mention this to a sleep deprived new momma. lol. I agree with you, but I also appreciate him saying something, because it opened our eyes to how truly important sleep is not only for our physical and mental health, but also for our relationships. So before I went Hulk status on someone for wearing their shoes in the house, I decided to make sleep a much bigger priority.
But let's look deeper into that, what is it about sleep that affects us so much? Have you ever heard of the Diurnal/Circadian Rhythm? These are our bodies natural internal sleep cycles which repeat about every 24 hours. These cycles have a HUGE affect on our Hormones, Digestion, temperature regulation etc. When our Diurnal Rhythm is off, we will produce more cortisol (the stress hormone) hence my short temper….
Here’s what a “normal” Diurnal Rhythm will look like.
Your body will naturally start producing more cortisol just before 6am, allowing you the energy needed to wake up and make it through your day. Around 3:30pm your levels drop (ever felt that afternoon energy crash?). This allows us to sink into our parasympathetic Nerve System (this is our nerve system that is responsible for our rest and digestion) and wind down for the evening. Our cortisol levels are at their lowest between 9-10pm (go to sleep). Your levels will rise again around 11pm providing energy for digestion and daily detoxing. Yes, we require energy to digest the food we’ve eaten that day and to detox anything that our bodies deem as “unsafe'“. If you do not go to sleep before 11pm, your body will re-prioritize the energy (cortisol) to keep you awake. Most people refer to this as their 2nd wind. This leaves you with higher levels of cortisol (stress hormone), higher toxicity levels in your body, and digestion issues. All of these individually will affect your mood, and combined they are a recipe for one super moody individual.
If your schedule allows, do your best to be in bed no later than 10pm, and awake by 6am. See how much better you feel each day. And instead of reaching for that late afternoon coffee when your cortisol levels starts to taper down around 3-3:30pm, replace the coffee with a handful of fruit. These natural sugars will help you to maintain the energy you need to get through the rest of they day.
One of the first questions I’ll ask my clients is, “How’s your sleep”? Our sleep patterns can be the root problem behind a lot of mental and physical health issues. This gives the phrase, “I’ll sleep on it”, a whole new meaning.
Portia Davenport
Wellness Coach