Are you getting your zzzz's?
Jane Arlow • June 5, 2020
Here's why it's important..
In previous posts, I talked about sleep and its relationship with stress. The executive summary for this piece is that stress causes lighter sleep and poor-quality sleep increases feelings of stress. But it doesn’t just impact stress levels. Lack of sleep also has many other negative impacts on our bodies and minds.
Sleep is essential to our well-being. It’s a period of regeneration for our bodies and the time when our brains do their housework – cleaning and tidying up. Research indicates that sustained sleep deprivation, meaning a lack of that regeneration and housework, increases the likelihood of developing dementia, heart disease, infertility, obesity and diabetes.
Obviously, one night’s poor sleep is not going to tip us over the edge. But like stress, when poor sleep becomes chronic, it has an impact on well-being.
We're more emotional when we don't have enough sleep
When we have a poor night’s sleep, the next day, the amygdala (emotion centre) is more active. At the same time, our pre-frontal cortex (conscious decisions centre) is less active. So, we are more likely to react to things in an emotional than a rational way.
We perform as well as if we'd been drinking alcohol when we don't have enough sleep
As well as impacting our ability to make conscious decisions, lack of sleep can also impact our ability to perform tasks. Did you know that sleep deprivation was a factor in a number of very high- profile accidents – think the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil disaster? And that driving under conditions of sleep deprivation is just as dangerous as driving drunk?
OK, so we're emotional, we're not performing properly. What else could possibly go wrong?
We eat more when we're short on sleep
Oh, look! There’s also a hormonal response to sleep deprivation, even over one night. There are two hormones that are produced in our guts – ghrelin, which regulates hunger; and leptin, which regulates feelings of being full. When we've had a poor night’s sleep, the body produces more ghrelin and we feel hungrier. At the same time, our bodies react less to the leptin so the gut doesn’t get the feeling of being full.
If we pair up this hormonal response with the heightened emotional responses to lack of sleep, we can see how we might be more likely to experience emotional eating and to consume a higher level of calories. Research indicates that we might consume up to 300 calories/ day more, even in cases of short-term sleep deprivation. The same research also identified that even if we have already eaten a full meal, we are more likely to consume these extra calories in sugary, salty and/or high carbohydrate foods. So, unsurprisingly, the researchers found that short habitual sleep time leads to an increased BMI proportional to the decreased sleep.
Now we know what happens when we're deprived...what should we know about sleep?
How much should we sleep?
We all have a sleep/ wake cycle of approximately 24 hours. This cycle is controlled by light and by a neuro-transmitter called melatonin that helps us to drift off. This means that when it’s darker, we want to sleep more than when it’s lighter.
In general, adults need to sleep around 6-8 hours per night and during the night will experience various types of sleep over roughly 90- minute cycles as the body regenerates, tidies and cleans up. Different types of sleep, at different times of the night, are associated with different activities. For example, we tend to have more deep sleep - associated with physical recovery and some aspects of memory and learning - earlier in the night; and more REM sleep - when we dream - in the last two cycles before our normal waking time.
We may wake up between 10-30 times per night but because some of these periods are really short, we may not even remember them.
In addition to stress and the light received by our eyes, there are a number of other factors that can affect our sleep/wake cycles: when and what we eat; exercise and when we do it; and temperature fluctuations. Luckily, these are all things that you can attempt control (and I’ll talk about the things we can control more in my next post).
Of course, for those amongst us who are naturally night-owls, the fact that we have to participate in a standard working day can mean that we’re not ready to go to bed early enough to match the required start of our day leading to an ongoing sleep debt. Sorry.
In summary then, getting quality zzzz’s in is essential for all aspects of our health. Look out for my next post on top tips on getting better sleep!
And if this is a topic that interests you, let me recommend the book "Why We Sleep" by Professor Matthew Walker*. It's a super easy read and will convince you of the importance of getting more and better sleep!
* This is an affiliate link which means that Amazon will pay me about 2p at some point in the undisclosed future, at no cost to you.
Because no one wants the lurgy!
And the first one's a doozie!
October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you haven't done it recently, please let this be the nudge you need to give them a good feel up. Here 's a link to the NHS website below showing how to perform your check and what to look for. If you're one of my gentlemen readers, please don't think this doesn't apply to you. It does. Men can still get breast cancer. And if you find something that doesn't seem right, please contact your GP as soon as possible. 80-90% of lumps are likely to be benign, but for the small percentage of those that aren't, early detection and treatment are your best chances of having successful treatment and being around to annoy friends and family for a long time. Don't skip your mammogram I know having mammograms is really uncomfortable. But this is one of the best ways to check for cancers that aren't otherwise easily spotted. So if you get invited, please go. (And don't skip your smear test either!!!) Know your risk factors 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Here are some of the risk factors: - Age : older women are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women and age is the highest risk factor. - Genetics : Breast cancer risk is higher if you have first-degree relatives who've had it (although 85% of women with a relative with breast cancer WON'T get it). - Breast density (relates to the percentage of non-fatty tissue): the risk is highest for those with the most dense tissue. You can ask your radiographer to tell you whether you have dense tissue at your mammogram. - Lifestyle factors: These include having overweight or obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and insufficient physical activity. - Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: These "forever" chemicals, such as pthalates and parabens, show up in makeup and toiletries. Risk doesn't normally come from one exposure to one chemical, but from prolonged exposure to many different chemicals over a long period of time. You can read more about the risks here It's worth noting that even if you get a diagnosis, it's unlikely you'll ever know if there was "one thing" that caused it. What happens if you get a diagnosis of breast cancer? I am in no way competent to comment on the treatment plan your medical team recommend for you. Everyone I know who's had breast cancer has had a different treatment plan, depending on: the stage of cancer; whether it had spread further; whether it was hormone-receptive; whether it was due to genetic mutation; and the age of the woman. I do know that for all of us, it was a really scary time. You should be given access to resources outside of the surgical and oncology team, often via a Macmillan nurse, who can answer questions on topics from your treatment and reactions, to claiming for extra benefits. They're also great if you're not sure what questions to ask. While you're in the heat of the panic, it can be difficult to think clearly about what you need to know. Using "what should I be asking that I'm not?" is super helpful. Keep moving after your diagnosis, during and after treatment The one thing I can advise you on with all confidence, is to keep moving. Exercise is safe, possible and helpful for individuals with breast cancer, throughout the treatment cycle. In fact, international guidelines say you should try to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible. Exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back; and may stop stage 1 cancers from growing further; and can also reduce treatment side effects like tiredness, cognitive impairment or lympoedema. Yes, you may need to dial back your usual activities if treatment leaves you feeling exhausted. But whenever you can, please aim for 150 minutes of exercise in every week. Many forms of treatment also lead to a higher osteoporosis risk, so please also do resistance-based and/or some impact-based exercise every week. I'd also recommend paying attention to shoulder mobility. Scar tissue and "guarding" of surgery sites can reduce your range of movement a lot. Check in with your medical team to confirm if there's any specific movements you should avoid during your treatment plan, and when you'll be signed off to go back to them. One last piece of advice someone else gave me... When you tell people you have cancer, a lot of them will have an opinion on your treatment plan. Especially if they're of the "my friend cured their cancer by just eating this one thing.." type. Unless this person is an oncologist, you can safely ignore them! So, what are you still doing reading this? Go off and give yourself a fondle!
I bet you've asked these yourself!
Because resting is revolution in a world that wants to keep you agitated!
Pilates is the best! You should do it more often!
Spoiler alert...
AKA - what happens when you stop taking the stairs.
Struggling to get 10,000 steps a day?
Because knees are important!