BEHAVIORS
Our values change our beliefs, our beliefs change our behavior
and it's our behaviors that change our result.
James Smith
Sleep Coach
Get Serious About Sleep!
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Based on the latest sleep research, sleep is now one of the pillars of a healthy life and we all need to consider sleep as important as breathing & eating. For years our society and culture have given praise to those who work long hours and wake up early as ultra-productive high achievers.
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We now know this behavior results in sleep deprivation and is a contributor or cause of many health issues such as hypertension and diabetes.
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Sleep is a choice. Sleep should be considered the highest priority when it comes to living a healthy life. It is never too late to choose to improve your sleep quantity and quality and it's easier than you might think.
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Life’s Habits
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Over the course of our lives, we create many personal habits, such as, what and when we eat, how we like to communicate both inwardly and outwardly, what we do to prepare for the day, and how we feel about ourselves.
Sleep habits are also formed, by our parents, lifestyle, conditions, environment, and other influences. At a young age, we begin to form our own internal sleep clock or circadian rhythm which is the natural biological system that helps us sleep.
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Humans often give in to habits as a physiological necessity and not a choice. We fall victim to our own set of preconceived expectations or stuck states (stuck habits). Sleep habits are no exception, we interrupt our natural circadian rhythm by not having a consistent balanced sleep routine, this will make moving into a new direction challenging to say the least.
Sleep is predictable and achievable with sleep blueprints and good habits. It requires commitment just like diet and exercise. Sleep is the new medicine! And it's free!
PHYSIOLOGICAL SLEEP FACT:
THE YOUNGER WE ARE,
THE MORE SLEEP WE NEED
FOR OUR BODIES AND MINDS
Sleep Chart by Age*
Newborn (0-4mo)
Infant (4-11mo)
Toddler (1-2yrs)
Preschooler (3-5yrs)
School-Age (6-13yrs)
Teenager (14-17yrs)
Adult (18-65yrs)
Adult (65+yrs)
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-
-
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-
-
-
-
14-17 hrs/day
12-15 hrs/day
11-14 hrs/day
10-13 hrs/day
9-11 hrs/day
8-10 hrs/day
7-9 hrs/day
7-8 hrs/day
*sleepfoundation.org
SLEEP STAGES
Stage 1
Non-REM sleep is the time when your body begins to slow down in preparation for sleep. Your heart rate begins to drop, and eye movement slows, and your muscles relax
Stage 2
Non-REM sleep is a stage of light sleep Your heartbeat, breathing your body functions continue to slow, your body temperature drops and eye movement halts in preparation for Deep Sleep.
Stage 3
Non-REM sleep is the stage of deep sleep. The deep sleep stage is where the body is the focus for restoration and recovery. During this stage of sleep, the body functions are at their lowest levels. The muscles are fully relaxed and brain waves are at their lowest levels.
REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)
REM begins about 80-90 minutes after falling asleep. Your eyes move rapidly, and your body releases a chemical (INSERT) that effectively creates a paralytic state (so you don’t act out your dreams). Your bodily functions such as heart rate, breathing, and brain activity all reach wake or higher activity. REM sleep stage is where the brain is the focus of learning, consolidation, and brain health.
Sleep stages perform independent functions and are all equally important and all are required for good health. Consistency in our approach to how we sleep is a top behavior and we should plan our lives around sleep.
Each night our body goes through various stages of sleep. Each of these sleep stages works as a differentiated function in our restoration and the body’s ability to function the day after. Our circadian clock manages the sleep timing and prepares us for sleep. Lower light levels naturally trigger the release of melatonin, a hormone that is produced from our pituitary gland which helps make us sleepy. Sleep stages cycle throughout the night. The length of time spent in each stage is variable depending on many conditions, which we will learn are for the most part controllable.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS:
I can sleep in over the weekend and make up lost sleep...
This is false. Sleep is not a bank and you cannot make up lost sleep. When it’s gone it’s gone forever. You will benefit from getting on a consistent sleep schedule, however, the key is consistency! It is a long-term commitment.
I can sleep on anything...
This is a common thought, however, not a good behavior. Everyone has different support and pressure relief needs, we all have different sleep positions that require a different and, in most cases, a unique sleeping surface. The mattress and pillow are potentially the most important thing in your home. More on this in the SPACES section.
I exercise before bedtime...
Exercise is great for the body and heart, unfortunately, exerting yourself prior to sleep will have a negative effect on sleep quantity quality. Raising your heart rate and elevating your body temperature before sleep will adversely change your circadian clock and melatonin production, as well as raise your metabolism thus, making sleep harder to engage. Avoid workouts 2-3 hours before sleep. This will help your natural systems to function without interference.
I only need 5-6 hours of sleep...
The overwhelming evidence is clear, all adults need 7-8 hours of sleep each night minimum. Teens, adolescents, and toddlers need more. The more sleep we get the longer our life will be. (See Sleep Chart by Age above)
I can sleep when I get older, now is the time to party...
Sleep is a choice. When we are young, we throw caution to the wind and burn the candle at both ends. The more effort we spend on creating consistency the better our health will be later in life. Consider limiting this behavior and choose to make sleep the higher focus.
More Behavior Factors
Sleep interrupters such as light, noise, movement, temperature, pain, improper support, and pressure relief can create unwanted wake periods with tossing and turning. These factors damage the quality of sleep and limit the body’s ability to recover and restore.
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It is all about support! The mattress and pillow are more important than you could possibly imagine. Duke University discovered from a comprehensive study we cannot choose the correct mattress and or pillow for ourselves while we are awake!
Everyone’s body and sleep style are different and unique to them. Moreover, most people find that the mattress and pillows they sleep on is less than perfect but continue to use it because it's just ok. In most cases, the mattress used by couples in the same mattress feels that at least one partner compromises their sleep quality for the other.
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Let’s explore the truth about the mattress and pillow. During the REM stage of sleep which happens about 90 min into your cycles of sleep your body releases chemicals that paralyze the human body, this is important, so we do not act out our dreams! However, during this stage, we are at the mercy of the mattress and if your mattress is not providing you with proper support we will exit out of REM sleep early and toss and turn until we cycle again and attempt to go back into REM sleep again.
My experience over the last 20 years reveals that there is a small variance between correct and incorrect body, head, and neck support.
Unfortunately, this is not something we as humans can feel while we are shopping in a store or online. Knowing this, we need to be able to choose a mattress as if we were in REM sleep and not while we are awake. This is a dilemma!
Fortunately, we now have technology that can measure our body type with amazing accuracy, establishing what support zone we uniquely fall within.