How to Improve Deep Sleep
Why do we feel so awful when we have had a bad night's sleep or very little sleep? Why do we feel foggy and sluggish on the days following a restless night? I have to begin with a bit of science, but I promise I’ll keep it light.
Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep or ‘Deep Sleep’ is an essential component of our sleep cycle, playing a crucial role in the body's healing and restorative processes. While many people associate deep, restful sleep with dreaming and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, NREM sleep stages are equally vital for overall health and well-being.
NREM sleep assists with:
Physical Restoration: NREM known as slow-wave sleep, assists the body's metabolic rate to decrease, allowing energy to be redirected towards repair processes. Tissue growth and repair, muscle recovery, and the release of growth hormones primarily occur during this deep NREM sleep stage. This is vital for athletes and individuals recovering from injuries, as it promotes faster healing and tissue regeneration.
Immune Function: Adequate NREM sleep is closely linked to a robust immune system. Research has shown that during deep NREM sleep, the immune system becomes more active, producing cytokines and other molecules that help combat infections and inflammation. Chronic sleep deprivation can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to illness and delaying recovery from illnesses or injuries.
Cognitive Function: NREM sleep plays a critical role in cognitive function and memory consolidation. The brain uses this stage to organize and consolidate the information acquired during the day, strengthening neural connections and enhancing problem-solving skills. Adequate NREM sleep is essential for maintaining cognitive function, which is crucial for both mental and physical recovery.
Stress Reduction: NREM sleep is known to reduce stress and promote emotional well-being. During NREM sleep, the brain processes and regulates emotions, helping individuals cope with daily stressors and challenges. This is why it is more likely to react in anger or even cry when tired.
Cardiovascular Health: Research suggests that NREM sleep is closely linked to cardiovascular health. Insufficient NREM sleep is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. During deep NREM sleep, the heart rate and blood pressure decrease, allowing the cardiovascular system to rest and recover. This is essential for maintaining overall heart health and preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Hormone Regulation: NREM sleep also plays a crucial role in regulating hormones, including those responsible for appetite and metabolism. Disrupted NREM sleep can lead to imbalances in hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which control hunger and satiety. This can contribute to weight gain and metabolic disorders, further complicating the healing process.
You can see from this list that quality sleep is important to our health in many ways. If we are too busy to sleep, then our body will give us signals to slow down and rest.
These signals are as mentioned:
Getting sick > Reduced immune system making the body susceptible to colds and other pathogens.
Increased pain and inflammation > Reduced capability to heal and repair the bodies muscles and bones.
Brain fog > Reduced capacity to problem solve.
High Blood pressure or stroke > Increased risk of cardiovascular issues.
Weight gain or loss > Dysregulated appetite and increased inflammation.
How can we have good sleeping habits?
Firstly, if you have a lot on your mind then your subconscious mind will wake you at night and usually at different times than your bladder will!
First recognise that if you have a lot on your mind (to do list, deadlines, worries etc) and to manage these consciously by:
Journaling
Meditation
Gratitude practice
Talking to a friend
Writing lists with dates to achieve by
Exercise
Getting a kinesiology session
Turn off blue light devices 2 hours before bed.
Minimise blue light to improve sleep
It is important to not stare at blue lit screens right before bed. This light mimics the sun and tells the brain to inhabit or stop the production of melatonin. Melatonin is the neurotransmitter that the Pineal Gland produces when the sun goes down to prepare you for your nightly rest.
If you trick the brain by spending hours on a bright screen before bed, you probably won’t have made enough sleepy melatonin to help you drop into NREM sleep. There are many hacks you can do if you have to be on a screen before bed.
There are brightness settings on your computers and night shift or brightness settings on your mobile phone or tablets. These can often be preset and activated at certain times of day so you can create a healthy habit before bed every day.
If this tip is ignored just be aware it takes more than an hour to make enough melatonin to make you sleepy for bed. This could be the tossing and turning hour you have before getting to sleep.
More tips for better sleep
Try not to eat right before bed. Eating late creates a blood sugar spike that can be quite energising.
Create habits to wind down so limit high intensity exercise too early in the evening and choose calmer activities like reading book, journalling or meditating right before sleep to set yourself up for a relaxed state before sleep comes.
Kinesiology is another fabulous way to help the body switch off and ease into the relaxed state at bed time. If there is a deadline or something pressing on your mind then Kinesiology can assist in working with the subconscious mind to diffuse any stress trapped in your neurology or physiology that is keeping you up at night. Kinesiology uses muscle testing to locate where stress is trapped and it is the subconscious mind that assists in this nocturnal communication.
The subconscious mind rules behaviour 95% of the time and to stay in the conscious mind (5%) most of the time is exhausting. Kinesiology can help train the subconscious to support you and retrain any habits that are not supportive. It works with the innate healing of the body and in doing so helps to create an environment when healing can occur.
In summary, NREM sleep is a vital component of the sleep cycle, and its importance in healing and recovery cannot be overstated. This stage of sleep facilitates physical restoration, supports immune function, enhances cognitive abilities, reduces stress, promotes cardiovascular health, and regulates hormones. Having good sleep hygiene will help your overall health, significantly!
Hi, I’m Megan, a kinesiologist with a passion for supporting families. The transformative power of kinesiology was a turning point for the health and well-being of my own family. Now, I'm on a mission to help other families thrive, too. If you're ready to embark on a journey towards feeling lighter, and pain-free, I'm here to support you every step of the way.