Why is that some people can sleep through the night while others toss and turn? No matter how early or late you get to bed, you can't seem to get a full night of rest? You've tried just about everything to improve your sleep--sleeping pills, valerian root, napping, eating before bedtime, not eating before bedtime, cutting coffee, and the list goes on--but nothing seems to work! What can you do to solve your sleep problem?
The truth is that more than 27 million Americans are at risk for this problem, thanks to the fact that they follow an irregular schedule. They switch back and forth between day and night shifts, always forcing their bodies to change with their shifting work schedule. This can throw off your internal body clock.
Your body has been designed for maximum efficiency. During the daylight hours, it's easy to see what you're doing, meaning daylight is the time for productivity. Darkness makes it easier to sleep, rest, and recover, so the human body has adapted to this relaxation during the night hours. This is your body's way of making the most of every hour in the day and night.
EVERYTHING on Earth is synced to the rotation of the Earth, what is known as the "Circadian rhythm". For some animals, the Earth's rotation dictates when they hibernate, mate, or reproduce. Certain plants can only release their fragrance at night, as they are designed to attract nocturnal pollinators to promote plant reproduction. Even some bacteria are more active during the day, but "rest" at night.
The human body is also controlled by the Circadian rhythm. You get sleepy when the sun goes down, as your body responds to the lack of sunlight by producing melatonin. Your fever may spike during the night, and you may have a hard time waking up early simply because there is no sunlight to stimulate your body's natural energy production.
But thanks to modern technology, this natural dark/light pattern is interrupted. You can spend hours surfing the internet or texting on your smartphone even after night has fallen. This artificial light tricks your body into producing more energy, causing you to feel more awake than you should. Watching TV, sitting in a bright room, or walking down an illuminated street will tell your body that it's not fully night-time yet, meaning you're not quite ready to sleep. The result is an increase in energy production, leading to restlessness and sleep problems.
Even worse things can happen when you travel across time zones or when you work day/night shifts. Jet lag is always worse when traveling east, as your body struggles to keep up with the shift in your schedule. When you force your body to adapt to sleeping during the day and working during the night, it throws off your natural sleep patterns. Even the way you eat can affect your sleep! If you eat too late in the evening, you're signaling to your body that it's time for activity, so it produces energy instead of shutting down.
All of these things can lead to serious problems with your sleep, causing insomnia, restlessness, and more. If you can't get a good night's sleep, your concentration and memory decreases, you have a hard time focusing on your work, and your risk of driving accidents drastically increases. The longer the sleep problems persist, the greater the chance of long-term problems. Sleep deprivation is considered WORSE than a high blood alcohol level, and one study found that just a week of poor sleep can have serious negative cognitive effects--impairing mood, alertness, and concentration.
But what can you do about it? How can you improve your sleep and help your body re-adjust to the Circadian rhythm? Here are a few tips to help you out:
[style=font-weight:bold;]Change jobs --[/style] Granted, this may be easier said than done, but it's something to consider. Shift workers--nurses, truckers, firefighters, factory workers, etc.--that have irregular work schedules often suffer from sleeping difficulties. If you can find a job that DOESN'T require you to switch back and forth between day and night work, it will be much easier for your body to acclimate to a solid sleep pattern. Even if you end up working overnight, you'll still sleep better than you would rotating shifts.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Adjust your light exposure --[/style]During the day, the brighter the light you are exposed to, the better! But come nightfall, you should limit the amount of light you come in contact with--especially bright light. Bright light at night stops your body from producing melatonin, the chemical that promotes healthy sleep. By reducing your exposure to light, you restore regular melatonin production.
Spend the last few hours before bed in a low-light environment, using only soft lighting, closing your curtains, and limiting your use of electronic devices. You'll soon discover that this reduced light exposure will do wonders to help you sleep at night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Work out right --[/style] One of the worst mistakes you can make is working out at night! Your blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature drop in the evening in preparation for sleep. But if you work out too late in the evening, your body will be all "revved up"--producing energy to keep up with the demands of your workout. You should try to work out 4 or 5 hours before going to bed. This will use up the last of your energy, and you'll be very sleepy when it comes time to hit the hay.
If you want to sleep better, make sure to get a good workout in every day. A daily workout will burn energy, promote a healthy hormone balance, and encourage the production of neurochemicals like dopamine, adrenaline, and melatonin. Regular exercise is one of the most important components to a good night's sleep.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Eat right --[/style] There are two aspects of "eating right" for better sleep:
1) Eat at the right time. If you eat too late at night, your digestive tract will still be churning away when you're trying to sleep. Your last meal of the day should be 4 hours before you go to sleep. This will give your body time to fully digest the food in time to shut down for the night. One study showed that a period of fasting (12 to 16 hours of no eating) helped to improve sleep, reduce the risk of health problems, and promote better weight management.
2) Eat the right foods in the right quantities. This means watching what you eat, as well as how much. Overdoing it on the calories can lead to weight gain, which can bring on its own sleep problems--such as sleep apnea, snoring, etc. You should eat most of your calories early in the day, particularly calories of carbohydrates. Your lunch should be mostly protein and complex carbs with a bit of fat, and dinner should be almost entirely protein and healthy fats. This helps to promote muscle repair and recovery overnight, and will improve your sleep patterns as well as your overall fitness.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Be wary of blue light --[/style] The first rays of sunlight that stream through your window are full of blue light. The light beamed from your cell phone, computer screen, and TV is also full of blue light. Sensing a pattern here?
You should try to avoid blue light after dark as much as possible. That means limiting your use of digital devices, and using soft yellow and red light in the house after dark. Another option (though it may sound silly) is to wear amber-colored sunglasses when watching TV or using your devices. It will filter out the blue light, preventing your electronics from waking you up at night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Get on a sleep schedule --[/style] Humans are creatures of habit, and the human body relies on patterns and schedules in order to function properly. If you want to sleep well at night, you MUST get your body on a sleep schedule. This means going to bed at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time every morning. It will take a few weeks to adjust to the new schedule, but once you do, it will be much easier for you to sleep well.
For many, this is easier said than done. There are many distractions to keep you up at night--social engagements, entertainment, work, etc. However, it's of the utmost importance that you establish a regular sleep schedule. By getting to bed and waking up at the same time, you'll help set your body clock in time with the Circadian rhythms.
And yes, that goes for the weekends, too! Staying up late for a party is fine every once in a while, but don't make it a weekly thing. Stay up a bit later and sleep in a little, but don't throw your sleep schedule out of whack every week. Try to keep your sleep patterns as consistent as possible over the weekend, and you'll be much less tired come Monday morning.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Understanding the Body Clock
[/style]
The "body clock" is actually a misnomer. There isn't just one clock that controls everything, but each of your important body functions has its own clock.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Metabolic Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls your body's energy production. It raises your body temperature during the day, in preparation for any high-pressure/stress situations. At night, your body temperature and energy production decreases, as there are fewer calories needed while you sleep.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Muscle Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls your body's recovery and repair of your muscle tissue. During the day, you damage your muscles doing exercise (don't worry, this is a good thing, as the microdamage leads to muscle growth). Overnight, your muscle clock kicks in and repairs the damaged muscle fibers and increases their size to store more energy for the next day's exertions.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Cardiovascular Clock --[/style] This clock controls your heart beat, increasing your heart rate in the morning and slowing it down at night to give it a rest. Did you know that most heart attacks occur in the morning? This is because your cardiovascular clock rapidly increases your blood pressure when you wake up.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Immune Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls your body's response to invaders. Your immune response is on full throttle during the day, which is when you encounter the majority of threats. At night, the clock slows down. The fact that your immune response waxes and wanes makes some drugs more effective when given at certain times of day or night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Reproductive Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls the secretion of testosterone, estrogen, and other reproductive hormones. Men and women secrete different levels of sex hormones at different times of the day and night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Excretory Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls the elimination of waste. It slows down your kidneys and bowels overnight, reducing your need to urinate or defecate as you sleep. Come morning, it kicks into high gear, hence the need to use the bathroom first thing in the AM.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Endocrine Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls the production of non-reproductive hormones, including melatonin. This clock signals to your brain that it's time to wake up or sleep, essentially regulating your sleep cycle.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Master Clock --[/style] This is the clock in charge of all the other clocks. It responds to day and night, light and darkness, serving as your "internal timekeeper" to help you know more or less what time it is. It is responsible for coordinating the activity of all the other clocks.
The truth is that more than 27 million Americans are at risk for this problem, thanks to the fact that they follow an irregular schedule. They switch back and forth between day and night shifts, always forcing their bodies to change with their shifting work schedule. This can throw off your internal body clock.
Your body has been designed for maximum efficiency. During the daylight hours, it's easy to see what you're doing, meaning daylight is the time for productivity. Darkness makes it easier to sleep, rest, and recover, so the human body has adapted to this relaxation during the night hours. This is your body's way of making the most of every hour in the day and night.
EVERYTHING on Earth is synced to the rotation of the Earth, what is known as the "Circadian rhythm". For some animals, the Earth's rotation dictates when they hibernate, mate, or reproduce. Certain plants can only release their fragrance at night, as they are designed to attract nocturnal pollinators to promote plant reproduction. Even some bacteria are more active during the day, but "rest" at night.
The human body is also controlled by the Circadian rhythm. You get sleepy when the sun goes down, as your body responds to the lack of sunlight by producing melatonin. Your fever may spike during the night, and you may have a hard time waking up early simply because there is no sunlight to stimulate your body's natural energy production.
But thanks to modern technology, this natural dark/light pattern is interrupted. You can spend hours surfing the internet or texting on your smartphone even after night has fallen. This artificial light tricks your body into producing more energy, causing you to feel more awake than you should. Watching TV, sitting in a bright room, or walking down an illuminated street will tell your body that it's not fully night-time yet, meaning you're not quite ready to sleep. The result is an increase in energy production, leading to restlessness and sleep problems.
Even worse things can happen when you travel across time zones or when you work day/night shifts. Jet lag is always worse when traveling east, as your body struggles to keep up with the shift in your schedule. When you force your body to adapt to sleeping during the day and working during the night, it throws off your natural sleep patterns. Even the way you eat can affect your sleep! If you eat too late in the evening, you're signaling to your body that it's time for activity, so it produces energy instead of shutting down.
All of these things can lead to serious problems with your sleep, causing insomnia, restlessness, and more. If you can't get a good night's sleep, your concentration and memory decreases, you have a hard time focusing on your work, and your risk of driving accidents drastically increases. The longer the sleep problems persist, the greater the chance of long-term problems. Sleep deprivation is considered WORSE than a high blood alcohol level, and one study found that just a week of poor sleep can have serious negative cognitive effects--impairing mood, alertness, and concentration.
But what can you do about it? How can you improve your sleep and help your body re-adjust to the Circadian rhythm? Here are a few tips to help you out:
[style=font-weight:bold;]Change jobs --[/style] Granted, this may be easier said than done, but it's something to consider. Shift workers--nurses, truckers, firefighters, factory workers, etc.--that have irregular work schedules often suffer from sleeping difficulties. If you can find a job that DOESN'T require you to switch back and forth between day and night work, it will be much easier for your body to acclimate to a solid sleep pattern. Even if you end up working overnight, you'll still sleep better than you would rotating shifts.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Adjust your light exposure --[/style]During the day, the brighter the light you are exposed to, the better! But come nightfall, you should limit the amount of light you come in contact with--especially bright light. Bright light at night stops your body from producing melatonin, the chemical that promotes healthy sleep. By reducing your exposure to light, you restore regular melatonin production.
Spend the last few hours before bed in a low-light environment, using only soft lighting, closing your curtains, and limiting your use of electronic devices. You'll soon discover that this reduced light exposure will do wonders to help you sleep at night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Work out right --[/style] One of the worst mistakes you can make is working out at night! Your blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature drop in the evening in preparation for sleep. But if you work out too late in the evening, your body will be all "revved up"--producing energy to keep up with the demands of your workout. You should try to work out 4 or 5 hours before going to bed. This will use up the last of your energy, and you'll be very sleepy when it comes time to hit the hay.
If you want to sleep better, make sure to get a good workout in every day. A daily workout will burn energy, promote a healthy hormone balance, and encourage the production of neurochemicals like dopamine, adrenaline, and melatonin. Regular exercise is one of the most important components to a good night's sleep.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Eat right --[/style] There are two aspects of "eating right" for better sleep:
1) Eat at the right time. If you eat too late at night, your digestive tract will still be churning away when you're trying to sleep. Your last meal of the day should be 4 hours before you go to sleep. This will give your body time to fully digest the food in time to shut down for the night. One study showed that a period of fasting (12 to 16 hours of no eating) helped to improve sleep, reduce the risk of health problems, and promote better weight management.
2) Eat the right foods in the right quantities. This means watching what you eat, as well as how much. Overdoing it on the calories can lead to weight gain, which can bring on its own sleep problems--such as sleep apnea, snoring, etc. You should eat most of your calories early in the day, particularly calories of carbohydrates. Your lunch should be mostly protein and complex carbs with a bit of fat, and dinner should be almost entirely protein and healthy fats. This helps to promote muscle repair and recovery overnight, and will improve your sleep patterns as well as your overall fitness.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Be wary of blue light --[/style] The first rays of sunlight that stream through your window are full of blue light. The light beamed from your cell phone, computer screen, and TV is also full of blue light. Sensing a pattern here?
You should try to avoid blue light after dark as much as possible. That means limiting your use of digital devices, and using soft yellow and red light in the house after dark. Another option (though it may sound silly) is to wear amber-colored sunglasses when watching TV or using your devices. It will filter out the blue light, preventing your electronics from waking you up at night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Get on a sleep schedule --[/style] Humans are creatures of habit, and the human body relies on patterns and schedules in order to function properly. If you want to sleep well at night, you MUST get your body on a sleep schedule. This means going to bed at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time every morning. It will take a few weeks to adjust to the new schedule, but once you do, it will be much easier for you to sleep well.
For many, this is easier said than done. There are many distractions to keep you up at night--social engagements, entertainment, work, etc. However, it's of the utmost importance that you establish a regular sleep schedule. By getting to bed and waking up at the same time, you'll help set your body clock in time with the Circadian rhythms.
And yes, that goes for the weekends, too! Staying up late for a party is fine every once in a while, but don't make it a weekly thing. Stay up a bit later and sleep in a little, but don't throw your sleep schedule out of whack every week. Try to keep your sleep patterns as consistent as possible over the weekend, and you'll be much less tired come Monday morning.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Understanding the Body Clock
[/style]
The "body clock" is actually a misnomer. There isn't just one clock that controls everything, but each of your important body functions has its own clock.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Metabolic Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls your body's energy production. It raises your body temperature during the day, in preparation for any high-pressure/stress situations. At night, your body temperature and energy production decreases, as there are fewer calories needed while you sleep.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Muscle Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls your body's recovery and repair of your muscle tissue. During the day, you damage your muscles doing exercise (don't worry, this is a good thing, as the microdamage leads to muscle growth). Overnight, your muscle clock kicks in and repairs the damaged muscle fibers and increases their size to store more energy for the next day's exertions.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Cardiovascular Clock --[/style] This clock controls your heart beat, increasing your heart rate in the morning and slowing it down at night to give it a rest. Did you know that most heart attacks occur in the morning? This is because your cardiovascular clock rapidly increases your blood pressure when you wake up.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Immune Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls your body's response to invaders. Your immune response is on full throttle during the day, which is when you encounter the majority of threats. At night, the clock slows down. The fact that your immune response waxes and wanes makes some drugs more effective when given at certain times of day or night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Reproductive Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls the secretion of testosterone, estrogen, and other reproductive hormones. Men and women secrete different levels of sex hormones at different times of the day and night.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Excretory Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls the elimination of waste. It slows down your kidneys and bowels overnight, reducing your need to urinate or defecate as you sleep. Come morning, it kicks into high gear, hence the need to use the bathroom first thing in the AM.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Endocrine Clock --[/style] This is the clock that controls the production of non-reproductive hormones, including melatonin. This clock signals to your brain that it's time to wake up or sleep, essentially regulating your sleep cycle.
[style=font-weight:bold;]Master Clock --[/style] This is the clock in charge of all the other clocks. It responds to day and night, light and darkness, serving as your "internal timekeeper" to help you know more or less what time it is. It is responsible for coordinating the activity of all the other clocks.
