June 2024
Sleep
- The Science & Art Of A Good Night’s Sleep
- Living With The Rhythem Of Nature
- Sleep & Metabolism
- Sleep & Your Mood
Rather watch and listen?
Sleep and your mood
How did you sleep last night?
I remember the times when my babies were, well, babies who woke up a couple of times a night, so I never got more than two hours of sleep straight. I found out that when I don’t sleep well at night, I can be a real bitch in the morning.
Lately, I discovered that I am not alone. People who don’t get enough sleep at night tend to be irritable, angry, and frustrated.
Insomnia and the brain
Chronic sleep debt influences the neurons in your brain, increasing stress and the risk of mental diseases such as anxiety and depression.
When you don’t sleep enough, your body releases cortisol to keep you alert. You feel more stressed, alert, and anxious. Hypervigilance, a state of increased alertness.
Insomnia can lead to:
- Increase heart rate and blood pressure.
- Fast, shallow breathing
- Knee jerk, aggressive or rude reaction.
- Increased fear and anxiety.
- Being worried all the time and circulatory thoughts.
Research found that people with sleep debt tend to interpret body language and facial expressions as threatening more than people who get a good night’s sleep, leading to overaction and aggressive behavior.
Sleep deprivation makes your amygdala, the part of your brain that processes emotions, hyperactive, shortcutting the frontal cortex. Your ability to read situations, control impulses, and alert your brain to whether something is “real” is compromised. Severe sleep deprivation can lead to hallucinations.
Sleep affect on neurotransmitters
Serotonin is your “feel good” hormone. When serotonin is at normal levels, you feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier, and calmer. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression. Sleep debt can compromise serotonin synthesis or dysregulate the neurons that release serotonin. The overall effect of sleep debt on serotonin synthesis and release can manifest in erratic mood swings.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, motivation, and mood. Sleep deprivation can lead to reduced production and altered release of dopamine.
Disruption in dopamine production and release can lead to:
- Depression and anxiety.
- Lower dopamine levels might dampen your spark, making it harder to get motivated.
- Dopamine is critical for executive function. Lower dopamine means lower focus, judgment, and impulse control.
In some cases, sleep and mood disorders might create a vicious cycle where stress, depression, and anxiety lead to sleep disturbances exacerbating the mood disorder.
Practical tips for reducing sleep debts:
- Commit to lying in a dark, quiet room for eight to nine hours daily.
- To help regulate your circadian cycle, try maintaining a regular sleep schedule.
- Your bedroom should be your sleep sanctuary. Dedicate the room to sleeping only and use heavy curtains to keep it dark.
- Avoid stimulants like caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
- Add foods containing tryptophan to your diet. Tryptophan is a building block of serotonin that, in turn, builds melatonin. Eating foods such as turkey, chicken, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, tofu, and fish will ensure an adequate supply of the raw materials needed for melatonin production.
- Sunlight exposure first thing in the morning can help regulate your circadian cycle, leading to a good night’s sleep.
- Movement helps boost serotonin in the brain, which is used for melatonin production. An exercise routine of 30 minutes daily will improve sleep.
Sleep is one of the five roots of growing health. Therefore, I ensure all my clients get a good night’s sleep.
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