Sleeping Well

How to Improve Sleep and Why It Is a Good Idea

Sleep Cycles

• 4 stages of sleep brain wave patterns – about 90 minutes to go through all of them

• 4 cycles of brain wave patterns in one night’s sleep

• At the end of each cycle is a period of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) – Dreaming sleep, after which another cycle of brain wave patterns begins. During REM the brain is very active. Each period of REM lasts longer, until the last one which is 50-60 minutes.

Two kinds of dreaming

• Hippocampal Dreaming: the short term memory send information to the analytical part of the brain about what has happened during the day. This occurs during the brain wave cycle, before REM

• During REM, the left cortex sorts out what it has received and sends messages back to the rest of the brain about how to handle the daily events. These are the dreams that we most often remember.

Why Is Sleep Necessary?

We learn while we sleep

We heal from illness while we sleep

We ward off depression and other problems with mental health while we sleep

We renew our cells

We relieve stress and worry

We heal from emotional trauma

Learning

Information is consolidated during REM sleep. A person who is learning remembers more after 8 hours sleep than after 6 hours of sleep.

During REM the brain sorts through new information and makes associations with other information. Thus new information is integrated making it more accessible and useful.

Memory

• During sleep, short term memory information is discharged from the hippocampus to the left prefrontal cortex. The REM dreaming process determines which of the elements of short term memory hold emotional or procedural importance and via neurochemical messages, sends information to long term memory.

Emotion and Stress Relief

• During REM, the details that have been sent to the prefrontal cortex are identified as relevant to safety or survival. If the details are not necessary to keep someone safe, then the brain will not store them. The Left PFC sends messages to the emotional and memory center (limbic system) to release information and calm down.

Cell Renewal

• During REM, the brain produces neuronal growth and replenishment of neurotransmitters. Out emotional health depends on a good supply of neurotransmitters. If we cheat the brain of time to develop those neurotransmitters and to repair the cells that produce them, then we are more susceptible to depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

Trauma and Sleep

• Primarily sleep is essential for the relief of trauma, because when the brain is over-aroused by an event that is traumatic, it is only during sleep that the hyper-arousal has a chance to calm. Sleep after truama can help to heal the hyper-arousal and prevent PTSD.

What Helps Us Sleep?

Sleep Hygiene is no mysteryFirst is regular patterns:

Hard if you have strong variances from pattern on the weekendYou may catch up from sleep deprivation with long weekend sleeps in terms of fatigue, but not necessarily from all of the missed opportunity to relief stress, learn and grow

Sleep Environment

• Dark – the brain determines how long to sleep by responding to light and dark via circadian rhythms- determined by the pineal glands response to light and dark. This is interfered with in environments that are artificially light.

• Cold – the brain seems to like it better if a room is cold. Sleeping under cover with a head that is cold, but not toooooo cold.

The Brain Stays on Alert

There is a part of the brain reserved to keep us aware of the warning signals that danger might be near. It responds to sound, smell, sights, etc. When sleeping, variances in sound are noted as important

• Consistent noise patterns make it easier to stay asleep: white noise blocks environment sounds (not really dangerous, but which keep the brain on alert.)

Pre-Sleep Routine

Keeping the brain calm or getting it calm

• Eliminate violent or exciting TV for several hours before sleep

Take time to calm down:

• Warm bath

• Carb snack, but not a meal

• Low or no alcohol

Eliminate Stimulation

• Stay low on caffeine through out the day

• Avoid napping

• If emotions are disturbing, try to do mental calming just before sleep– Try emptying the mind– Practice meditation or yoga