Sleep Stages

What is a Good Night Sleep Really All About?

Sleep is food for the brain, get enough of it and get it when you need it .We need sleep to keep us happy, healthy and alert. While you sleep, your body and brain work together to prepare you for a new day. That is why it is so important to give yourself time to sleep.

Sleep is an integral part of human existence, closely tied in with cosmic clock of internal and external circadian rhythm and we spend around one third of our total lives doing it.

When we don’t sleep in sync with this life giving pulse , we alter our biological rhythm that control hormones and neurotransmitters determining appetite, fertility, mental and physical health. When we sleep less then we are supposed to, Melatonin is not the only hormone affected.

There are at least ten different hormones as well as many neurotransmitters in the brain that go sideways when you do not get enough sleep. Melatonin is just the tip of the iceberg. It is all the other shifts that changes appetite, fertility mental , structural and cardiac health.

The consequence of sleep loss is bigger then falling sleep behind wheels, suffering depression, have chronic fatigue, heart disease, diabetics and poor learning and cognitive skills, It is death, according to sleep scientist around the world.

Why most people do not talk about sleep and hormones, posture, Chinese medicine, Yoga, trauma , chiropractic, Kinesiology, nutritional medicine , meditation and mental attitude? Most likely because the research is buried separately in 7 or 8 different disciplines in academia. It is like 10 blind men trying to describe the elephant based on what they are touching. Each discipline holds part of the puzzle and there is no magic bullet when it comes to treating sleep related disorders.

What are the Stages of Sleep?

Sleep is divided into 4 stages of Non REM sleep and REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). These are sometimes referred to as “sleep phases” or “sleep cycles“….

Dreaming occurs in both stages buy mostly during REM sleep. Each cycle of NREM and REM is repeated every 90 minutes, 4 to 5 times a night. 5-6 cycles is an ideal amount of sleep required for everyone after 15 years old.

Melatonin is the night hormone which down regulates catabolic enzymes and catabolic hormone secretion and activates enzyme systems involved in anabolism through its action on the hypothalamus. Melatonin helps adapt the timing of physiological processes and it promotes the promotion of restorative or anabolic physiological processes. Elevated melatonin levels have been associated with increase sleepiness, reduced core temperature, increase in heat loss, decreased cardiovascular output, and reduced alertness and enhanced immune responsiveness.

Do I have a sleep problem? Ask yourself the following:

• Does your sleep and wake up time varies often?
• Do you have a irregular eating time habit?
• Do you exercise  at night?
• Do you sleep for less then 5 hours?
• Do you sleep for more then 9 hours nightly?
• Do you have a regular monthly cycles (Females only) ?
• Do you travel weekly crossing more then one time zone?
• Are you a shift worker?
• Are a smoker?
• Do you have neck pain, low back pain or joint pain?
• Do you experience  anxiety and /or depression?
• Do have difficulty relaxing your legs and/or do you have achy legs?

If you have answered yes to any part of the questions, you have sleep problem.

Analysis of urine sample during night has advantage over the daily urine for the diagnosis of Endocrine and Adrenal disorders( HPA) , because the difference between normal and disease state is augmented when urine is measured during night (every 4 hours ).

Urinary Organic acids, also called carboxylic acids, comprise key intermediary compounds of many biochemical pathways as well as exogenous compounds. The goal is to identify dysfunctions related to nutritional deficiencies and correct them before disease is allowed to develop. From a single urine specimen, we can assess: • Fatty acid metabolism • Neurotransmitter metabolism • Carbohydrate metabolism • Oxidative damage • Energy production • Detoxification status • B-Complex sufficiency • Intestinal dysbiosis due to bacteria and yeast • Methylation co-factors • Inflammatory reactions

Maintaining  Sleep is important for growth , rejuvenation and detoxification. There are a number of biochemical imbalances and conditions that may affect the maintenance of sleep, causing the patient to wake frequently during the night.

There are a number of biochemical imbalances and conditions that may affect the maintenance of sleep, causing the patient to wake frequently during the night.

Investigate the following underlying causes and contributing factors and refer to individual protocols for supplementation strategies to support these. Other factors that may need to be considered include insulin resistance and/or irregular blood sugar control, hypoxia and vestibular imbalances.

If a patient awakes most during non-REM sleep  consider and support inflammation, liver and/or gut function, and status of anabolic hormones and serotonin.

When incomplete following conditions arises:

Does the following apply to you?:

• Nightmares

• Night sweets or getting very hot at night

• Night terrors

• Waking often during the night

• Waking up during the night going to toilet

• Sleep walking

• Sleep talking

• Bed wetting

• Snoring

• Sleep Apnoea

• Restless leg syndrome

• Mouth breathing

• Teeth grinding

• Irritable bowl syndrome

• Auto immune disease

• Poor recovery from sickness and or injury

• On medication for cholesterol, High blood pressure, depression, insomnia and pain relief

• Using recreational drugs

• Drink alcohol

If you have answered yes to any part of the questions, you have sleep maintenance difficulty. Your body is not experiencing the healing power of deep sleep.

The quality of sleep and maintenance of arousal depend on ability to fall sleep and maintain a good night sleep for at least 7-8 hours. If you wake up refreshed and alert and maintain the same level of arousal through most of the day then you have had a good night sleep.