{"id":169,"date":"2019-03-11T14:47:02","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T14:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.botanicchoice.com\/blog\/?p=169"},"modified":"2024-10-04T16:29:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T16:29:40","slug":"cant-sleep-youre-not-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.botanicchoice.com\/blog\/health-and-wellness\/cant-sleep-youre-not-alone\/","title":{"rendered":"Can’t Sleep? You’re Not Alone."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nearly 60 million Americans have difficulty either falling asleep or staying asleep<\/a>. While researchers have explored various causes of sleep disorders, most of them stem from interruptions in the circadian rhythms of the human body.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What are circadian rhythms?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Circadian rhythms<\/span> are natural 24-hour cycles that regulate almost all physiological processes \u2013 hunger, thirst, mood, body temperature and when we are awake\/asleep. Even though they are considered to be a biological clock, these rhythms are influenced by external stimuli such as temperature, traveling across time zones (Jet Lag) and exposure to light and dark, also referred to as our sleep-wake cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also playing a role are neurotransmitters (NTs). NTs are chemical signals that control these rhythms and physiological processes including our sleep-wake cycle. This cycle is controlled by the interaction between exposure to light and dark and neurotransmitters, ultimately acting like a switch or a seesaw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hypothalamus acts as a connecting pathway for neurotransmitters between the body and the brain and helps maintain homeostasis, or balance, throughout your body. It plays a role in major bodily functions such as appetite, thirst, blood pressure<\/a>, body temperature, emotions, sex drive<\/a> and sleep cycles. Located in the hypothalamus, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) acts as the body\u2019s master clock \u2013 controlling when and how much of the \u201csleep hormone\u201d melatonin is produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the day excitatory NTs are at work, keeping us awake and alert. As we get closer to bedtime, about two hours prior, the seesaw begins to tilt and our inhibitory neurotransmitters start to take over. These excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are emphasized by the exposure to light and dark. When exposed to light, cells in our eyes<\/a> signal the SCN to inhibit melatonin production and utilize excitatory NTs. Around 9 P.M., when exposed to dark, our bodies start to produce melatonin and inhibitory NTs help put an end to wakefulness. At the end of REM sleep, our bodies flip the switch again and start pumping excitatory NTs to prepare us for the next day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of sleep could be detrimental<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The average human spends about 1\/3 of their life sleeping, but so many of us are coming up short. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immunity<\/a><\/span>. <\/strong>Not getting enough sleep takes a toll on your immune system making you vulnerable to catch a cold, the flu<\/a><\/span> or other viruses easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight gain<\/a> and skin problems<\/strong>. Lack of sleep decreases leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full and increases ghrelin, the hormone that drives hunger. Sleep helps hydrate and repair damaged skin cells while lowering cortisol levels to help keep pores healthy and clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heart health<\/a><\/span>, blood pressure<\/a><\/span> and blood sugar<\/a><\/span>. <\/strong>When you sleep, blood pressure and glucose levels decrease, giving your cardiovascular system a break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memory<\/a><\/span>.<\/strong> While we sleep, the glymphatic system rids our central nervous system of toxins allowing our brains to process go through consolidation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coordination, reaction time and reflexes.<\/strong> Sleep deprivation is equivalent to intoxication. Our reaction times are slowed and coordination is impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mood<\/a><\/span>, stress<\/a><\/span> and inflammation. <\/strong>Not getting enough hours in throws off our hormones, negatively impacting mood. It also makes us more vulnerable to stress and therefore, inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a good night\u2019s sleep?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The average adult benefits from 7-9 hours of sleep each night. The National Sleep Foundation states that a \u201cfull night\u2019s rest\u201d includes: sleeping at least 85% of the time you are in bed, initially falling asleep in 30 minutes or less, not waking up more than once a night and if you do wake up \u2013 being awake for no more than 20 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you do to get the amount and quality of sleep you need?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n