In Matt Walker’s informative Ted Talk, he dives into the science behind why sleep is our superpower, and the effects of getting too little sleep versus getting enough. The amount of sleep we get each night has profound effects on our brain and body.
You may already be aware of research showing that our most productive learning happens when we take in new information and then get enough quality sleep for our brains to process the learning while we snooze. Essentially, sleep is like a “save” button for the memories and new ideas our brain just took in. Additionally, the amount of sleep we get prior to learning dictates how prepared our brain will be as we seek to learn new information. Matt Walker explains that “without sleep, the memory circuits of the brain essentially become waterlogged, and you can’t absorb new memories.” As we age, our sleep quality starts to decline and it becomes more difficult to achieve deep sleep. As sleep quality declines, so does our memory and cognitive functioning. Over time, lack of restorative sleep can lead to cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s disease.
When you catch a cold or are feeling under the weather, do you notice any links with the amount or quality of sleep you’ve been getting? Our immune system is notably impacted by our sleep patterns. Our immune system is made up of Natural Killer Cells which attack dangerous, unwanted elements like cancer cells, bacteria, and viruses, and eliminate them. Without adequate sleep, Natural Killer Cells are not able to activate, leading to a drop in immune functioning. Risk for colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer increases as quality sleep is hindered.
The good news is that we can use this knowledge to intervene and make changes in our sleep patterns to improve our brain and physical functioning. Caffeine and alcohol consumption both impact our sleep, and making changes in your intake of these could be a great place to start. Another way to start making positive changes is to reassess your sleep conditions. If you take naps and notice it difficult to fall asleep at night, reconsider your napping habits. Setting a consistent bedtime and wake-up time are two of the most beneficial things you can do to get your body into a healthier sleep routine. This means going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time each day--even on the weekends or days off. Finally, our bodies need to drop in temperature by a few degrees to fall asleep and stay asleep, so adjust your thermostat to around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most of this is probably not very new to you, and yet it can be so difficult to adopt better sleep habits! Our society prioritizes productivity and staying busy over truly listening to what our bodies need. In order to make the necessary changes to our sleep, we must let go of the idea that sleeping too much is lazy, or that other pieces of life are more important than sleep. We must decide that we deserve to get quality sleep. What are a few small steps you can take to start getting deeper, more restorative sleep tonight?
References
Walker, M. (2019). Sleep is your superpower. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower?language=en