Weekly Theme #9: Sleep
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
Interaction Challenge
Comment below the letter:
What makes falling asleep the hardest?
a) Overthinking
b) Stress/Anxiety
c) Guilt
d) Tomorrow
Sleep: Why is it important?
Most of us know that sleeping helps us replenish energy and repair our body. However, more specifically memory consolidation, information processing, physical growth, muscle repair, and others are theorized to occur during sleep.
Stages of Sleep
There are two basic stages of sleep, and your body cycles through several times during the night with longer REM periods later in the session:
non-REM sleep is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep.
The first stage of non-REM sleep is light sleep where your involuntary functions slow; this usually lasts several minutes
Your muscles relax, temperature drops, and eye movement stops in your second stage. Brain wave activity also slows but has small bursts of electrical activity. This is stage is the longest of the others.
The third period is what you need to feel refreshed in the morning. It occurs in longer periods during the first half of the night. It may become difficult to wake you.
REM sleep first occurs in the 90 minutes after falling asleep. Your eyes movements become rapid and brain waves increases. Your breathing becomes fast, irregular; your heart rate and blood pressure become near waking levels. Dreaming happens here, which is why your legs become paralyzed to stop acting our your dreams.
Sleep Mechanisms
Circadian rhythms cause you to be sleepy at night and wake up in the morning without an alarm. They control functions from daily changes in wakefulness, body temp, metabolism, and release of hormones. This is your body’s biological clock.
Sleep-wake homeostasis keeps track of your need for sleep. This reminds your body to sleep and regulates the intensity of it. This sleep drive gets stronger the longer you go awake and causes you to sleep more deeply. Medical conditions, medications, stress, sleep, environment, age, and what you ingest affect your sleep-wake homeostasis.
Sleep and Health
In the case of mental health, lack of sleep (especially REM sleep) reduces the ability of emotional regulation and the strengthening and stabilizing of memory while both awake and asleep. Without enough sleep, you are more prone to mood swings, irritability, and anxiety.
Sleep is crucial for cognitive function and neuroplasticity. During deep, slow-wave sleep, the brain organizes your day’s events, making it easier to recall memories. This is why students are encouraged to get a good night’s rest before tests.
Sleep problems can also be contributing causes of mental health disorders such as insomnia being both a cause and consequence of depression and anxiety.
During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines which help with infections, inflammation, and stress. Research found that people who get fewer than six hours of sleep are more prone to catching a cold.
Sleep reduces the stress of your cardiovascular system as it slows down heartbeat and decreases blood pressure. People who don’t get enough sleep are more at risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
Lack of sleep also disrupts hormones ghrelin and leptin (stimulates hunger and fullness) making your feel hungrier and less satisfied after meals.
Sleep also repairs tissues, muscles, bones, and produces growth hormones. Sleep is the ultimate recovery tool.
The Brain Mechanisms Behind Sleeping
In the hypothalamus (that controls the nerve cells to affect sleep and wakefulness) is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that receive info from light exposure and control your behavior.
The brainstem controls the transitions between wake and sleep. Sleep-promoting cells in the hypothalamus and brainstem produce a chemical called GABA which reduces activity in both. The brainstem also signals muscles to relax during REM so we don’t act out our dreams.
The thalamus receives info from the cerebral cortex, which interprets and processes short-term and long-term memory. During REM sleep, the thalamus is active in sending images, sounds, and sensations to fill our dreams while in non-REM sleep, it is quiet.
Pineal gland receives signals from SCN and produces melatonin, which is important for matching your body’s circadian rhythm.
Your basal forebrain promotes sleep and wakefulness while part of your midbrain keeps your alert during your day. The amygdala becomes active during REM sleep to help process emotions.
5 Small Steps to Improve Your Sleep
Set a sleep schedule and stick to it: Regulate your internal clock and reinforce your circadian rhythm
Limit Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and heavy meals before bed
Wind Down with relaxing activities: reading, meditating, deep breathing can all help your fall asleep
Name 3 wins in your day: focus on what you accomplished to sleep guilt-free
Leave tomorrow for tomorrow: rest now, think clear later
References
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2024, September 5). Brain basics: Understanding sleep. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep
Goldstein, A. N., & Walker, M. P. (2014). The Role of Sleep in Emotional Brain Function. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 10(1), 679–708. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153716
Sleep | Psychology Today. (2019). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/sleep
insightspsychology. (2024, October 29). Improve Health with the Psychology of Sleep. Insights Psychology. https://insightspsychology.org/psychology-of-sleep-mental-and-physical-benefits/
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