Body Wise*

*The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose or treat ANY medical condition.

Sleep on It!
Sufficient Snooze Time Is Necessary to Keep Fit

By Jason Barker

There are few lifestyle factors that have more impact on our lives than the quality of our sleep. We all know how it feels to lose just one hour of sleep, not to mention two or three...or more.

Studies have shown that both acute and chronic sleep deprivation (either several hours one night or a consistent loss of only one to two hours a night over days) can mimic the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol. While every person’s tolerance for both sleep deprivation and alcohol can be varied, this example illustrates the effects of sleep loss in a dramatic way.

Stress is probably the most common reason behind sleep loss. However, there may be multiple causes of insomnia for any one person, so the key to obtaining good sleep is determining the causative factor. Other reasons include diet (such as sugar, caffeine, and alcohol†), mental or emotional issues (such as depression and anxiety), a hormone imbalance, or being overweight.

Exercise and Insomnia
The most effective daytime behavior associated with improved sleep is exercise. Exercise is known to promote sleep in several ways.

Sleep is understood to be a means to conserve energy and repair tissue. It is also a means for the body to lower its temperature, which is another energy conservation method. Exercise provides the greatest stimulus for using stored energy and raising body temperature. Therefore, exercise conditions the body to become more efficient at doing what it needs to do — like sleeping — to recover from the “side effects” of exercise. And as I like to repeat often, there is no cheaper, safer, and healthier medicine out there than exercise!

We have all heard that exercising too close to bedtime is typically not a good idea. This is partially true. More specifically, intense exercise (running and weight lifting) will tend to elevate your body’s temperature and keep you awake longer. On the other hand, very mild exercise an hour before bed (like taking a short stroll) may actually release some stress and allow you to fall asleep more quickly. Everyone’s needs are different; experimentation is the key here.

Lack of Sleep and the Exerciser
Sleep is time for the body to reset its internal clock and perform repairs. Bodily cycles are governed by our hormones, which ebb and flow throughout the day and night. The majority of hormones that do restorative work are secreted in abundance at night. These patterns work best given the proper environment. In other words, if we are awake when we should be sleeping, our body is not able to get its work done.

For active people, this is important. Exercise is great for the body, but the body also needs time to recover. Less time spent sleeping may lead to a decreased ability to heal from injuries, and might increase your risk for future injuries.

It has been said that the majority of physical repair takes place from 10 pm to 2 am, and psychological repair occurs between 2 am to 6 am. While these are rough guidelines, they provide a good reminder for when our sleep should happen.

RX for Sleep
There are several ways to improve sleep without resorting to sleeping medications. These drugs are not meant for long-term use and do nothing to bring the body back into a normal sleep rhythm. Used in the short term, sleeping pills can be effective for bringing sleep, but I don’t recommend using them consistently.

There are many natural sleep aids to try. The hormone melatonin is an effective sleep aid when used correctly. Some herbs can be helpful at relieving minor insomnia or sleep disturbances. Certain mineral and amino acid combinations also work well at telling the brain it is time to sleep; all of these treatments are useful for directly treating insomnia.

As I mentioned earlier, there are typically several underlying causes of insomnia. Some of these include other hormone imbalances, blood sugar imbalances, physical pain, and being overweight (which can affect breathing at night).

Finding the cause of insomnia is the first step in obtaining better sleep. If sleep difficulty cannot be corrected in a few days, it makes sense to seek help from your medical provider.

Jason Barker, ND, is a family practice and sports medicine physician. His practice is at Back In Motion Sports Injuries Clinic in Beaverton, OR. He can be reached at 503-524-9040.

†Alcohol is actually disruptive to the sleep cycle. While it acts as a sedative and makes one drowsy, it limits the kind of deep sleep we need most.