The Silent Pillar Of Health.

 

Have you ever wondered why sleep is one of the four pillars of health right along with nutrition, exercise, and stress management?  When we think of health nutrition and exercise is the top pillars we strive for, and that leaves the remanding two as an after thought.  Sleep and Stress management is something we say sure, but give it little attention.  Maybe because many of us are not faced with stress early on in our lives and sleep is just what it is, but we know from as early as we can remember that food and water keeps us alive and exercise keeps us able to move.

Stress is an interesting one because many of us don't truly understand the damage stress can cause until we find ourselves crushed under its weight, but I want to address the one that is the "silent" pillar.

I'm calling sleep a "silent" pillar because I feel like it is the one many of us take less serious... at least I did. Children fight sleep, teens and young adults are reckless with sleep, and the elderly can't get enough.

So why is sleep so important?

Sleep was a form of rest that I saw as something to sacrifice when another more "important" task needed to be done.  High schoolers and College students participate in all night cramming sessions as a normal activity.  Adults  have many boiling pots on the stove with little time in the day to watch them.  Instead of implementing better management skills or reducing the amount of boiling pots, we sacrifice sleep as if it is optional.

Would you be willing to sacrifice sleep if you gained a better understanding of the role it plays in our well being?  The following are two good reasons to make sleep a priority.

1.  Sleep releases Human Growth Hormone.

The growth hormone (HGH) comes from the pituitary gland located at the base of the brain.  In children it promotes growth of the bones, muscles, organs, etc... and in adults it helps to maintain the bones, muscles, and organs.  It also helps with metabolism, and leveling blood sugars.  The Human Growth Hormone is released during the "Deep Sleep" cycle.  Deep Sleep normally takes place during the first half of your sleep cycles.

Symptoms of low HGH:

• Increased body fat
• weak heart, muscles, and bones
• risk of heart disease

Natural ways to trigger HGH:

• consistent exercise
• quality sleep
• low blood sugar
• intentional eating (limit sugar)
• manage stress

2.  The Glymphatic System is boosted during sleep.

The Glymphatic system clears waste products and toxins from our brain similar to how the lymphatic system clears waste and toxins from our bodies.  When either of these systems get clogged the waste and toxins create inflammation.  It is said that a congested glymphatic system could be linked to dementia, alzeheimers, and parkinsons disseases.

Although there has only been studies with rats, it is believed that the brain releases waste through the Glymphatic System during "Deep Sleep" so that's another huge reason to prioritize sleep.

Symptoms of a clogged Glymphatic System:

• brain Fog
• headaches
• sinus congestion / infection
• swollen and puffy face
• glacoma
• bags under eyes
• double chin
• waking 3-5am

What to do to encourage your brain to drain?

• prioritize sleep
• learn how to manually drain your lymph nodes.

With these two factors that are greatly impacted when we do not get quality sleep, I hope you are now rethinking your sleep habits.  If you are crushing sleep goals, I'm very proud of you because you are taking big steps to maintain good health.  If you are like me and are just understanding how those late nights staying up late working or maybe just having a hard time falling to sleep, I have some tips to help you with achieving quality sleep.  These tips are not my own advice, but rather what I have learned while researching.  Some of these tips I have implemented and some I am still working on.

Tips for better sleep:

• establish a sleep schedule and stick with it
• practice the 3-2-1 rule (stop eating 3 hours before bed, stop engaging in work or stressful activity 2 hours before bed, and stop screen time and blue light devises 1 hour before bed).  Blue light reduces your natural sleep hormone, Melatonin.
• keep wifi routers and devises out of the bedroom as these increase brain activity.
• manage stress
• limit daytime naps
• limit stimulants like caffeine

Happy Sleeping!