Sleep: the ins, the outs and the ups
Sleep is probably one of the biggest issues that walks into my office but is definitely the least complained about.
Sounds weird, no?
Let me explain.
Most people don’t come into my office with their primary concern being sleep. It’s usually fatigue, digestive upset, hormonal dysfunction, you name it. But then when I prod closer, inquiring about their sleep, the remarks are nothing short of, “oh, terrible,” “awful.” And they’re all very matter-of-fact, to my surprise. I would think people would be more hung up on their sleep patterns, but it ranks lower on their priority list in comparison to the other things.
I can understand this, when you’re stomach is bothering you after every meal or your head is hurting with no apparent cause. Sleep can seem pretty unimportant, but the truth is, this is more a symptom of your other concerns, of which are a symptom of the poor sleep.
You see, this lack of proper sleep creates a vicious cycle, begging the question - what came first: the chicken or the egg?
Our sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is the pacemaker of our day that resets roughly every 24 hours. It is primarily impacted by our exposure (or lack thereof) to sunlight, or really any light for that matter. Our world is largely plagued by artificial blue light that is causing a whole host of issues, not least of which is sleep. All those TVs in the bedroom aren’t doing anybody any favors, just an FYI. Guaranteed, if you subscribe to a TV in the bedroom and find challenges to your sleep, the single most important thing you can do is remove the TV from your bedroom.
If you find yourself slightly triggered by this, or defending its presence, remember, I’m just the messenger and maybe your need to have such a device in your bedroom serves to fill a purpose beyond that of mindless entertainment; explore that further. And if you stand in protest that in absolutely no way will the TV be leaving your bedroom, I hate to highlight the fact that your want for great sleep evidently falls short on the priority list in comparison to an electrical device taking up residence in your bedroom.
Studies have actually been conducted to show the slightest bit of light exposure just before and/or during sleep, can inhibit melatonin synthesis, the hormone that our pineal glands secrete at nighttime to help assist in putting us to sleep. Without proper secretion of this hormone, our sleep (even if it doesn’t feel like it) will be greatly impacted. You might appear to feel well rested the next day, but the truth is, this feeling comes from running purely on stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline.
It’s important to note that survival is the number one priority of our body; it places our safety and survival at the forefront of everything it does. You waking up in the morning to nourish yourself with food and other necessities is a priority. So even if your body can’t give you a proper night’s sleep, it will make sure you wake in the morning. However, this is also presumed to be a short-lived phased in your life. It’s when it continues on in perpetuity that it becomes problematic.
References:
Gooley JJ, Chamberlain K, Smith KA, Khalsa SB, Rajaratnam SM, Van Reen E, Zeitzer JM, Czeisler CA, Lockley SW. Exposure to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin duration in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Mar;96(3):E463-72. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-2098. Epub 2010 Dec 30. PMID: 21193540; PMCID: PMC3047226.
Reddy S, Reddy V, Sharma S. Physiology, Circadian Rhythm. 2022 May 8. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 30137792.
