Episode 79 - The Priority of Sleep

70 million Americans suffer from sleep problems.

The Centers for Disease Control declared insufficient sleep as a public health epidemic.

Among these gifts are a consoling neurochemical bath that mollifies painful memories and a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity. Downstairs in the body, sleep restocks the armory of our immune system, preventing infection and warding off all manner of sickness. Sleep reforms the body’s metabolic state by fine-tuning the balance of insulin and circulating glucose. Sleep further regulates our appetite, helping control body weight through healthy food selection rather than rash impulsivity. Plentiful sleep maintains a flourishing microbiome within your gut from which we know so much of our nutritional health begins. Adequate sleep is intimately tied to the fitness of our cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure while helping keep our hearts in fine condition.

 

“Routinely sleeping less than six hours a night weakens your immune system, substantially increasing your risk of certain forms of cancer. Insufficient sleep appears to be a key lifestyle factor linked to your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Inadequate sleep—even moderate reductions for just one week—disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short sleeping increases the likelihood of your coronary arteries becoming blocked and brittle, setting you on a path toward cardiovascular disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure.”

 

Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams 

 

MIND BODY GREEN

Lack of sleep not only impairs our ability to concentrate and causes trouble learning, decreased attention to detail, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents; research suggests that regularly sleeping for less than seven hours a night has negative effects on the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. 

 

Sleep and longevity are intricately connected:

While sleep may feel like a passive process, it actually sets off a flurry of beneficial biological activity. As we snooze, our brains clear out abnormal proteins, our pituitary glands release hormones that help the body grow and repair, and our immune systems go into defend-and-protect mode.

 

According to the National Library of Medicine

Side effects of sleep deprivation can include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, dementia, alcohol abuse, stroke, and increased risk of developing some types of cancer.

 

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/wind-down-neuroscientist-and-author-tara-swart-md-phd-prep-brain-for-sleep

Sleep quality regulates everything from our heart health, to our body fat percentage, to HOW LONG WE'RE GOING TO LIVE more so than just about anything.

For instance, a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Sleep Research revealed that not having good sleep quality accelerates your biological aging!

Circadian rhythm: 

Your circadian rhythm is essentially your body’s master clock, syncing trillions of tiny timekeepers in your cells to the natural cycles of light and dark. It evolved over millennia to keep us functioning in tandem with the sun’s rise and fall. When it’s properly aligned, your body knows when to digest food, rest, focus, or be active.

But when it’s disrupted—thanks to late-night Netflix binges, irregular sleep schedules, or artificial light—it can throw your body out of sync, leading to poor sleep, low energy, and even chronic health conditions like obesity and diabetes.

How to schedule your day

If you could design your day for peak health and productivity, here’s what it might look like:

 

• Morning: Wake up naturally without an alarm, and get 15–20 minutes of natural light within the first hour. This signals your body that it’s time to start the day.

 

• Midday: Schedule