August 1, 2024 • 24 mins
Episode 7 Part 2 of our 3 Part Series on Sleep
What if your sleep patterns could directly influence your mental health? Explore the intricate relationship between circadian rhythms and mental well-being in our latest episode. We discuss how these natural internal processes regulate essential bodily functions and what happens when they are disrupted. Uncover the impact of factors like light exposure and stress on your sleep-wake cycles, and learn practical tips for managing screen time and stress to maintain a healthy rhythm. This episode highlights the importance of adequate rest tailored to your individual needs and life stages for overall mental wellness.
Enhancing your sleep environment can be a game-changer for your overall well-being. Discover why a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom is vital, and how small adjustments like blackout curtains and proper bed temperature can lead to better sleep quality. We also delve into dietary habits, exercise routines, and the benefits of natural light exposure, especially for night shift workers. This discussion underscores sleep as a critical component for resetting and healing from daily stress, drawing comparisons to the necessity of oxygen for the body. Tune in for actionable advice on prioritizing sleep and taking time off to maintain your health and well-being.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Episode 7 of 24-7 Health News sponsored by
myself, health Coach Shea atSage Life Therapeutics.
These topics are from my blogat 247healthnewscom, or topics I
think are important to healthand fitness.
(00:21):
Because these topics areimportant to your health, I'm
going to try to break them downa little bit, if they're
complicated, and help you applythem to your daily life.
We're always going to give yousome practical applications.
Again, I'm your host, healthcoach Shea.
I'm a master trainer and aholistic health coach.
(00:42):
So just a few disclaimers so wedon't get off to the wrong
start.
My information is not meant toprescribe or be taken in lieu of
a discussion with your doctoror healthcare professional.
You should always speak to yourhealthcare professional before
making any nutrition or fitnesschanges.
I'm a health coach and I'mmaking recommendations only in
(01:06):
that capacity.
So just a little bit aboutCOVID, although it's more
prevalent here in California, Ithink cases are on the rise.
I'm not going to really talktoo much about it unless it's
applicable to the situationwe're discussing.
I may suggest that you read anarticle in case there is any
(01:31):
kind of crossover.
So let's get started with ourtopic for today.
So this is part two about yoursleep, specifically about
circadian rhythms, how they work, how disruptions in these
rhythms can lead to mentalhealth issues like depression or
anxiety, and we're going totake a deep dive into some of
(01:53):
the specifics about your mentalhealth in this episode, which is
part two of a three-part seriesthat I'm doing on circadian
rhythms.
So we're going to do a littlereview in case you caught this
episode in the middle and youdidn't catch episode one.
The definition of a circadianrhythm is a natural internal
(02:14):
process that regulates sleepwake cycles, and they repeat
every 24 hours.
These rhythms are driven byyour biological clock, located,
of course, in the brain.
The primary clock, known as SCN, is located in the hypothalamus
(02:36):
.
This clock coordinates all thebody's circadian rhythms.
Your rhythms are influenced byvarious bodily functions,
including hormone release,eating habits, digestion and
body temperature.
They are most famously knownfor regulating our sleep
(02:58):
patterns.
So all of that eating habits,digestion, body temperature and
those pesky hormones so thatmakes me nervous when you say
that, if I was just thinkingabout this and I hadn't read
through everything that I'mgoing to talk about, because,
(03:19):
think about it, all of thatstuff gets messed up on a daily
basis by one thing or another.
Your eating habits canfluctuate if you're not on a
schedule which messes with yourdigestion, if you're not on a
schedule which messes with yourbody temperature Because, as we
(03:42):
know, when we begin to digest aninternal body function, your
body temperature escalates, itgoes up.
So think about that as we startto talk about this.
So let's talk a little bit abouthow circadian rhythms work.
Right, our circadian rhythmsare primarily influenced by the
(04:03):
light and dark cycle.
Intrinsicating rhythms areprimarily influenced by the
light and dark cycle.
Exposure to natural light helpssynchronize the SCN within a
24-hour day.
Melatonin is a hormone producedby the pineal gland in the
brain.
It helps regulate sleep byincreasing in the evening when
(04:25):
it gets dark and decreases inthe morning when it gets light.
So let me pause there for amoment.
A lot of folks talk about oh mygosh, you know they take extra
melatonin, so their melatonincan Start working for them, so
they can get some sleep at night.
(04:45):
Light and dark cycle.
You've probably seen agabillion articles at this point
how your phone looking at yourtablet, all those things late at
night can mess with your lightand dark cycle.
That messes with your circadianrhythm, keeping you from
(05:06):
producing melatonin so you can'tget to sleep.
So just think about all ofthose little things that you do
that might mess with thisinternal clock that you have and
rhythmically trying to put youto sleep at a certain hour.
Now let's talk about a coupleof other things that messes with
(05:29):
that rhythm your cortisol, andwe know a lot about that.
Cortisol is the hormoneassociated with stress.
How many of us lay down in thebed thinking of the stressful
day, or thinking of the next daythat's going to be stressful,
or just still not over thestress of the day that we've had
(05:50):
?
So this follows a daily rhythmas well.
So you want to try to do thingsto help you.
So your cortisol peaks in themorning to help you wake up and
it decreases throughout the daydepending on your life right.
Genes and proteins also play arole in maintaining your
(06:16):
circadian rhythm.
The clock genes produceproteins that interact in
feedback loops to regulate thetiming of your rhythms.
So all of this stuff, you know,is review from what we talked
about before, and it is somevery interesting things to think
(06:36):
about.
You know, I hate to say that wedo wrong, but what we don't do
or don't or do do to doself-care to get our rest.
We have to make sure that weget some sort of rest.
Now, everybody is different.
Some people need six hours ofsleep, some people need seven
(06:56):
hours of sleep, some people needeight, some people need 10.
It increases and decreasesdepending upon who you are and
likely how old you are.
Right, that can change with ageas well.
My grandparents rest in peacedidn't sleep very much.
(07:17):
They stayed up a little latemaybe 10 or 11, and they were up
at 4 o'clock in the morning inthe garden.
So it's a very interestingscene that happens to you,
depending on what stage of lifeyou're in, what kind of shape
you're in and all of that kindof stuff.
So let's talk about thedisruptions on your mental
(07:41):
health.
When our circadian rhythms aredisrupted, it can lead to a
variety of mental health issues.
Let's look at this in moredetail.
So this is sort of the meat,the bread and butter of this
sort of situation.
Here.
Depression is one of those bigones.
I've known people who have beensleep deprived and just were
(08:08):
overwhelmed because of it.
Research has shown thatdisruptions in your circadian
rhythm can lead to depression.
This can happen due toirregular sleep patterns, lack
of exposure to natural light oreven chronic jet.
If you're one of those peoplewho traveled, you know hither
and yon quite a bit.
(08:28):
The misalignment, themisalignment of the body's
internal clock can affect theproduction of the
neurotransmitters like serotonin, which plays a crucial role in
mood regulation.
So you know, let's talk aboutthat, let's break that up a
little bit.
So if you don't get some naturallight exposure, some sunlight
(08:50):
on your face, we're all humans,human animals, and we need some
sunlight on our face.
That puts me in the mind ofSuperman.
You remember how in the movie,he would fly all the way up to
the sun and all of a sudden,everything that was might
might've been wrong is all fixed.
Um, I liken us all to that.
Right, we have to get out inthe sun.
We have to get out, breathe infresh air, get in the sun.
(09:15):
It, it, it.
It gives you, it invigoratesyou.
Um, the time zone switchswitches, which I thought was
interesting when I was doingthis research.
So, chronic jet lag if you havea job where you're bouncing
from one time zone to the otherand your body just doesn't know
when to sleep, that can mess youup.
(09:38):
I mean, if you do it for work,you have to think about getting
some sleep, even though it mightnot be time for you to get some
sleep.
And that can be very tough.
If you flip over time zones,right, if I go to Europe or the
complete opposite time zone,whereas it's nighttime in
(09:59):
America and it's daytime in thatother time zone and I need to
flip over, that can be a verydifficult thing to do and it
mostly has to do with yourbody's internal clock is like
wait a minute, where are we, youknow?
So just keep that in mind andtry to pad your time when you do
(10:21):
that, to give yourself somesleep.
Okay, so let's go a littlefurther.
Anxiety Anxiety disorders arealso linked to circadian rhythm
disruptions.
Irregular sleep can exacerbateanxiety symptoms, leading to a
vicious cycle where poor sleepincreases anxiety and anxiety
(10:44):
further disrupts sleep.
The imbalance of stresshormones like cortisol can
contribute to this cycle.
So we can unpack that one forhours.
Right, it's a cycle you getinto, so you miss some sleep.
You get up the next morning,you're anxious because you don't
(11:06):
feel like you're ready to doyour best, and then you don't do
your best.
So you come, you know you havea stressful day and it takes you
quite some time to come downfrom that stress.
So your angst is again.
So I think that that's whatthey're.
You know, that's what theresearch is saying about that.
(11:27):
The cycle is vicious.
You continue until you get thatbreak in time to catch up on
that sleep and let your bodycompletely relax or learn to
self-soothe, do some sort ofrelaxing type thing to break the
cycle of stress.
You will suffer from someimbalanced hormones, too high
(11:51):
cortisol when you're trying tosleep, and that anxiety and or
that depression can stick withyou, or that depression can
stick with you.
And I do have, I do understandthat process because that cycle
has happened to me before whereI've just been so tired and so
(12:11):
stressful and I was afraid thatI was missing something the next
day.
And it's just an awfulconundrum to be in.
And we all have to recognize Imean, I don't know where you
work or how your life isstructured, but I force myself
when I have those situations.
You know that mental health dayis the same as a sick day to me
(12:31):
.
I don't care, I will take abreak because I need it.
So we can go a little bitfurther here and talk a little
bit about bipolar disorder.
People with bipolar disorderoften experience disruptions in
their circadian rhythm.
These disruptions can triggermood episodes, with mania or
(12:57):
hypomania, often linked to thereduced need for sleep, and
depressive episodes linked tohyperinsomnia or insomnia.
I don't have any experiencewith this, but the research says
that if you have bipolardisorder and your sleep is
interrupted and you'reconstantly having problems with
(13:19):
getting your proper rest, youwill make yourself stressed out
and that will mess up the rhythmyou're trying to get in to keep
your disorder under control.
So just think about that if youhappen to be listening to this,
and I would urge you to discussthat with your doctors
(13:42):
immediately.
There's another one I want tojust cover real quick as well
Seasonal effect disorder.
Sad is a type of depression thatoccurs at a specific time of
the year, usually in winter,when daylight hours are shorter.
The lack of sunlight candisrupt circadian rhythms,
(14:03):
leading to symptoms ofdepression.
Now I probably I understandthis.
I did meet someone once thatwas on medication for SAD and I
think that's just rough.
I mean I don't like it myselfwhen the days get shorter.
That's just rough.
I mean, I don't like it myselfwhen the days get shorter.
I don't mind winter, but I dofind myself feeling a little
(14:26):
glum when it's gloomy all thetime, like when, I mean, we've
had a couple of seasons herewhere it's rained for so long
that you're just like bummerright Forever.
You know you, just you've hadit right, and so I can see where
that can be really disruptiveto a person's circadian rhythm
(14:51):
and if they already have somedepression or they have this
situation where it can reallyaffect them and they are not
able to control it, as some ofus may be able to do.
So think about all these littlethings and the things that
happen to you when you are notgetting your proper rest.
(15:12):
You have to have to payattention to your body.
We like to go, go, go, go, go,go, go, go, go, and think that
our body is just going to catchup without any self-care, and
that's just not true.
So I want to make sure that weall think about our rhythms and
(15:37):
how to.
I mean this is really, reallyan important part of our
self-care getting our properrest and not just laying there.
You know, making a concertedeffort to do the things that
help you get good rest.
So let's talk about a few ofthose as well.
(15:58):
So consistent sleep schedule, ofcourse Right.
So let's talk about a few ofthose as well.
So, consistent sleep schedule?
Of course right.
Try to go to bed and wake up atthe same time every day, even
on the weekends.
I'm not very good about that onthe weekends, but sometimes I'm
, you know.
Sometimes I just wake upbecause I think there's my
internal clock right.
My internal clock is regulatedto wake me up when I usually get
(16:20):
up, so I get up, and so don'tmess with that during the
weekends.
I mean, let your body tell youwhat it needs.
Create a relaxing bedtimeroutine.
Engage in calming activitiesbefore you go to bed, such as
reading, meditating or taking awarm bath.
(16:43):
This signals to your body thatit's time to wind down.
So let's talk about reading fora minute, looking at your phone
(17:06):
or any sort of equipment thatwhere it can disrupt your sleep
because of the type of lightthat's coming from the
background of your equipment.
Now they have it where you canset it.
I mean, most of us don't read apaper book anymore, which is
kind of interesting, right.
Most of us don't do that.
So we have to pay attention towhat kind of light is coming off
(17:27):
of our equipment and what we'relooking at and make sure it is
not something that we're tryingto read to help us go to sleep,
but we're reading on a piece ofequipment that is giving off a
backlight that is keeping us up.
So make sure you're thinkingabout that when you're reading,
(17:49):
because I know we all haveKindles, laptops, cell phones,
everything to help us go tosleep, read until we get tired.
Like I said, very rarely does aperson pull out a book and then
when you pull out a book, yougot to pull out a book light,
right, because you got to write,you got to have light to read.
(18:11):
So be careful about that.
Optimize your sleep environment.
Ensure your bedroom is cool,dark and quiet.
Use blackout curtains, earplugsor white noise machine if
necessary.
So take a look at all thatstuff and see what works for you
right, I can get with theblackout curtains.
(18:36):
I'm not using any earplugs.
I don't live in an area whereyou need to completely tune out
like that.
I can go with cool, because Igot you know.
Keep the blankets on your onyour bed.
They keep you at your body atthe right temperature.
I would also say pay attentionto your mattress.
(18:56):
We do not, you know, when Italk with friends and stuff.
We do not pay attention to howold our mattresses are and all
that kind of stuff.
It is really important to sleepon a good bed, not a
hand-me-down mattress, not amattress that's old.
(19:18):
They have about a 10-yearlifespan if you pay decent money
for one.
And I'm not saying you got togo get the most expensive thing.
I'm just saying get acomfortable bed.
Watch your diet.
Avoid heavy meals, caffeine andalcohol use at bedtime.
This can disrupt your sleeppattern.
(19:40):
Now I definitely wouldrecommend avoiding heavy meals.
You're supposed to beapproximately three hours out
from bedtime eating.
You definitely don't want toconsume caffeine.
I know that it is a habit tohave a nightcap.
I would suggest your nightcapis tea.
Hot tea makes me go.
(20:03):
It knocks me right out.
A good chamomile or mint orwhatever your taste buds prefer.
Those things just make me goright to sleep.
So I definitely think that issomething you should really
think about.
As far as physical activity isconcerned, regular exercise can
(20:26):
help you fall asleep faster andenjoy deeper sleep.
Just don't avoid, just don't dovigorous exercise right before
you go to bed.
I mean I wouldn't go get on thetreadmill a half hour before
you are getting ready to go tobed.
Even if you do take a warm bathor a hot shower, your heart
rate getting up into the burnfat 140ss burn fat area, you
(20:51):
know, an hour before you go tobed is not going to help.
It come down to that nice 60,70 beats per minute where you
need to be to be relaxed.
So I would say, be very, verymindful of that.
You know, go exercise rightafter you eat dinner, which
should be three hours from whenyou go to bed.
(21:12):
Get plenty of natural lightduring the day, especially in
the morning, and this helpsregulate, this also helps
regulate your circadian rhythm.
As much as you can be outside,take breaks, take a walk, do all
of those things to sort of, youknow, give you some, some
vigorous outside light andoxygen from outside.
(21:37):
I know there are people who maybe listening, who might work
late shift.
I worked third shift for sometime and I really did enjoy it.
It was one of my favoriteshifts, but I did work, I did
keep that schedule as much aspossible and I did adhere to
(21:57):
quite a few of these otherthings, even if I was up at
midnight, because that's thirdshift midnight to eight in the
morning, which are prime sleeptimes, midnight to eight in the
morning, which are prime sleeptimes.
But I did, you know, did plentyof other things.
I had definitely had theblackout curtains at that point
and I really worked on makingsure I had a peaceful
environment to keep myself myrhythm correct, even though I
(22:23):
was sleeping at odd hours.
So let's do a recap.
So we took a look at the scienceof circadian rhythms and we
looked at how they work and welooked at how those disruptions
can lead to mental health issuesand or exasperate the mental
health issues that you currentlyhave.
(22:43):
We shared some practical tipsto maintain healthy rhythms.
So try to implement some ofthis stuff.
Try to make sure that you'retaking care of your wellbeing,
because your sleep is a big partof it.
Um, it is super important.
It is one of the.
(23:05):
To me, it's like oxygen youbreathe in.
Your body needs to rest, toreset, to heal from the day's
trauma, for everything.
You need to take that time offto rest, and when you're not
getting your proper rest, itcertainly will mess with a whole
(23:26):
lot of situations that you havegoing on, a whole lot of
functions that you have going onin your body.
So I just wanted to say thankyou so much for listening.
Again, this is Health CoachShane.
This is.
This is sponsored by Sage LifeTherapeutics.
Check out my podcast, my otherpodcasts, the other episodes in
(23:49):
my podcast.
Please like love and and sharethem with people.
Stay healthy and stay well andthanks again for listening.
Welcome to Episode 7 of 24-7 Health News sponsored by
myself, health Coach Shea atSage Life Therapeutics.
These topics are from my blogat 247healthnewscom, or topics I
think are important to healthand fitness.
(00:21):
Because these topics areimportant to your health, I'm
going to try to break them downa little bit, if they're
complicated, and help you applythem to your daily life.
We're always going to give yousome practical applications.
Again, I'm your host, healthcoach Shea.
I'm a master trainer and aholistic health coach.
(00:42):
So just a few disclaimers so wedon't get off to the wrong
start.
My information is not meant toprescribe or be taken in lieu of
a discussion with your doctoror healthcare professional.
You should always speak to yourhealthcare professional before
making any nutrition or fitnesschanges.
I'm a health coach and I'mmaking recommendations only in
(01:06):
that capacity.
So just a little bit aboutCOVID, although it's more
prevalent here in California, Ithink cases are on the rise.
I'm not going to really talktoo much about it unless it's
applicable to the situationwe're discussing.
I may suggest that you read anarticle in case there is any
(01:31):
kind of crossover.
So let's get started with ourtopic for today.
So this is part two about yoursleep, specifically about
circadian rhythms, how they work, how disruptions in these
rhythms can lead to mentalhealth issues like depression or
anxiety, and we're going totake a deep dive into some of
(01:53):
the specifics about your mentalhealth in this episode, which is
part two of a three-part seriesthat I'm doing on circadian
rhythms.
So we're going to do a littlereview in case you caught this
episode in the middle and youdidn't catch episode one.
The definition of a circadianrhythm is a natural internal
(02:14):
process that regulates sleepwake cycles, and they repeat
every 24 hours.
These rhythms are driven byyour biological clock, located,
of course, in the brain.
The primary clock, known as SCN, is located in the hypothalamus
(02:36):
.
This clock coordinates all thebody's circadian rhythms.
Your rhythms are influenced byvarious bodily functions,
including hormone release,eating habits, digestion and
body temperature.
They are most famously knownfor regulating our sleep
(02:58):
patterns.
So all of that eating habits,digestion, body temperature and
those pesky hormones so thatmakes me nervous when you say
that, if I was just thinkingabout this and I hadn't read
through everything that I'mgoing to talk about, because,
(03:19):
think about it, all of thatstuff gets messed up on a daily
basis by one thing or another.
Your eating habits canfluctuate if you're not on a
schedule which messes with yourdigestion, if you're not on a
schedule which messes with yourbody temperature Because, as we
(03:42):
know, when we begin to digest aninternal body function, your
body temperature escalates, itgoes up.
So think about that as we startto talk about this.
So let's talk a little bit abouthow circadian rhythms work.
Right, our circadian rhythmsare primarily influenced by the
(04:03):
light and dark cycle.
Intrinsicating rhythms areprimarily influenced by the
light and dark cycle.
Exposure to natural light helpssynchronize the SCN within a
24-hour day.
Melatonin is a hormone producedby the pineal gland in the
brain.
It helps regulate sleep byincreasing in the evening when
(04:25):
it gets dark and decreases inthe morning when it gets light.
So let me pause there for amoment.
A lot of folks talk about oh mygosh, you know they take extra
melatonin, so their melatonincan Start working for them, so
they can get some sleep at night.
(04:45):
Light and dark cycle.
You've probably seen agabillion articles at this point
how your phone looking at yourtablet, all those things late at
night can mess with your lightand dark cycle.
That messes with your circadianrhythm, keeping you from
(05:06):
producing melatonin so you can'tget to sleep.
So just think about all ofthose little things that you do
that might mess with thisinternal clock that you have and
rhythmically trying to put youto sleep at a certain hour.
Now let's talk about a coupleof other things that messes with
(05:29):
that rhythm your cortisol, andwe know a lot about that.
Cortisol is the hormoneassociated with stress.
How many of us lay down in thebed thinking of the stressful
day, or thinking of the next daythat's going to be stressful,
or just still not over thestress of the day that we've had
(05:50):
?
So this follows a daily rhythmas well.
So you want to try to do thingsto help you.
So your cortisol peaks in themorning to help you wake up and
it decreases throughout the daydepending on your life right.
Genes and proteins also play arole in maintaining your
(06:16):
circadian rhythm.
The clock genes produceproteins that interact in
feedback loops to regulate thetiming of your rhythms.
So all of this stuff, you know,is review from what we talked
about before, and it is somevery interesting things to think
(06:36):
about.
You know, I hate to say that wedo wrong, but what we don't do
or don't or do do to doself-care to get our rest.
We have to make sure that weget some sort of rest.
Now, everybody is different.
Some people need six hours ofsleep, some people need seven
(06:56):
hours of sleep, some people needeight, some people need 10.
It increases and decreasesdepending upon who you are and
likely how old you are.
Right, that can change with ageas well.
My grandparents rest in peacedidn't sleep very much.
(07:17):
They stayed up a little latemaybe 10 or 11, and they were up
at 4 o'clock in the morning inthe garden.
So it's a very interestingscene that happens to you,
depending on what stage of lifeyou're in, what kind of shape
you're in and all of that kindof stuff.
So let's talk about thedisruptions on your mental
(07:41):
health.
When our circadian rhythms aredisrupted, it can lead to a
variety of mental health issues.
Let's look at this in moredetail.
So this is sort of the meat,the bread and butter of this
sort of situation.
Here.
Depression is one of those bigones.
I've known people who have beensleep deprived and just were
(08:08):
overwhelmed because of it.
Research has shown thatdisruptions in your circadian
rhythm can lead to depression.
This can happen due toirregular sleep patterns, lack
of exposure to natural light oreven chronic jet.
If you're one of those peoplewho traveled, you know hither
and yon quite a bit.
(08:28):
The misalignment, themisalignment of the body's
internal clock can affect theproduction of the
neurotransmitters like serotonin, which plays a crucial role in
mood regulation.
So you know, let's talk aboutthat, let's break that up a
little bit.
So if you don't get some naturallight exposure, some sunlight
(08:50):
on your face, we're all humans,human animals, and we need some
sunlight on our face.
That puts me in the mind ofSuperman.
You remember how in the movie,he would fly all the way up to
the sun and all of a sudden,everything that was might
might've been wrong is all fixed.
Um, I liken us all to that.
Right, we have to get out inthe sun.
We have to get out, breathe infresh air, get in the sun.
(09:15):
It, it, it.
It gives you, it invigoratesyou.
Um, the time zone switchswitches, which I thought was
interesting when I was doingthis research.
So, chronic jet lag if you havea job where you're bouncing
from one time zone to the otherand your body just doesn't know
when to sleep, that can mess youup.
(09:38):
I mean, if you do it for work,you have to think about getting
some sleep, even though it mightnot be time for you to get some
sleep.
And that can be very tough.
If you flip over time zones,right, if I go to Europe or the
complete opposite time zone,whereas it's nighttime in
(09:59):
America and it's daytime in thatother time zone and I need to
flip over, that can be a verydifficult thing to do and it
mostly has to do with yourbody's internal clock is like
wait a minute, where are we, youknow?
So just keep that in mind andtry to pad your time when you do
(10:21):
that, to give yourself somesleep.
Okay, so let's go a littlefurther.
Anxiety Anxiety disorders arealso linked to circadian rhythm
disruptions.
Irregular sleep can exacerbateanxiety symptoms, leading to a
vicious cycle where poor sleepincreases anxiety and anxiety
(10:44):
further disrupts sleep.
The imbalance of stresshormones like cortisol can
contribute to this cycle.
So we can unpack that one forhours.
Right, it's a cycle you getinto, so you miss some sleep.
You get up the next morning,you're anxious because you don't
(11:06):
feel like you're ready to doyour best, and then you don't do
your best.
So you come, you know you havea stressful day and it takes you
quite some time to come downfrom that stress.
So your angst is again.
So I think that that's whatthey're.
You know, that's what theresearch is saying about that.
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The cycle is vicious.
You continue until you get thatbreak in time to catch up on
that sleep and let your bodycompletely relax or learn to
self-soothe, do some sort ofrelaxing type thing to break the
cycle of stress.
You will suffer from someimbalanced hormones, too high
(11:51):
cortisol when you're trying tosleep, and that anxiety and or
that depression can stick withyou, or that depression can
stick with you.
And I do have, I do understandthat process because that cycle
has happened to me before whereI've just been so tired and so
(12:11):
stressful and I was afraid thatI was missing something the next
day.
And it's just an awfulconundrum to be in.
And we all have to recognize Imean, I don't know where you
work or how your life isstructured, but I force myself
when I have those situations.
You know that mental health dayis the same as a sick day to me
(12:31):
.
I don't care, I will take abreak because I need it.
So we can go a little bitfurther here and talk a little
bit about bipolar disorder.
People with bipolar disorderoften experience disruptions in
their circadian rhythm.
These disruptions can triggermood episodes, with mania or
(12:57):
hypomania, often linked to thereduced need for sleep, and
depressive episodes linked tohyperinsomnia or insomnia.
I don't have any experiencewith this, but the research says
that if you have bipolardisorder and your sleep is
interrupted and you'reconstantly having problems with
(13:19):
getting your proper rest, youwill make yourself stressed out
and that will mess up the rhythmyou're trying to get in to keep
your disorder under control.
So just think about that if youhappen to be listening to this,
and I would urge you to discussthat with your doctors
(13:42):
immediately.
There's another one I want tojust cover real quick as well
Seasonal effect disorder.
Sad is a type of depression thatoccurs at a specific time of
the year, usually in winter,when daylight hours are shorter.
The lack of sunlight candisrupt circadian rhythms,
(14:03):
leading to symptoms ofdepression.
Now I probably I understandthis.
I did meet someone once thatwas on medication for SAD and I
think that's just rough.
I mean I don't like it myselfwhen the days get shorter.
That's just rough.
I mean, I don't like it myselfwhen the days get shorter.
I don't mind winter, but I dofind myself feeling a little
(14:26):
glum when it's gloomy all thetime, like when, I mean, we've
had a couple of seasons herewhere it's rained for so long
that you're just like bummerright Forever.
You know you, just you've hadit right, and so I can see where
that can be really disruptiveto a person's circadian rhythm
(14:51):
and if they already have somedepression or they have this
situation where it can reallyaffect them and they are not
able to control it, as some ofus may be able to do.
So think about all these littlethings and the things that
happen to you when you are notgetting your proper rest.
(15:12):
You have to have to payattention to your body.
We like to go, go, go, go, go,go, go, go, go, and think that
our body is just going to catchup without any self-care, and
that's just not true.
So I want to make sure that weall think about our rhythms and
(15:37):
how to.
I mean this is really, reallyan important part of our
self-care getting our properrest and not just laying there.
You know, making a concertedeffort to do the things that
help you get good rest.
So let's talk about a few ofthose as well.
(15:58):
So consistent sleep schedule, ofcourse Right.
So let's talk about a few ofthose as well.
So, consistent sleep schedule?
Of course right.
Try to go to bed and wake up atthe same time every day, even
on the weekends.
I'm not very good about that onthe weekends, but sometimes I'm
, you know.
Sometimes I just wake upbecause I think there's my
internal clock right.
My internal clock is regulatedto wake me up when I usually get
(16:20):
up, so I get up, and so don'tmess with that during the
weekends.
I mean, let your body tell youwhat it needs.
Create a relaxing bedtimeroutine.
Engage in calming activitiesbefore you go to bed, such as
reading, meditating or taking awarm bath.
(16:43):
This signals to your body thatit's time to wind down.
So let's talk about reading fora minute, looking at your phone
(17:06):
or any sort of equipment thatwhere it can disrupt your sleep
because of the type of lightthat's coming from the
background of your equipment.
Now they have it where you canset it.
I mean, most of us don't read apaper book anymore, which is
kind of interesting, right.
Most of us don't do that.
So we have to pay attention towhat kind of light is coming off
(17:27):
of our equipment and what we'relooking at and make sure it is
not something that we're tryingto read to help us go to sleep,
but we're reading on a piece ofequipment that is giving off a
backlight that is keeping us up.
So make sure you're thinkingabout that when you're reading,
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because I know we all haveKindles, laptops, cell phones,
everything to help us go tosleep, read until we get tired.
Like I said, very rarely does aperson pull out a book and then
when you pull out a book, yougot to pull out a book light,
right, because you got to write,you got to have light to read.
(18:11):
So be careful about that.
Optimize your sleep environment.
Ensure your bedroom is cool,dark and quiet.
Use blackout curtains, earplugsor white noise machine if
necessary.
So take a look at all thatstuff and see what works for you
right, I can get with theblackout curtains.
(18:36):
I'm not using any earplugs.
I don't live in an area whereyou need to completely tune out
like that.
I can go with cool, because Igot you know.
Keep the blankets on your onyour bed.
They keep you at your body atthe right temperature.
I would also say pay attentionto your mattress.
(18:56):
We do not, you know, when Italk with friends and stuff.
We do not pay attention to howold our mattresses are and all
that kind of stuff.
It is really important to sleepon a good bed, not a
hand-me-down mattress, not amattress that's old.
(19:18):
They have about a 10-yearlifespan if you pay decent money
for one.
And I'm not saying you got togo get the most expensive thing.
I'm just saying get acomfortable bed.
Watch your diet.
Avoid heavy meals, caffeine andalcohol use at bedtime.
This can disrupt your sleeppattern.
(19:40):
Now I definitely wouldrecommend avoiding heavy meals.
You're supposed to beapproximately three hours out
from bedtime eating.
You definitely don't want toconsume caffeine.
I know that it is a habit tohave a nightcap.
I would suggest your nightcapis tea.
Hot tea makes me go.
(20:03):
It knocks me right out.
A good chamomile or mint orwhatever your taste buds prefer.
Those things just make me goright to sleep.
So I definitely think that issomething you should really
think about.
As far as physical activity isconcerned, regular exercise can
(20:26):
help you fall asleep faster andenjoy deeper sleep.
Just don't avoid, just don't dovigorous exercise right before
you go to bed.
I mean I wouldn't go get on thetreadmill a half hour before
you are getting ready to go tobed.
Even if you do take a warm bathor a hot shower, your heart
rate getting up into the burnfat 140ss burn fat area, you
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know, an hour before you go tobed is not going to help.
It come down to that nice 60,70 beats per minute where you
need to be to be relaxed.
So I would say, be very, verymindful of that.
You know, go exercise rightafter you eat dinner, which
should be three hours from whenyou go to bed.
(21:12):
Get plenty of natural lightduring the day, especially in
the morning, and this helpsregulate, this also helps
regulate your circadian rhythm.
As much as you can be outside,take breaks, take a walk, do all
of those things to sort of, youknow, give you some, some
vigorous outside light andoxygen from outside.
(21:37):
I know there are people who maybe listening, who might work
late shift.
I worked third shift for sometime and I really did enjoy it.
It was one of my favoriteshifts, but I did work, I did
keep that schedule as much aspossible and I did adhere to
(21:57):
quite a few of these otherthings, even if I was up at
midnight, because that's thirdshift midnight to eight in the
morning, which are prime sleeptimes, midnight to eight in the
morning, which are prime sleeptimes.
But I did, you know, did plentyof other things.
I had definitely had theblackout curtains at that point
and I really worked on makingsure I had a peaceful
environment to keep myself myrhythm correct, even though I
(22:23):
was sleeping at odd hours.
So let's do a recap.
So we took a look at the scienceof circadian rhythms and we
looked at how they work and welooked at how those disruptions
can lead to mental health issuesand or exasperate the mental
health issues that you currentlyhave.
(22:43):
We shared some practical tipsto maintain healthy rhythms.
So try to implement some ofthis stuff.
Try to make sure that you'retaking care of your wellbeing,
because your sleep is a big partof it.
Um, it is super important.
It is one of the.
(23:05):
To me, it's like oxygen youbreathe in.
Your body needs to rest, toreset, to heal from the day's
trauma, for everything.
You need to take that time offto rest, and when you're not
getting your proper rest, itcertainly will mess with a whole
(23:26):
lot of situations that you havegoing on, a whole lot of
functions that you have going onin your body.
So I just wanted to say thankyou so much for listening.
Again, this is Health CoachShane.
This is.
This is sponsored by Sage LifeTherapeutics.
Check out my podcast, my otherpodcasts, the other episodes in
(23:49):
my podcast.
Please like love and and sharethem with people.
Stay healthy and stay well andthanks again for listening.
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