Sleep Your Way to Better Health – Advice from The Spine Clinic

Tags – Sleep and Health – Importance of Sleep for Good Health

Sleep. We all need it, but just how important is sleep? 

The answer is, extremely – we spend about one-third of our lives doing it!

But, how many of us are getting good quality sleep?  

Importance of a Good Sleep

The most basic reason sleep is so important is because when we sleep, we allow our bodies to rest and actively recover itself, so that we can function effectively and optimally.

The proper functioning of both our bodies and minds is dependent on getting sufficient high quality sleep.

Specifically, sleep affects almost every type of tissue and system in the body; from the brain, heart, and lungs to metabolism, immune function, mood, and disease resistance. In fact, research shows that a chronic lack of sleep, or getting poor quality sleep can cause: 

1. high blood pressure;
2. increased risk of cardiovascular disease;
3. Diabetes;
4. Depression;
5. Obesity;
6. Increased gut permeability;
7. Increased inflammation;

Benefits of a Good Sleep

However, the potential benefits of a good night’s sleep include:

1. Increased energy;
2. Improved concentration;
3. Greater capacity to learn;
4. Better ability to make health food choices;
5. Improved immune system function;
6. Better memory;
7. Reduced stress levels;

So you can understand the impact that a lack of good quality sleep can have. Our overall health and wellbeing can be greatly increased if we start to prioritise good sleep as one of our personal health goals.

But, how do we know whether we are sleeping well or not?

Simply, think about the following:

How many hours of sleep do you get?

Is this interrupted at all?

Do you wake up feeling refreshed, or still feel tired? 

And, if you feel tired when you wake up, there are a few things you can do.

Tips to Improve Your Sleep

Here are our top three tips to improving the quality of your sleep.

1. Increase Bright Light Exposure During The Day 

Our bodies have a natural clock known as the circadian rhythm. This circadian rhythm is essential in helping us stay awake and telling our body when it’s time to sleep.

Exposing ourselves to natural sunlight during the day will help to keep our circadian rhythm healthy. 

The impact of keeping your circadian rhythm healthy will help to improve your daytime energy, as well as the quality and duration of your night time sleep.

The best opportunity for maintaining your circadian rhythm is to embrace early morning light. 

So, this can easily be achieved through an early morning walk or simply having breakfast in your garden.

Even, if it’s typically grim and grey outside, it doesn’t matter! We are still exposing ourselves to more natural light than we would be otherwise, even on the dullest of days! 

2. Reduce Blue Light before Bed

Electronic devices, such as televisions, tablets, computers, and mobile phones, produce light on a blue wavelength. 

This Blue light interferes with a chemical in our body called melatonin which helps us sleep. 

More specifically, it reduces the chances of slow-wave sleep, which is essential for us feeling rested. 

Blue light is not all bad though. During the day, it can be useful because it can make us feel more alert. 

However, if we have too much blue light before bedtime, then sleep can be disturbed.  

So, avoid or reduce your screen time for long periods just before bed.

3. Do Some Regular Exercise But Not Too Close to Bedtime

The quality of our sleep has can be hugely improved by regular exercise. In particular, aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercises are the type of exercises that get our hearts beating faster. 

So if we are able to be less sedentary during the day, and include more activity during, we can help improve the quality of our sleep and help combat fatigue

What we want to try and avoid however, is exercising too close to bedtime. This may make us feel more alert, thus disturbing your ability to fall asleep. 

Therefore, try to do some exercise in the early evening, so that by bedtime you are ready to sleep.

Our Services

If you experience back pain or other muscle and joint aches, getting a good nights sleep can often be a struggle.

This sleep disruption can, in turn, make managing your pain far more difficult.

So, if you have difficulty sleeping, as osteopaths in Leicester, we can help to get you out of pain and work with you to integrate better sleep habits into your lifestyle. 

To learn more or to book an appointment, please get in touch with us today.