light of a night -time can overload the adrenals which
causes them to produce more cortisol than normal.
Excessive production of cortisol can lead to adrenal
fatigue which presents itself by headaches, chronic
fatigue symptoms, viral infections, bacterial and fungal
infections.
So how can we ensure we get a better
nights sleep?
a response to this light, your hormonal system releases
cortisol.
According to Paul Chek in his book “Eat Move & be
Healthy” (1993)
“Cortisol is an activating hormone that is released
in response to stress, light being a form of
electromagnetic stress’.
This cortisol production peaks between 6-9am which
activates the body for movement, work or any other
activity. This is why we may feel our energy is best at
the start of the day and as time goes on this cortisol
production starts to drop off significantly. As the sun
goes down, decreasing levels of cortisol allow for the
production of melatonin and increased levels of growth
and repair hormones. If we are to follow the bodies
natural hormonal production we should be winding
down when the sun sets and should fall asleep by
10pm -10.30pm at the latest.
According to Chek (1993) the physical repair of the
body takes place between 10pm and 2am when the
body is asleep. After 2am, the immune/repair energies
are more focused on psychogenic (mental) repair that
lasts until we awaken.
The physical repair that takes place when we sleep
assists in repairing our body at a cellular level
strengthening our immunity and our ability to stay
healthy. Our cardiovascular system is constantly
under pressure and sleep helps to reduce the levels
of stress and inflammation in the body. High levels of
inflammation are linked to heart disease and strokes
and getting your 7-8 hours every night can reduce your
blood pressure and cholesterol as well lowering stress
hormones.
Interrupted sleep cycles can have a detrimental impact
on our physical health as well as causing us to gain
weight. Shift workers such as nurses or doctors
who often work thru the night can have a endless list
of physical injuries, headaches, anxiety and other
neurological disorders. When our body has not
had enough repair, the hormone that stimulates our
appetite called ‘ghrelin’ is released which makes us
crave foods rich in fat and carbohydrates. Coupled
with this increase in ghrelin is a reduction in the
satiety-inducing hormone called ‘leptin’ which tells us
when our body feels full. The flow on effect of sleep
deprivation can also result in decreases in physical
activity as we have less energy for our and motivation
for our workouts.
1. Stress - Minimise your exposure to electro-
magnetic stress such as laptops, phones and
i-pads. The blue light emitted from computers,
tv’s and phones causes sleep problems because
it tricks your body into thinking it’s sunlight.
According to research from the ‘Sleep Health
Foundation”, around 44% of Australian adults are
using the internet most nights before falling asleep,
which is ultimately sabotaging our chances for a
good nights rest. For tech addicts switch your
phone over to a ‘night mode’ function, or you can
download a filter application to switch to yellow
or red light at night, which has a weaker effect on
melatonin.
Try unplugging all electrical appliances in your
room including tv’s, clocks and lights. Rearrange
your bedroom furniture so that your exposure
to electrical devices are as far from your bed as
possible.
2. Eat - Try eating more foods high in tryptophan for
dinner. A 2015 study found that university students
consuming high amounts of dietary tryptophan
reported improvements in sleep quality and lower
levels of insomnia. Good sources of tryptophan
include yoghurt, milk, pumpkin seeds or cherries.
3. Avoid - the consumption of stimulants such as
energy drinks, caffeine, soft drinks and nicotine
after lunch. People who put away soft drinks
and energy drinks regularly are more likely to get
inadequate sleep, researchers at the University
of California, concluded. In their paper published
‘Sleep Health’, they noted that participant’s
who slept about 5 hours per night, drank 21%
more caffeinated, sugary beverages than survey
respondents who get 7-8 hours of shut eye.
4. Routine - Get to sleep by 10.30pm. Start winding
down by 10pm so your body is ready to fall asleep
by 10.30pm.
5. Exercise – regular exercise can help improve sleep
quality. Beware however of the time of day you
exercise and the intensity. You may find that sleep
quality is disrupted if you exercise after dinner,
particularly if the exercise is intense. If you’ve ever
gone for an evening jog you may actually feel more
awake by the end of it. Some studies suggest
this lack of sleep post exercise is related to body
temperature. Most experts agree that the room
temperature should be around 15-20 degrees for
the best sleep. Vigorous exercise can raise your
body temperature and it can take 5-6 hours before
it drops so it’s essential to give your body enough
time to cool off before going to bed.
Interrupting the sleep/wake cycle can also lead to
‘adrenal fatigue’. Chronic exposure to stress and
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