Do you know that your brain stays active and works wonders while you sleep? So, while your body apparently shuts off, your brain works in fascinating ways to heal, organise, and regenerate itself.
The quality of your sleep has its effects on almost every aspect on your life—the brain, heart, immune functions, and metabolism and so on. A disturbed sleep pattern can make you tired and fatigued while you try to work. As a result, you find yourself unable to focus, or find solutions that are actually not so difficult to find!
Are you unable to have a long, fulfilling sleep? Or do you feel fatigued during work hours? Do you have to depend to caffeinated drinks to keep you focused? These may be your body giving you signs of a disrupted sleep-cycle!
A number of biological processes are involved in the maintenance of your sleep-cycles. You must understand these processes in order focus on keeping a healthy balance between work and rest.
The importance of a regular and complete sleep-cycle
Your brain does not just shut-off during sleep, but works in different stages of the ‘sleep-cycle’.
The first two stages (NREM 1, NREM 2) are associated with light sleep, during the process of falling asleep. The third (NREM 3) stage is a deep, healing stage when regeneration and healing from fatigue and pain takes place.
The fourth (REM) stage of sleep is where you dream. This stage is integral for the process of memory re-conciliation, release of repressed emotions and healing of trauma. At this stage, your mind is closest to the unconscious.
Sleeping-disorders like sleep-apnoea restrict the mind from entering into the dreaming stage- disrupting memory reconciliation. This makes us forget things abruptly.
Unless you give yourself a complete, fulfilling sleep-cycle, your work-rest balance begins to fall apart. A number of problems in your daily life begin to appear, making the simple things extremely difficult.
1. Emotional Management
Juggling with too much work compels you to have sleepless nights. This causes you to have an irritable mood throughout the daytime. Bad sleep can be a root of triggers. This means that a tiny issue like a traffic-jam, or a person that cuts you off could seem like a huge annoyance, and you start yelling at everyone and everything.
Unfulfilled sleep cycle causes problems in emotional management. If you focus on a timely sleep pattern, your mind will work wonders to keep you calm, patient and happy.
2. Work-Efficiency and Focus-Enhancement
From here it follows that quality sleep gives you the necessary energy to manage higher rates of work and stress. Since sleep and wakefulness works in a biological balance, your brain needs to have enough fuel to work.
People with disrupted sleep patterns are more often impatient, irritable, and find themselves unable to solve problems. Rest is what gives you time to organise your thoughts, and then focus on the really important issues.
The science behind your sleep
Circadian rhythms are regulated by the circadian clock of your body. This fascinating biological clock is based on your physiological and behavioural changes on a 24-hour cycle, majorly including your body’s response to light and dark. Circadian rhythms synchronise your metabolism, sleep and wakefulness according to environmental stimulations, without actually knowing the time!
A sleep-wake homeostasis keeps track of the amount of sleep your body needs. For example, after a sleep-deprived night, you tend to sleep longer hours the next day. So, your body will always look for a balanced and regular sleep cycle in order to function in a healthy and focused manner.
Adenosine is directly linked to your sleep-wake homeostasis. High extracellular adenosine concentrations in the brain decrease energy levels, and create the need for sleep. Caffeine helps counter the effects of increased store of adenosine, and prevents the feeling of drowsiness.
This is why caffeine dependence can often damage your biological clock, and result in a disrupted sleep cycle.
What goes on in your body while you sleep?
A healthy recharge
At least 7–9 hours of sleep is essential for adults to function at their peak capabilities. If you take pride in pulling off ‘all-nighters’ or working with just 4 hours of sleep, you are actually damaging your performance, throwing off your reaction time and judgement, an getting on a fast track to burnout!
What does your brain work on while you sleep?
During the various stages of your sleep cycle, your brain enhances memory, boosts the immune system, prevents disease, regulates metabolism, improves athletic performance, inspires creativity, and wards off mental illness.
While you sleep, your brain works to find solutions to problems. So, the saying “sleep over your problems” does have a scientific root!
Sleep state works best to affirm a desire or intention
Sleep state essentially bridges your consciousness with your subconscious. In NREM 1, you are more likely to affirm one of your intentions—like quitting a bad habit. This process gets consolidated across all three stages for NREM, making it the most effective to help you inculcate or quit a habit.
Dream and memory-reconciliation
The fourth stage of your sleep, which is when you dream, is majorly about memory-reconciliation and healing of trauma. Your brain does this by releasing repressed thoughts and emotions, consolidating between your short-term and long-term memory. This is important for releasing and sorting out thoughts, helping in solving problems. To know more about the impact of sleep on your memory, and how to heal using simple steps, check out my book, Happiness Habits: An Urban Professional’s Guide to Good Living.
Building an efficient biological clock
As you begin to maintain a fixed routine of bedtime and sleep hours, your circadian rhythms become completely synchronised with your body functions. This efficient clock lets you wake up on time, fully-rested, without an alarm, and allows you to remain awake and focused without coffee, or untimely naps!
How to get your sleep-cycle on track?
Now that you know how important a good sleep routine can be, and how exactly your body responds to quality sleep, here are a few tips to work towards a better sleep pattern:
• Regulate your diet: Finish your last meal at least 3 hours before you sleep. In this way, you can complete the breakdown of sugars in your body before you try to fall asleep. Caffeinated drinks should be had at least 6 hours before bedtime.
• Keep a regular sleep schedule: Keep your circadian clock efficient, with a fixed time for sleep and waking up. In this way your brain and body functions like the release of melatonin will work towards an increased balance in rest and work hours.
• Pre-bedtime routine: Read a book, preferably a hard copy. Avoid e-books or any screen-time, that decreases your sleepiness. Practice writing in journals, diaries, or engage in quick meditations, relaxation, and breathing exercises.
Finally, try to help your body maintain the sleep-wake homeostasis. To do this, find proper light conditions for healthy sleep (preferably complete darkness), suitable temperature, noise-free and well-ventilated rooms, or listen to soothing music.
Get proper sleep, wake up early, and work in accordance with your brain’s energy levels. A proper sleep-cycle is most essential for your healthy mind and body.
As a busy urban professional, you might have now understand why sleep plays a major role in your life as well. Making sleep a part of your regular routine is daunting to many. To overcome these challenges, all you need to do is take a few simple actionable steps. I have covered them in my new book, Happiness Habits: An Urban Professional’s Guide to Good Living.