Not getting enough sleep is dangerous to your health. Sleeping is essential to keeping our bodies running optimally. Our immune system functions optimally if we go to sleep by 10 p.m. As we sleep, physical repair takes place between approximately 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Our immune system kicks into high gear, eliminating cancer cells, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful agents. Then from about 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., we enter a stage of psychic regeneration. During this time, the brain releases chemicals that enhance our immune system. Throughout the night, we experience rapid eye movement (REM) sleep states and non-REM sleep, alternating between light sleep and deep dream states. This is how we process the mental and emotional events of the previous day and refresh our minds for the day ahead. Most people need a minimum of seven or eight hours of sleep to repair and refresh the body and mind. Without sufficient sleep, the immune system suffers because it can’t keep up with its repair work. This creates the opportunity for disease processes to begin. Moreover, if cortisol is elevated at night-say, because you are anxious, these immune functions can become compromised, which ultimately leads to illness and disease.
Cortisol is a hormone which has many functions. It helps the body use sugar (glucose) and fat for energy (metabolism), and it helps the body manage stress. Cortisol regulates the immune system. In normal people, cortisol levels are very low at bedtime and at their highest just after waking. Have you ever wondered why your cold or flu symptoms get worse at night? It's because cortisol production regulates your immune system on a 24-hour cycle. As cortisol levels drop at night, your immune cells become highly active. The immune cells kill large numbers of bacteria and viruses, causing greater mucous production. As a result, you experience more congestion and coughing as your body attempts to get rid of the mucous. At daybreak, when cortisol levels rise, the activity of the immune cells tapers off. The immune cells then reset and recondition themselves in preparation for the next nightly cycle.
Growth hormone released during sleep is also important for fat loss
It is not just lack of sleep that negatively affects body fat percentage and the risk of chronic disease—poor sleep quality does as well. Deep sleep is accompanied by an increased secretion of growth hormone necessary for repairing and rebuilding body tissues like muscle and bone. It also helps to negate the bad effects of cortisol. Growth hormone naturally decreases with age and also with increased abdominal fat, leading to a viscious cycle of fatigue, excess stress hormone and increased abdominal fat.
As you can see, sleep is essential for our bodies to repair and maintain optimum immune function.
How do you get a good beauty sleep?
1. Get enough sleep. Seven to nine hours of sleep per night is optimal for adults. For most persons schedules, aim to get to bed before 10 or 11 pm. Listen to your natural circadian rhythms, as this is the body’s recovery period. Make sleep a priority!
2. Improve the quality of your sleep. Do not exercise too late in the evening—it elevates your stress hormones and raises your body temperature which may make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Be sure to sleep in complete darkness to optimize the release of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone which is essential to healthy sleep patterns and it also helps reduce the negative effects of cortisol.
3. Reduce your stress and adopt methods to manage your stress more effectively. Massage, exercise, acupuncture, meditation—even kissing—all are effective ways to reduce levels of stress. Some herbs have stress reducing qualities. These include herbs like ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng, relora and plant sterols as well as the supplement phosphatidylserine.
4. Regulate blood sugar levels. Eating regularly will avoid swings in blood sugar levels. Stay away from sugar and excess caffeine and follow a healthy eating plan that balances protein, carbohydrates and fats.