Sleep Well, Live Well Belinda Burchick, RPh, BPharm

Sleep Well, Live Well

By Belinda Burchick, RPh, BPharm

We all spend about one-third of our time sleeping, but do we do it well? Sleep, especially quality sleep, is just as vital to your survival as is food, water, and regular exercise. Sleep is the time when your body repairs itself. While you sleep, your brain is actively at work removing toxins and repairing and building communication channels between your nerve cells.

Research shows that poor quality of sleep has a negative impact on your hormones and your physical and mental performance. To maintain the superhighways in your brain, you require sleep. The right amount of quality sleep enhances your learning and response time and builds your memories.

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, mental health conditions and reduced immune function.

What happens in the brain during sleep?

There are at least six areas in the brain related to sleep. Your eyes capture the change from light to darkness, then send signals to various brain cells, which respond to make you sleepy. Those cells then send signals to other parts of the brain that activate other functions that cause sedation, relaxed muscles, the release of the sleep hormone Melatonin, process information from short- to long-term memory, process emotions, create activity through images, sounds, and other sensations that fill your dreams.

Your body has a biological clock known as circadian rhythm and works in conjunction with areas of your brain.

During sleep, you cycle multiple times through stages of sleep. Starting with stage 1, light sleep, where your body starts to slow, such as, breathing, heartbeat, eye movements, and brain waves, and your muscles begin to relax. Stage 2 takes you deeper into sleep, and your body temperature drops, and eye movement stops. Stage 3 takes you even deeper, with the lowest activity and greatest relaxation, making it difficult to be awakened.

Next stage is called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which occurs within the first 90 minutes of sleep, having longer and deeper periods closer to morning. Activity increases in brain waves, breathing, heartbeat, and increase in blood pressure. Although you can dream during the other stages, most of your vivid dreams occur during REM sleep.

The amount and pattern of sleep changes as you age, and varies by individual, with most adults needing 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day.

Ways to improve sleep:

• Get natural light for at least 2 hours during the day.

Studies have shown this will improve quality and duration of sleep and significantly reduce the time it takes to fall

asleep, resulting in improved daytime energy. • Set a daily schedule for time to sleep and wake up. • Daytime exercise is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep, but try not to exercise 3-5 hours before sleep. • Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. And avoid nicotine or alcoholic drinks six hours before sleep. Alcohol may increase sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns, and alter the effect of melatonin. • Try relaxation techniques in the evening, i.e., a warm bath, read, listen to music, deep breathing, meditation, soak feet, stretch. • No television at least two hours before sleep. • Reduce blue light exposure in the evening, especially from computers. • May need to reduce long daytime naps to no more than 30 minutes. • Assess your bed, mattress, and pillow. • Try not to drink any fluids one hour before sleep. • Avoid foods that disrupt sleep due to digestive process, such as heavy meals, fatty or spicy foods, and carbonated drinks. • Create an ideal sleeping room that is completely dark, void of sounds, and is a cool, comfortable temperature (between 65 to 70°F). • Some supplements that may induce relaxation and help you sleep include, melatonin, magnesium, and calcium.

Using lavender oil or spray on your bedding or in your bedroom may induce a calming and sedentary effect to improve sleep.

The bottom line: Get your sleep, as it plays a key role in your health. n

Belinda Burchick, RPh, BPharm, has focused her career on geriatric pharmacy and automated dispensing systems to promote patient safety and improve health outcomes. For the last 10 years, she has served as Chief Pharmacy Officer (CPO) for a long-term care pharmacy, servicing the geriatric population in nursing homes, assisted living, independent living, and the senior day programs, such as, Pennsylvania’s LIFE programs and the PACE programs in multiple states. Belinda oversees the pharmacy operations in three pharmacies, located in Denver, Philadelphia and headquarters in Pittsburgh.