Lets take a look at how sleep, depression and anxiety play a huge roll in our brains health and how we can change it for positive life impact improvement and overall quality of life.
Our sleep, biological clocks, and glucose metabolism are all linked together. Understanding this connection is crucial for preventing metabolic disorders. Here are some key points:
- Sleep is important for body restoration
- Circadian rhythm regulates sleep, hormones, and metabolism
- Insulin regulates the glucose metabolism
- Lack of sleep can lead to a metabolic disturbance and in some cases type 2 diabetes
- Circadian disruptions can lead to glucose intolerance and inflammation build up
- Healthy sleep habits and regular meal times promote optimal metabolism for an individual
A look at our Sleep Cycles
Stages of Sleep
- Stage 1: Light sleep, where alpha waves are replaced by theta waves
- Stage 2: Deeper sleep, classified by sleep spindles and K-complexes occurring during NREM.
- Stage 3: Transition stage to deep sleep, characterized by slow delta waves
- Stage 4: Deepest and most restorative sleep, characterized by high presence of delta waves
- REM Sleep: Associated with vivid dreaming and rapid eye movements
Functions of sleep
- Stage 1: Transition from wakefulness to sleep
- Stage 2: Consolidation of memory and important for overall sleep quality
- Stage 3: Crucial for physical restoration, hormone regulation, and immune function
- Stage 4: Promotes physical recovery and regeneration of tissues, strengthens the immune system
- REM Sleep: Important for cognitive processes, memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and overall mental well-being
In summary, our sleep cycle consists of different stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological changes. Understanding these stages and their functions can help us prioritize and optimize our sleep to promote overall health and well-being.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates sleep
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
Activates during stress, danger, or arousal. Overactivity can interfere with sleep.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
Promotes relaxation and supports sleep. A well-functioning PNS is important for initiating and maintaining sleep.
During the sleep-wake cycle, the ANS dynamically regulates the transition between wakefulness and sleep. Disruptions in the balance between the SNS and PNS can lead to sleep problems and stress- related disorders. Prioritizing relaxation techniques, stress management, and good sleep hygiene practices can support a well-functioning ANS and improve sleep quality.
Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR)
Cortisol level increases rapidly 30-45 minutes after waking up. It helps regulate stress, metabolism,
and energy levels.
1. Sleep Quality
Getting sufficient and restful sleep is essential for a healthy cortisol awakening response. Poor sleep quality, such as fragmented or disrupted sleep, can lead to blunted or dysregulated cortisol awakening responses.
2. Sleep Duration
Both insufficient and excessive sleep duration can affect the cortisol awakening response. Studies have shown that both short sleep duration (less than 6 hours) and long sleep duration (more than 9 hours) are associated with abnormal cortisol patterns upon waking.
3. Sleep Timing
The timing of sleep can also influence the cortisol awakening response. Disrupted sleep patterns, such as irregular sleep- wake schedules or shift work, can disrupt the natural cortisol rhythm and lead to alterations in the cortisol awakening response.
4. Sleep Disorders
Certain sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or insomnia, can disrupt the cortisol awakening response. Sleep apnea, characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, has been associated with blunted cortisol awakening responses.
Insomnia, on the other hand, can lead to heightened cortisol levels upon waking.
It’s important to note that the cortisol awakening response is influenced by various factors, including stress levels, individual differences, and daily routines. While sleep plays a role in regulating the cortisol awakening response, it is just one piece of the puzzle. Other lifestyle factors, such as exercise, diet, and stress management, also impact the cortisol rhythm.
If you have concerns about your cortisol awakening response or sleep patterns, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional who can evaluate your specific situation and provide appropriate guidance and support.
Poor Sleep and Its Impact on Mental Health
1. Insomnia
Difficult to fall or stay asleep. This can cause fatigue, irritability, and impact overall mood.
2. Bad Dream?
Nightmares or bad dreams can contribute to anxiety and fearfulness within ones self.
Causing a difficult time in initially falling asleep or falling back to sleep after awaking from one.
3. Sleep Apnea
Struggling to breath while sleeping, interrupted breathing during sleep can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and worsen depression and anxiety symptoms.
The Surprising Ways Dreams Impact Our Health
Emotional Regulation
Our dreams can help us process and regulate emotions, contributing to better mental health and emotional well- being.
Creative Problem- Solving
Exploring our dreams can stimulate innovative thinking and offer unique solutions to life’s challenges.
Memory Boost
Dreams play a crucial role in memory consolidation, helping us learn and retain new information for better cognitive function.
Nightmare Management
While nightmares can be distressing, they can also offer a way to address underlying fears and anxieties for improved mental health.
Poor Sleep and Its Impact on Mental Health
Overload In Thoughts
Racing thoughts can cause a great deal of anxiety, and depression while trying to sleep. It can keep you awake and cause you to miss out on hours of sleep. Missing out on sleep can create more stress and more daytime anxiety.
Insomnia
Insomnia can sometimes feel like a circular, endless issue. Missing out on sleep and feeling the repercussions of it. Day after day you wake up exhausted, stressed and riddled with anxiety because you missed out on sleep the night prior. It becomes almost like a routine once it reaches a certain point.
Sleeping Too Much
Depression can cause someone to sleep excessively and not deal with the realities of life. The depression or anxieties through the day lay on and you slip into a deep depressive sleep. Oversleeping can lead to more depression and anxiety. It can continue to snowball and keep piling up.
What are Some Ways to Improve Sleep for Better Mental Health?
Maintain a Schedule
Start with a routine of habit by waking up and going to bed on a regime. Set rules and regulations for yourself to do so. Maybe that might be eating an hour earlier, or shutting down electronic devices before bed.Avoid Stimulation
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol prior to sleeping. All 3 can play in the effects of not reaching the desired sleeping point. The sedative properties of alcohol specifically can cause one to miss out on the rapid eye movements (REM sleep). Alcohol is also a depressant so if you are struggling with sleep and depression. Drinking would not be recommended.Create a Relaxed/Calm Environment
It is good to maintain a certain energy in the bedroom to help with decompressing for the day and taking a moment for yourself. Cooler, dark, and comfortable environment goes a long way in helpingRelax & Unwind
It is extremely important to not only ones sleep health but, also their mental health to sit back, relax, and upwind. Turning off electronics so that you don’t feel its 5G energy radiation emitting. Beginning breathing exercises and creating a calm, comfortable metal space for you to catch up on time with yourself. You could meditate, read a book, or simply sit in silence and control breathing patterns. Its important to give yourself that 10 minutes of time at the end of the day.Here is How Hope Brain & Body Recovery Center can Help!
Initially you will schedule a 15 Min Phone Consultation with Dr. Schneider DC. DACNB here you will discuss your goals of therapy and quality of life.
Initial first steps would be to reduce your inflammation, this will help to break down unwanted cortisol which cause high stress association. For this we use erchonia and Arrcled photobiomodulation.
There are settings to pinpoint the exact region of high levels of inflammation. We then use these devices to help aid in it reduction. Depression is often associated as a symptom with runaway brain inflammation.
Once inflammation is reduced we can then begin to work on vestibular system issues and complications with eye movements. We use the gyrostim to assist in this process. We use 100% O2 for blood circulation and to assist in blood flow, helping improve sleep at night.
We use an indoor cycling bike and ErgoFlex Technologies for the oxygen source and measuring technology.
Another source we use to aid in your brain and body’s recovery would be to use functional medicine.
Supplementing vitamins and minerals to help balance out the body and fuel it with the energy it needs. Providing food, metal, molds and hormone testing to ensure you get exactly what you need.
Functional Medicine in Chadds Ford, PA
Hope Brain & Body Recovery Center
Discover a better path to healing. Schedule your appointment with Hope Brain and Body Recovery Center today and unlock the power of functional medicine. Take control of your health now!Learn More about Functional MedicineTotal Brain & Body O2™ Advantages
Ergo-Flex Technologies
ERGO-FLEX Technologies, LLC is the developer, manufacturer, and distributor of innovative equipment for chiropractic and therapeutic healthcare professionals Learn More about ErgoFlexBalance Disorders & Vestibular Dysfunction
GYROSTIM
Accelerate your recovery. Concussion, TBI, and some neurological conditions can cause vestibular dysfunction resulting in dizziness, headache, light and sound sensitivity, anxiety, motion sensitivity, brain fog, memory loss, nausea, and other debilitating symptoms that can last for months, years, and sometimes indefinitely.Learn More about GyroStimThe Power of Sleep
Prosperity
Paying attention to your sleep
cycle and the interconnections
it has with depression, anxiety and brain health can create abundance in your life.
Strength
Getting adequate sleep can
help stabilize mood, increase
cognitive performance, and
promote emotional resilience.
Balance
A well-rested mind and body can help you go head on with the challenges of your day with better focus and clarity.
