The forgotten third of your life

Slow down on everything but your sleep

With the recent uncertainties around our physical and financial health, it is not unusual to have experienced at least one sleepless night over the past few months. Never has sleep been more critical. Science has been catching up on sleep, and so should you. The fast-paced world we live in has slowed down (hashtag Rona), at least a little, and I think it’s the world hinting that we should do the same.

The rat race is a human race again, and we’re sleeping on beds, not hay.

So, let’s talk about the least considered action of your day—the forgotten THIRD of your life. Yep, you spend approximately 30% of your whole life on that square thing we rarely pay attention to. And as adventurous as people can be, the bedroom is a space for R&R. So let’s talk about it. (Tisk, no, not that!) Your mattress, silly;) Your sleep.

While mattresses can hinder sleep quality, they can also improve it. Better “bedding systems” (a fancy way of saying “things you sleep on”) have been linked to decreased pain and discomfort, improved focus, cognitive function, less stress, and an improved overall mood.

So what does the science say?

For some, the Pandemic has triggered increased levels of anxiety and even depression, leading to sleep deprivation. Which directly impacts our body’s ability to repair and restore its natural functions. Sleep is the foundation for optimal health, and a lack thereof can affect everything, from your weight to physical endurance, cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, and even longevity. Our brain’s emotional center, the amygdala, is also affected by sleep. The amygdala is up to 60% more active in sleep-deprived subjects, indicating the significance of sound sleep for emotional stability.

Listen up. There’s also a solid link between weight control and sleep. Studies have shown that sleep privation can produce hormones that increase appetite and counterproductively encourage our body to break down more protein than fat.

Want immunity? Yes, diet, lifestyle, and breaking a regular sweat all play important roles, as does sleep. So how does that work? Without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response. Cytokines are both produced and released during sleep, causing a double whammy if you skimp on shut-eye.

The ideal length of sleep for each individual may differ, but on average, a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep per night is the ‘modus Vivendi’.

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