The Power of Sleep
The Power of Sleep
Danica Zomer, MSW, CSW-PIP
Our long summer days are in full swing. Which means we have the privilege of experiencing daylight for more hours at this time of the year. We have more time in our day to do all of the things; swimming, gardening, yard work, actual work, whatever it might be keeping you up and going through these days. However, the longer days can also be exhausting. If you’re someone who “lives by the sun”, your day might begin before 6:00am and not end until nearly 10pm.
Sleep tends to be one of the things that gets a little less attention during these long summer days. And we know it’s hard to wind down for the day when the sun is still shining bright outside. But we have a biological need for sleep. Sleep is necessary in order to keep your body operating at its best. Let’s explore what it means to get good sleep.
When it comes to sleep, its not just the quantity that matters, but quality too. Your circadian rhythm is basically an internal clock system in the body that helps regulate sleep, alertness, mood, and hormones. Your circadian rhythm requires daily input to continue to help you adjust and maintain in your environment. Irregular habits, such as going to bed at different times each night, changing your wake times in the morning, or traveling through different time zones, causes the circadian rhythm to become confused and dysregulated. A common example of circadian rhythm dysregulation is the experience of jet lag when traveling.
According to the American Brain Foundation, poor quality sleep and circadian rhythm dysregulation are linked to a number of health concerns and cognitive function. Subsequently then, getting good sleep and keeping with the rhythm of your body can improve overall health outcomes. The American Brain Foundation reports, “For our bodies to function well, our internal rhythm needs to be in sync with our external exposure to light and darkness.”
It is recommended that the average adult sleeps between 7-8 hours per day. However, it’s important to work with your body’s clock, not against it. “Living by the sun” can be a helpful rule of thumb when it comes to sleep/wake cycles because the sunlight provides your body with the external cue to keep your circadian rhythm on track. For those of you that might be night owls, it’s okay to adjust your sleep/wake cycle to fit your needs, just keep in mind that getting sunlight exposure when you wake will be helpful in maintaining a regulated circadian rhythm.
Keeping your body in rhythm is more than just light exposure. It’s also about when you eat and your level of physical activity throughout the day. Your sleep drive, or the need/desire for sleep, is also part of what determines how well you sleep at night. Physical activity in your day can increase your drive for sleep and improve your ability to get good, deep sleep.
Sleep is very much a rhythmic and routine oriented activity. There are many factors that go into getting good quality sleep. Another unique aspect of sleep is that it can be both a cause for issues and it can be a symptom of issues. Very often we see dysregulated sleep as a symptom of mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, grief, and trauma responses.
If sleep dysregulation is causing problems in your life and you’re looking for additional support you can reach out to myself, Danica Zomer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Midwest Mindset Counseling in Corsica at (605) 416-9890. Or any of the other Mindful Moments local mental health professionals.
