Aaron Nowak of Georgia is a business professional who understands the importance of getting a good night sleep to keep business running smoothly. In the following article, Aaron Nowak discusses the science of sleep, and details the importance of restorative rest.
Sleep is a non-negotiable. Our bodies simply won't function without it. Of course, we'd all be happy to get a proper night's rest - if only it were that easy. But the truth is that in America alone, roughly
50 to 70 million people have some sort of chronic sleep disorder.
In order to function, we not only need a certain quantity of sleep but good sleep quality. And that may mean keeping a schedule and habits that allow our heart rates to lower early in the evening while getting a combination of light, REM, and deep sleep, to feel our best.
Below, Aaron Nowak takes a detailed look at how restorative rest is critical to our health and what it really means to get a good night's sleep.
Aaron Nowak Explains the Types of Sleep and Their Importance
Restorative sleep may seem rare to some. It's the type of sleep we get before those mornings of waking up on our own and
feeling refreshed instead of groggy. That might give some people a chuckle if they don't recall ever getting such rest. But it's serious business since anything less can leave us depleted of energy.
Sleep generally comes in three general types - light sleep (N1), deep sleep (N2), deeper sleep (N3), and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. We go through these phases multiple times a night, but what's important is how much of each type we get. For example, Aaron Nowak Politician says that the deepest sleep (N3) usually accounts for only 25% of our sleep.
Deep sleep helps our bodies with tissue repair and immune system function. And it's hard to wake up from - so if a person is startled during N3 sleep, they will wake up feeling groggy and fatigued. Luckily, this sleep is most common in the first part of the evening, long before the alarm goes off.
Aaron Nowak explains that light sleep and REM sleep are also important for restorative rest. During the light phase, our bodies slow down our heart rate and relax our muscles, getting us ready for the deeper sleep stage. REM is when we have our most vivid dreams, and our brain activity increases. Researchers think this is vital for memory, learning, and even emotional healing.
What it Means to Get Restorative Rest
Restorative rest requires getting all types of sleep and spending enough time - typically about 100 minutes - in the deep sleep phase. The good news is that we don't need those minutes to be consecutive. In fact, they rarely are. We can go from N3 to light sleep and back again throughout the night.
Aaron Nowak notes that we don't entirely understand the biological mechanisms that play a role in sleep and health, but we have seen that missing out on restorative sleep can bring about some serious health issues. Perhaps most surprising are the mental health issues that occur when the prefrontal cortex is impaired by a lack of sleep, leading to trouble managing emotions.
In addition to emotional regulation, a lack of restorative sleep can affect stress hormones, such as cortisol, and
lead to neuroendocrine dysregulation that increases insulin and glucose and, eventually, one's metabolism. This puts the body under mental and physical stress, which can, in turn, lead to more bad sleep, creating a vicious cycle.
Aaron Nowak of Georgia says that insufficient restorative sleep also affects memory and learning, making sleep especially important for young people (who need more hours of sleep than adults). And sleep problems in adulthood have been linked to impaired cognitive processes in the long term, such as an increased risk of dementia.
Impediments to Restorative Rest
The total amount of restful sleep a person needs will depend on their age and genetics. Some people feel restored after six hours, while others need seven to eight. It's important to make time for an optimal amount of sleep so the body has time to undergo essential restorative processes.
We've all heard the generic advice (avoid blue light at night, don't eat close to bedtime, reduce alcohol intake, and make sure the bedroom is dark and cool). Unfortunately, Aaron Nowak of Georgia explains there's no way around them - they're all necessary lifestyle modifications. In addition, sleep specialists recommend sticking to a regular bedtime and wake-up time and not watching TV in bed.
Aaron Nowak of Georgia reports that these sleep "rules" may seem like inconveniences, but compared to the long-term effects of not getting restorative rest, they're a small price to pay. Of course, when sharing a bed with kids, a pet, or a loud sleeper, "sleep hygiene" may not be enough. Light sleepers need to take extra care to ensure several hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Solutions to sleep issues (besides making the modifications above) may include using white noise machines, investing in a mattress that prevents motion transfer, short-term sleep medication (to retrain the brain), or even cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can give a chronically poor sleeper the emotional tools necessary to break the cycle of anxiety that triggers insomnia.
Summary
Restorative sleep is directly connected to our mental and physical health. Deep sleep, in particular, regulates our neurophysiological processes. While "good sleep" may seem like an impossible accomplishment to some, the long-term results may be truly lifesaving.
