I Can’t Get No Sleep!”
Even if you are not familiar with Faithless or their successful 1995 single ‘Insomnia‘ – you may be able to relate to the opening lyrics.
“And here we are
Half past three in the morning
I can't get no sleep”
True, we all know how important it is, but for many the path to a restful night’s slumber is often elusive and unobtainable. Modern devices record our sleeping habits and continue to fuel the fire of defeat as each night we toss and turn in an attempt to meet the 7–8-hour requirement recommended to support our general health.
Inadequate sleep can have a detrimental effect on physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as overall health and how we feel each day. During deep, restful sleep, the body has time to repair, regulate and balance hormones whilst nurturing and supporting immune function. The decisions we make when high levels of fatigue are present differ drastically from the decisions we make when we are feeling rested (hence buying the bottle of wine on the way home from work or consuming the tub of ice cream in front of the television). All in an attempt to escape the instability of emotions and physical discomfort).
A chronic lack of sleep is linked to many lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and weaker immunity. Sleep is essential for cognitive function, mood regulation, and emotional well-being. Lack of sleep can impair concentration, memory, and decision-making abilities. It's also associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, processes information, and clears toxins that accumulate during waking hours. Quality sleep is crucial for optimal brain function, learning and coping with daily challenges. It plays a significant role in regulating emotions and stress levels. Getting adequate sleep can help improve resilience to stress and enhance emotional stability.
For those involved in physical activities, sleep is crucial to recovery, muscle repair and performance improvements, contributing to faster reaction times, improved coordination, increased clarity and overall positive improvements in outcome goals.
Lack of sleep disrupts the balance of hunger hormones, leading to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie, sugar-laden foods. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to weight gain and obesity.
Given the importance of sleep for physical, mental, and emotional health, prioritizing good sleep habits and addressing sleep problems is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being.
There are many suggested reasons why sleep is proving to be such a challenge to so many individuals, but the most commonly cited reason is stress.
Stress stimulates the nervous system and puts us into a state of sympathetic nervous system activation (SNS). With SNS comes a change in breathing patterns, usually faster, harder, shallower, and often through the mouth. As breathing patterns become more dysfunctional this feeds into the SNS activation, which in turn continues to stimulate the mind and body, making deep sleep impossible. The body is now stuck in survival mode and there is no time to rest when survival is a priority. This is the start of the breath–nervous system and negative sleep cycle.
There are of course many other contributors, often referred to as sleep hygiene. Paying attention to the following factors will further support the ultimate quest for sleep.
· Regular sleep schedules.
· Reducing and eliminating screen time during the evening.
· Minimising caffeine and eating dinner earlier.
· Avoiding alcohol and the use of recreational drugs.
Sleep is further impeded by:
· sleep challenges such as sleep apnea, snoring, restless leg syndrome
· physical pain
· mental health issues, trauma (PTSD)
· environmental factors – too much noise, excessive light, temperature imbalance (too hot or cold)
· shift work, jet lag
· age – sleep patterns change as we get older
· hormone changes - monthly cycles for women/perimenopause/menopause
The starting point on the quest to sleep is nervous system regulation. Systematically learning how to shift into a parasympathetic state of arousal to regulate mind and body. This will support and pacify the stress response, deactivate the over-anxious thinking mind and reassure the body that it is safe to rest. The back door to achieving this state of relaxation is through functional breathing during the day and learning how to use the science of the breath to slow the respiratory rate and optimise the transition into deep rest.
Breathing slow, low, light and through the nose will support you in shifting gears (team carbon dioxide to the rescue) and an extended exhale will work wonders to further enhance the relaxation effect.
We often seek out a quick fix, the sleeping pill or worse, heavy on the side effects and failing to change the fundamental root cause of why you are not sleeping. Breathwork does take time, energy and practice but the gift it provides as your body starts to respond will add status to your health and potentially years to your life! It all starts with the breath.