Sleep

Circadian rhythm

Our circadian rhythms are the biological patterns that help us adapt to the 24 hour day-night cycle. These rhythms cause us to gradually feel more alert once we wake up, and make us feel more sleepy when we go to bed. Modern day living often disrupts our natural circadian rhythm, through the use of electronic screen late at night, working night shifts and stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. Consulting a sleep health clinic can help address these disruptions.

Sleep Cycle

As we sleep through the night, we naturally progress through four stages of sleep, which is known as the sleep cycle.

• Stage 1: This is the lightest sleep stage, lasting around 1 to 7 minutes. During this stage, you may experience drifting in and out of sleep and muscle twitches.
• Stage 2: The second stage lasts approximately 10 to 25 minutes. It’s characterised by light sleep, reduced muscle activity, and occasional bursts of brain activity.
• Stage 3: Also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS) or deep sleep, this stage lasts about 20 to 40 minutes. It’s essential for physical restoration, immune function, and memory consolidation.
• Stage 4: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep occurs in cycles throughout the night, with each cycle lasting around 10 to 60 minutes. During REM sleep, your brain is active, and vivid dreams occur. It’s crucial for cognitive processes and emotional well-being.

Often, when we are feeling tired or groggy when we wake up, it is because we have woken up in the in the Stage 4 REM sleep stage. That is why, for an ideal nap, it is suggested to aim for 20 minutes, as this keeps you in a light sleep stage, while still restoring you and avoiding grogginess.

In order to sleep better, we can take steps to improve our ‘sleep hygiene’.

• Allowing natural light into your room when you wake up.
• Sleep at roughly the same time every night.
• Make your bedroom environment as relaxing as possible.
• Ensure your bedroom environment is cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable.
• Avoid electronics with screens up to an hour before sleeping.
• Exercise regularly.
• Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine in the evening.

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Cognitive impairment
• Drowsiness and motor skill impairment
• Memory issues
• Attention span issues
• Focus
• Irritable moods
• Low energy
• Weight gain

• Better memory consolidation
• Reduced stress and inflammation
• Better weight management
• Improved concentration and productivity
• Better mood
• Less groggy in the mornings
• More energy throughout the day
• Better focus

This depends on the individual and how long you have been sleep deprived for. For longer term chronic sleep deprivation, it may take a couple of weeks to see results. For shorter term sleep deprivation, oftentimes one or two nights of good quality sleep can provide the rest that your mind and body need.

Whilst rare, it is possible to regularly oversleep, which can lead to its own issues. Oversleeping usually occurs because there have been several periods of sleep deprivation, and your mind/body are trying to catch up. If this happens on a regular basis, it can lead to temporary anxiety and excessive tiredness throughout the day. Possible longer term effects include obesity, cardiovascular disease, depression and headaches.

Hyper-focusing on your sleeping habits may actually prove counter-productive. This is because when your mind becomes obsessed on the act of falling asleep, it stops your body naturally drifting off to sleep; because you are so worried about lack of sleep or sleeping ‘properly’. Seeking advice from a sleep care clinic can help you learn how to avoid this hyper-focus.