Do you tend to find yourself wondering how much sleep we really need and why it is so important? Well, in this post and the video, our Oakville Physiotherapist will break down sleep cycles and its importance
Why Sleep Matters!
In North America it’s estimated that most people only get between 5.5 and 6.5 hours of sleep per night. This is more than 1 hour less sleep than we should be getting every night on average. How much sleep should we be getting ? The actual number is between 7.5 hours to 9 hours of sleep every night for optimal performance and health.
So, what does this mean? Well, we experience a sleep deficit. Since we skip an hour of sleep every night over time that adds up to 15 days missed of sleep per year. That 15 days is way too many days of sleep missed out on every year. It adds up and takes a toll on our health.
Those 15 days of missed sleep could be the underlying reason to many of the problems we experience. And that said, getting the proper amount of sleep can be the answer to many of our problems! Its so important to get your 7.5 to 9 hours sleep every night. You can make extra time for it by going to bed earlier, or sleep a little later.
Sleep Cycles
Sleep cycles are important for your mind and body to heal. Therefore, when you are sleep deficient, you miss out on the important sleep cycles. Sleep cycles help your body sleep down and engage in the recovery process which promotes healing and a better mind to body connection.
Our sleep cycles are broken up into four stages. The first stage is the transition period between wakefulness and sleep. The second stage is when your busy starts to slow down, your heart rate slows down and your body temperature drops. The third stage is the deepest stage. Lastly, the fourth cycle is called your REM cycle. This is when dreams occur meaning your brain becomes more active but your body remains relaxed and immobile.
Considering the body’s healing and recovery, the last two stages are most important. During the third stage, your deep cycle, your body takes advantage of your deep sleep to repair your muscles and ligaments. There are 2 important sleep cycles that have an impact on recovery, the Deep Sleep Cycle and the REM Sleep Cycle.
The Deep Sleep Cycle allows your body to take the time it needs to heal itself. If we don’t reach our deep sleep your body does not get the proper healing and recovery it needs for the next demanding day you have. This is the sleep cycle that helps prevent aches and pains and helps increase your energy levels throughout the day and is also responsible for building our immune system so we don’t get sick.
The REM Sleep Cycle is the rapid eye movement cycle of your sleep. It plays a crucial role in brain development and healing. This is when your body finishes the physical recovery it was doing during he deep sleep cycle. Typically, people should be getting 1.5 to 2.5 hours of REM sleep a night. However, on average, people get about 40-55 minutes of REM sleep a night due to the shorten hours of sleep per night. This results in fatigue from the moment you wake up and poor performance.
These are 2 big reasons why you need to get the proper amount of sleep every night so your body can properly heal itself on a daily basis. This way you wake up energized and refreshed every morning. So once again make sure you get 7.5 to 9 hours sleep every night for optimal health. So make getting more sleep a priority and watch your health improve.
Physiotherapist Recommendations for Better Sleep
- Establish a relaxing routine before your bed time
- Create an environment specifically for sleep. This includes a dark room, free of noise that is relaxing. Try a face mask or ear plugs if this is not possible.
- Don’t exercise or eat large meals right before bed. Try to stop about 2 hours before bed.
- Avoid alcohol or caffeine right before bed
- Try to not take any naps after 3 pm or drink caffeine after 5 pm.
What tends to happen if we skip an hour sleep per night is a sleep deficit because over time that adds up to 15 days of missed sleep per year. 15 days is way too much sleep to be missing out on every year. It adds up and takes a toll on our health. Its so important to get your 7.5 to 9 hours sleep every night. You can make extra time for it by going to bed earlier, or sleep a little later.
Hi Dr. Steve Knighton here from Glen Abbey Physiotherapy here in Oakville. Thank you for joining us again for another healthy living tip from our Live Pain Free series. In today’s health tip we are going to discuss the importance of proper sleep for our health. How much sleep do we need and why should we get a certain amount of sleep per night ?
In North America it’s estimated that most people only get between 5.5 and 6.5 hours of sleep per night average. This is more than 1 hour less sleep than we should be getting every night on average. How much sleep should we be getting ? The actual number is between 7.5 hours to 9 hours of sleep every night for optimum performance and health.
- Sleep in a cool dark room
- No caffeine in the evenings
What tends to happen if we skip an hour sleep per night is a sleep deficit because over time that adds up to 15 days of missed sleep per year. 15 days is way too much sleep to be missing out on every year. It adds up and takes a toll on our health. Its so important to get your 7.5 to 9 hours sleep every night. You can make extra time for it by going to bed earlier, or sleep a little later.
Sleep Cycles
What happens when you miss the proper amount of sleep is you miss out on your important healing sleep cycles. There are 2 important sleep cycles for recovery / healing your body.
- Deep Sleep Cycle – this is the cycle your body needs to reach to heal itself. If we don’t reach our deep sleep your body does not get the proper healing and recovery it needs for the next demanding day you have. This is the sleep cycle that helps prevent aches and pains and helps increase your energy levels throughout the day and is also responsible for building our immune system so we don’t get sick.
- REM Sleep Cycle – This is the rapid eye movement cycle of your sleep. This is the cycle when your brains heals and recuperates from the stimulation through out the previous day.
These are 2 big reasons why you need to get the proper amount of sleep every night so your body can properly heal itself on a daily basis. This way you wake up energized and refreshed every morning. So once again make sure you get 7.5 to 9 hours sleep every night for optimal health. So make getting more sleep a priority and watch your health improve.