Why can sleep impact your overall wellbeing?
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our health, and yet for many, this normal physiological pattern is disrupted. Sleep disturbances cause disruptions in our bodies well-being, and in this section, we will review the science behind this truth.
Salient points:
Our body has a master circadian clock that operates on a rhythm—this in turn controls several reparative processes in our body such as metabolism, cell division, cell function, and other biological mechanisms. When we have adequate sleep, these processes function in an orderly manner.
Important aspects of cell repair and rejuvenation, such as stem cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation, are all controlled by specific microenvironments conducive to these processes. Genes that are regulated by the circadian rhythm can, in turn, affect genes that control the above processes.
Hormones and cytokines secreted during sleep affect different metabolic functions needed for bodily health, as they can be modulated by the day/light cycle.
When our sleep is disrupted, there is a disturbance of our circadian rhythm, which causes disorderly bodily function—thereby hampering normal reparative mechanisms meant to happen as we rest.
Insulin like growth factor-1, is a hormone that plays an integral part in the aging process, and its effects may influence insulin signaling and sensitivity in the body and also play a role in decreasing oxidative damage—disruptions in circadian rhythm can decrease the levels of this hormone.
As elaborated in previous topics, disturbances in sleep increase hunger hormone levels, the incidence of obesity, and stress hormone levels.
Sleep is also best undertaken away from EMF (non-ionizing electromagnetic fields created by smart watches, phones, and laptops)emitting devices that science has shown to alter normal hormone production as we sleep.
As elaborated above, sleep plays an integral part in your health and longevity, so consider investing in this time so that your body is able to undertake reparative processes during this period. As always, I wish that you keep your health in center focus and live long and strong!
