I used to think of sleep as ‘nothingness,’ and a waste of time. I never even napped for fear of what I might be missing. Now I’ve learned that I was missing a lot. I also thought 8 hours of sleep was just fine. However, after using my Oura sleep-tracker, I found I was only getting half the REM and deep sleep that my body needed. I have since improved those levels simply by going to bed one hour earlier.
Turns out that sleep is a biological ‘age eraser,’ and crucial for good mental health. Without it, we risk cognitive decline, emotional instability, low libido, increased proclivity to heart attack, Alzheimer’s, bipolar episodes and even car accidents. Since sleeping better, I’ve also begun dreaming again. Who knew?
One third of adults suffer from poor sleep. If you’re one of them, you are likely not following your ‘chronotype.’ This is your natural disposition to feel alert or sleepy which is regulated by your circadian rhythm. So, if you’re yawning at 8 PM—GO TO BED! It will improve the quality of your sleep. It can make the difference between the 15 minutes of deep sleep you get or the hour and a half that you need.
Once you fall asleep, you proceed through four stages, each characterized by physiological changes in your body. When Light sleep (stages 1-2) begins, your body temperature lowers, breathing slows, muscles relax, and your brainwaves change from alpha waves to theta waves. Now your brain is consolidating memory and learning.
Deep sleep (stage 3) is when your body repairs and regenerates itself. This stage is critically important. Deep sleep also slows arterial aging, regulates metabolism, supports hydration regulation, and reduces your heart disease risk by 20%.
Stage 4 is REM sleep. This Rapid eye movement stage occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. This is when you dream. It is also where memories get consolidated, emotions get processed, and creativity is stimulated. REM sleep also helps control your weight by regulating your hunger hormones.
Now I learned some of this in high school biology but never took it much to heart. I didn’t realize that my brain was consolidating short-term memories into long-term storage, preparing neurons for learning the following day, repairing tissues, and boosting my immune system. The devil really is in the details here and shouldn’t be ignored.
Recently, scientists have discovered that while we sleep our brain also employs a “cleaning system” whereby cerebrospinal fluid carries away toxic compounds that accumulate during wakefulness.
So, lay out your PJ’s, grab a good book and wind down. You made your bed now lie in it. You’ll be glad you did.
AGEFULLY AGING 
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