The Blessing of Sleepiness (at the right times)

Thanks to modern marvels like video doorbells, voice-activated TVs and scheduled thermostats, it’s tempting to think that the world we inhabit is nothing like the world our ancestors shared. Cycles of living based on seasons and sunshine can seem ridiculously outdated as we search for the perfect hydroponically grown red ripe tomato in January.

But while the pros and cons of buying fresh produce in winter or letting Alexa or Siri direct our lives can be debated, there is one common need all humans will continue to require: the need for sleep. And while electricity has allowed us to flip our sleep schedules into unnatural rhythms, new research is showing that the old ways—sleeping at night, rising at light—were designed to bless rather than hinder our lives.

Chronobiology is the study of natural seasons and rhythms and how they affect our body processes. Scientists in this field study circadian rhythms, which reveal:

• People tend to be most alert around 6am

• People tend to have the best pain tolerance between 8-9am

• Digestion is in top condition around noon

• Body naturally seeks repose around 2pm

• Learning and long term memory activates around 4pm

• Renewed energy, best time for physical work is between 5-6pm

• Stomach begins to rest around 9pm

• Creativity (and goofiness) hits a peak around 11pm

But what does all this mean for people who are aging? Simply, nothing has changed. Just as when we were small, our brains and bodies will always feel better after a full night’s sleep.

Unfortunately, not everyone has an easy time sleeping at night.

Just like the old “which came first, the chicken or the egg” conundrum, we could ask which came first, the insomnia or the depression/cancer/dementia/diabetes/name-the-malady. In so many cases, a lack of sleep greatly exacerbates the problems associated with a host of chronic diseases.

Consider the following ideas.

1. Medicated sleeping aids can actually hinder a good night’s sleep by preventing the body from naturally progressing through the sleep cycles.

2. Early morning sunlight, falling on the body without eyeglasses or contacts, works to stimulate the production of melatonin later in the day, just in time to make you naturally sleepy by bedtime.

3. Electric lights on the eyes after dark inhibit the “sleepy” signals, making it harder to fall asleep.

4. A small, seemingly insignificant alarm clock light in a bedroom, or even headlights from passing cars, can disrupt sleep.

For some people, improving sleep may require limiting beverages to only during daytime hours to keep from having to make bathroom trips through the night. For others, it might be time to limit coffee to only before noon. For yet others, it might mean asking the doctor to take a look at prescriptions and eliminate those that might be hindering our natural sleep cycles. It’s almost always a good idea to reduce our time spent sleeping during daylight.

In some cases, all that’s required is getting out early in the morning and taking a nice walk back and forth to the mailbox a couple times to get that medicinal early morning sunshine.

Re-regulating healthy sleep cycles can take some time and might mean sluggish mornings, but compared to alternatives like heavy prescriptions, surgeries, rehab and nursing homes, it’s one of the most pleasant, least intrusive ways of boosting overall health. We’ve talked about it before on our Cura Health Tips, and we’ll probably talk about it again, because we think it’s simply wonderful.

We’d love to hear from you: how do you prioritize healthy sleep patterns? Comment to let us know!