Restore your energy sleeping well...

Dott. Marco De Fortunati

Nationality: Italian

Lives in: Bieno, TN

Experience: Former and Brain Coach, deals with personal growth and effective communication expert

Restore your energy sleeping well ...

Today I wanted to talk about the importance of physical and mental health to sleep well. As you know, good sleep is key to maintaining an active lifestyle. Without it, everyday job functions and working out become more strenuous.

The human organism is characterized by the daily rhythms of operation. These circadian rhythms (from the Latin meaning dies day) or day-night, which consist of cyclical variations of the biological human. Most of our bodies’ functions are influenced by these cycles that affect the blood pressure, resistance to fatigue, muscle tone, body temperature, heart rate, operation failure, some endocrine functions etc.

Good rest means being physically stronger, healthier, and above all being alert and bright throughout the day!

The history of the study of sleep has only begun recently. In 1936 it was discovered that the electroencephalogram (EEG) showed significant changes during sleep. In fact, they alternated from large waves to rapid waves and low voltage, similar to those of wakefulness. In 1953 it was discovered that during these times when there were frequent, low voltage waves, the eyes of the subjects moved rapidly below the eyelids. This stage of sleep was called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. In 1962, another discovery was made in REM sleep: EEGs could detect a block of facial muscles. During a night of sleep EEG of a subject shows four different stages:

1. Beta phase is the phase of quiet wakefulness. In a situation of calm and relaxation, the EEG of a subject with lowered eyelids show waves of low amplitude and high frequency denoting the vigil that will be interrupted by the wider and slower "alpha waves"

2. Alpha phase: at this stage, the subject is experiencing a phase of drowsiness and is falling asleep. The waves are low amplitude and high frequency. Muscle tone is maintained and eye movements are slow.

3. Theta phase: This stage is also called sleep average. It is characterized by a lowering of the frequency and a slight increase of the amplitude of the waves and the presence of so-called "K-complexes". These K-complexes show an upward deflection followed by a downward deflection of the wave. They are also known for their short bursts of oscillatory brain waves known as a “sleep spindle”.

4. Phase Delta: this is the deepest phase of sleep. This stage of sleep is characterized by the presence of slower "delta waves”. The delta waves are present at levels that exceed 50 percent .. It is a very deep sleep from which it is difficult to awaken

After spending a few minutes in stage 4 the EEG tracing shows a reverse path. The subjects return to Stage 3 and all the way back to Stage 1. This stage is however different from the original stage 1 described above. It is characterized by rapid eye movement (REM) and loss of muscle tone (stage 1 emerging or REM sleep).

A sleep cycle from the initial phase 1 to the last phase last always 90 minutes, but within each cycle the duration of the stages is variable. During the night, the cycles have a longer duration of stage 1 emerging and a shorter duration of stages 3 and 4 (also called delta sleep).

How well do you sleep then?

Sleep is essential in 6-7 rounds of 90 minutes intervals (always adding the time it takes to fall asleep, usually 10-15 minutes if you are relaxed and you have no thoughts). For adults, this time depends heavily on the activity or physical work that takes place during the day. If you're training a lot you need to do a cycle of sleep in order to enter the stadium and Stage 4 can recover more physical energy and can be loaded throughout the day.

Aim for 6 -7 cycles or nine hours and evaluate your status during the day. Everyone is different and requires different amount of sleep. Find your optimum sleep time and try to sleep that time every day so you wake up more active and fit.

During sleep, you are retrieving physical and mental energy and it is therefore essential to get an adequate amount of sleep to guarantee you wake up relaxed and calm. The most important phase of sleep is the phase in which we lie down and remember the events that have happened that day and think of what tomorrow will bring. The type of thoughts you have before bed will play a large factor in how well you sleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, try to think about the positive things that have happened- either to you, to your family, or friends. You could also think of the little pleasures that you enjoy during the day and try set an attainable goal for tomorrow. Without goals, you get lazy and listless and are more likely to keep hitting the snooze button in the morning.

It is also important to remember that if you're training a lot, you need calculate the time that your alarm goes off with the multiples of 90 minutes (by adding your sleep latency) in order to wake up rested, refreshed, and ready to face the day!