Sleep

Sleep is closely related to the health of our mind. Just recently a study was conducted on 4175 teenagers finding that sleeping six hours or less a night increases risk of major depression. In fact, because there are several correlations between sleep and mental illness, Russell Foster, Head of the Oxford Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute stated, ‘Sleep disruption is a very common feature of mental illness, yet despite its prevalence the clinical relevance is often overlooked and even when recognised, treatment options are limited.’

Sleep allows the brain to wash itself clean of waste (or more specifically proteins), which build up between cells during the day. Some interesting research found that the brain cells of mice may actually shrink during sleep to accommodate the volume of liquid flowing in and out of the brain. As a result there is an increase in the interstitial space, which appears to help clear out waste. The cells then expand once the mice wake up.

Many of us are sleep deprived, or have irregular sleep patterns and the effects on our mind health are significant. As mentioned I am incredibly careful to maintain healthy, regular sleep cycles. I know if I stay awake too late, or oversleep in the morning, I am at risk of becoming ‘unhinged’.

Sleep-wake cycles were once largely dependent on the earth’s cyclic activity. We only had natural light and slept when it was dark. Now we can have bedrooms lit up like a supernova, and can comfortably read, watch TV, or any number of things until morning.

Circadian cycle regulation has been altered and this can be detrimental.

Circadian rhythm

So what is circadian rhythm and why is it important? Circadian rhythm is an approximate 24-hour cycle in the physiological functioning and biological processes (physical, mental and behavioural changes) of humans, plants, animals, and cyanobacteria. It’s sometimes called our internal clock. The rhythm can be modulated by sunlight and season, and is integral in determining our sleep and eating patterns.

But due to artificial lighting, time zone travel, shift work, and socialising, our circadian rhythm can be well and truly messed up. Disturbances to circadian rhythms are associated with a greater risk of mood disorders (such as depression and bipolar disorder), reduced or worse subjective feelings of well-being, and slower reaction times.

Knowing whether we are a night owl, or a morning lark is important in establishing the right lifestyle factors to best support a healthy mind. It’s also important to adopt consistent sleep patterns – and this includes weekends. The discrepancy between sleep habits kept during the week and those on the weekend is referred to as social jetlag. Misalignment of the circadian rhythm due to social jetlag does not encourage mental health and wellbeing. Another misalignment for human biology and the modern world is exposure to blue light, which emits from our smartphones, laptop, and tablet screens. An overload of blue light will interrupt the production of melatonin (an important hormone that tells our body when it’s time to sleep).

Tips for good quality sleep

Stop caffeine consumption before 3 pm.

Protect yourself from blue light by wearing blue light blocking glasses.

Don’t use electronic devices 2–3 hours before bed, keep electronic devices out of your bedroom, and use blackout curtains.

Use supplements such as magnesium. Supplementing with magnesium can enhance the quality of sleep. It does this by reducing stress and may help regulate melatonin. I take 800 milligrams of magnesium a day.

If you do sleep with a phone in your room turn on airplane mode.

Another great supplement is GABA. GABA functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain and has a calming effect which is great for sleep.

Click below to learn about the benefits of sleeping wild.

RE Roberts, HT Duong (2014). The prospective association between sleep deprivation and depression among adolescents. Sleep. Vol 37(2) pp. 239–244. doi:10.5665/sleep.3388

RJ Havis (2018). The surprising new connection between sleep and mental health. Talk Space. https://www.talkspace.com/blog/the-surprising-new-connection-between-sleep-and-mental-health/Accessed 2019.08.01

  L Xie, H Kang, Q Xu et al. (2013). Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain. Science. Vol 342 pp.373-377

 LM Lyall, CA Wyse, N Graham et al.  (2018). Association of disrupted circadian rhythmicity with mood disorders, subjective wellbeing, and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study of 91 105 participants from the UK Biobank. Lancet psychiatry. Vol 5(6) pp.507–514. 10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30139-1 

F Rutters, SG Lemmens, TC Adam et al. (2014). Is Social Jetlag Associated with an Adverse Endocrine, Behavioral, and Cardiovascular Risk Profile? Journal of biological rhythms. Vol 29(5), pp. 377–383;

RG Foster, SN Peirson, K Wulff et al. (2013). Chapter Eleven - Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disruption in Social Jetlag and Mental Illness, Editor(s): MU Gillette, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, Academic Press. Vol 119 pp.325-346.

 L Tähkämö, T Partonen, A K Pesonen (2019). Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiology international. Vol 36 (2) pp.151-170, DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2018.1527773

 DF Kripke, RD Langer, JA Elliott et al. (2011). Mortality related to actigraphic long and short sleep. Sleep medicine. Vol 12(1) pp.28–33. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.016