Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. SHOULD YOU BE NEURO HACKING YOUR BRAIN? INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 621 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our …
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Written by Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
The subject of sleep always seems to be on everyone’s minds, and with our busy day-to-day lives, it’s no wonder this is such a hot topic. We all know that we need sleep and that it’s important, but why? What exactly is sleep and does quality of sleep matter?†
So what exactly is sleep? Well, news-medical.com defines it as “Sleep is a state where awareness to environmental stimuli is reduced. Sleep is different from states of coma, hibernation and death by the fact that it can be rapidly reversed”. It also cites the two phases of sleep as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM).†
According to the information from medicalnewstoday.com, there are four stages that make up these phases of sleep. The first three stages are incorporated in the NREM phase.†
FOUR STAGES OF SLEEP
Stage 1: The first stage is light sleep and makes up for 5% of our sleep. This is where we are relaxed and “drifting off” to sleep.†
Stage 2: The second stage is deeper sleep and makes up for 45% of sleep. In this phase, our muscles are relaxed and the brain has shown periods of slowing down and then bursts of activity. It is believed that this is helpful for the memory. †
Stage 3: The final stage in the NREM sleep phase is the deepest sleep. While we spend 25% of sleep here, a lot of interesting things can happen here. This is where some people may experience such phenomenon as sleep-walking or night terrors. It is also here where the body has a “healing process” and it can rejuvenate cells and strengthen the immune system.†
Stage 4: Lastly is the only stage that is part of the REM phase. This is commonly known as the dreaming stage and makes up 25% of our sleep. This is of course where we experience dreams and nightmares. The brain is closer to awakeness in this phase and you may notice one’s eyes moving around even though they are closed. Interestingly, our heart rate and breathing have a tendency to also increase in the phase as well. It is suggested by experts studying these phases that going through both NREM and REM cycles may be helpful for memory consolidation.†
WHY IS SLEEP SO IMPORTANT?
The effects of sleep have been studied and show both the importance of getting proper sleep as well as the problems that may arise from continuous lack of sleep. A study titled “Short- and Long-Term Health Consequences of Sleep Disruption” by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, takes an in depth look at the effects the lack of sleep could have on us. This article outlines the importance of sleep on our health and well-being, both with short term and long term sleep disruption. Short term effects include, but are not limited to, increased stress, memory and cognitive issues, lower performance and behavioral problems. Long term effects may include an elevated risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and weight gain. As you can see, there is evidence showing why it is so important to get consistent and the proper amount of sleep.†
ICYMI: MELATONIN FOR MORE THAN SLEEP – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 513>>LISTEN NOW!
HOW MUCH SLEEP SHOULD YOU BE GETTING?
The amount of sleep that is recommended always seems to be up for debate. However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes it easy as they’ve supplied the chart below on their website outlining the recommended amount of sleep per age group:†
Sleep recommendations by age group.†
Age Group Recommended Hours of Sleep Per Day
Newborn 0–3 months 14–17 hours (National Sleep Foundation) (1)
No recommendation (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) (2)
Infant 4–12 months 12–16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) (2)
Toddler 1–2 years 11–14 hours per 24 hours (including naps) (2)
Preschool 3–5 years 10–13 hours per 24 hours (including naps) (2)
School Age 6–12 years 9–12 hours per 24 hours (2)
Teen 13–18 years 8–10 hours per 24 hours (2)
Adult 18–60 years 7 or more hours per night (3)
61–64 years 7–9 hours (1)
65 years and older 7–8 hours
PRO TIPS
♦I few tips I’ve learned along the way may also be helpful. I not only like to recommend these, but also use them myself.†
♦Try 5-10 minutes of quiet time or meditation before bed†
♦Discontinue electronic about an hour before bed†
♦No TV at bedtime†
♦Journal before bed, write down any thoughts to “get them out” to clear your mind†
♦Keep a routine as much as possible, whether it’s a workday or weekend†
♦I hope these tips help you to start getting a more restful and proper sleep.†
SLEEP APNEA SUPPORT – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 407>>LISTEN NOW!
REFERENCES
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-sleep.aspx
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325353#performance-and-memory
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html#print
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Moon Milk The Perfect Sleep Remedy Created By Melissa Bistricer, MS, RDN Our remedy for a restful nights sleep is referred to as moon milk. Moon milk has nothing to do with worshiping the moon rather it got its name for helping to calm you …
thyroid
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]
The thyroid has many important functions in the body, but how much do you really know about it? Today, we get into the basics of the thyroid.†
What exactly is a thyroid gland? Well to start off with, what is a gland? A gland is a type of organ that makes hormones or other secretions that “get stuff done.” There are two types of glands. One is called endocrine, the other is called exocrine. What does that mean exactly? Well it basically means that one type, the endocrine, secretes its hormones directly into the blood stream vs exocrine, which secretes its products into a “duct.” The thyroid is an example of an endocrine gland, since its hormones go directly into the blood. In contrast, sweat glands are exocrine type glands. (1) There are other differences in what is produced, but these are the main differences.†
The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and is shaped like a butterfly. This is what the doctor feels when he asks you to cough while he is palpating your throat.† (2)
The thyroid gland secretes three hormones. The first is Triiodothyronine or T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone. The second is Thyroxine or T4. This is used to make T3. The last hormone is called calcitonin and it affects calcium and bone building.† (3)
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The thyroid doesn’t just decide to produce hormones. It is controlled by an enzyme called thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH. This is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. This is in turn controlled by another hormone. However that is outside the reach of this article.† (4)
The thyroid is one of the most important glands in our body. It is in control of almost every system! To start off with the thyroid is in charge of “metabolic rate.” By metabolic rate, we mean body temperature, appetite, regulation of weight (aka weight gain and weight loss), and absorption of our nutrients from food, as well as blood sugar and cholesterol levels.†
The thyroid also affects the heart rate. In addition to the heart, the thyroid affects brain development in a fetus and memory in adults and children. Similarly, it also affects sleep patterns and quality. Those with thyroid disorders tend to suffer from either too much energy or too little energy!†
Sexual health such as libido, and maintenance of healthy menstrual cycle are also affected by the thyroid.†
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Healthy hair, skin, nails, as well as bone health, are all controlled by the thyroid.† (5)
What does this all mean? It means that the thyroid is in control or related to almost every system in our body. It controls them either directly via its hormones or via its hormones relationship to other hormones.†
Just like any other organ, things can go wrong with the thyroid. I won’t get into detail here since this is an introduction to the thyroid. I will be writing about each of these in more detail in later articles. The main two dysfunctions of the thyroid are hyper- and hypothyroidism. Also related to these two are nodules and goiters or in other words “growths of the thyroid.” While I will be discussing natural approaches to thyroid health, it is important to understand that thyroid supplements are very strong. They do not prevent disease, but rather are used to treat a condition. Using them to “prevent” a problem can actually cause problems later on. Unfortunately, there is really not prevention when it comes to thyroid.†
My article next week will be discussing thyroid labs and what they mean. It is important to know what the labs mean before we can get into treatment.†
For further questions or concerns related to the thyroid, email me at [email protected].
Sources
(1) https://thebiologynotes.com/exocrine-vs-endocrine-glands/
(2)Standring S, Borley NR, et al., eds. (2008). Gray’s anatomy : the anatomical basis of clinical practice (40th ed.). London: Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 978-0-8089-2371-8.
(3)Hall JE, Guyton AC (2011). Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology (12th ed.). Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders/Elsevier. ISBN 978-1-4160-4574-8.
(4)Boron WF, Boulpaep EL (2012). Medical Physiology (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. p. 1052. ISBN 978-1-4377-1753-2. \
(5)Boron WF, Boulpaep EL (2012). Medical Physiology (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. p. 1052. ISBN 978-1-4377-1753-2.
