Two major systems that influence our sleep patterns are our circadian rhythm and our adenosine levels.
Let’s take a little look at both systems and then see how we can help ourselves get that elusive good night’s sleep:
Circadian rhythm
Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural ~24hr cycle affecting everything from core body temperature and hormone release to moods and emotions, metabolic rate, hunger and sleep-wake timing.
Different people have different rhythms of course, but the circadian rhythm is essentially regulated by light input from the optic nerves, sent to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the hypothalamus, which acts as our body’s master clock, controlling when we wake and when we sleep.
… and melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate our circadian rhythm and is released at night / in darkness, signalling that it’s time to sleep, encouraging tiredness. However, it doesn’t generate sleep on its own. As a sleeping aid, it’s useful in situations when you’re wide awake when it’s time to sleep, eg in jetlag. (If you’re considering taking melatonin, please consult a medical professional who can advise and prescribe if appropriate.)
Adenosine / sleep pressure
Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that builds up in the brain over the course of the day as a result of our metabolic processes. The higher the adenosine levels, the higher the desire to sleep (“sleep pressure”). Sleep itself purges adenosine from the brain. So, while a nap in the middle of the day can help take off that layer of tiredness, a nap too close to bedtime could significantly reduce the adenosine levels, and therefore the sleep pressure, that helps us fall asleep at bedtime.
… does caffeine help me stay awake?
Caffeine works by blocking our adenosine receptors so that we are unable to sense how tired we actually are. Liver enzymes clear away the caffeine – genetically some people’s liver enzymes are more efficient than others: you know those people who can drink a double espresso at bedtime and fall asleep an hour later? That’s them!
All the while that caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors, tiredness evades us – but the adenosine continues to build up. Once the liver enzymes have cleared the caffeine, our adenosine receptors are then flooded with the adenosine from before PLUS all that’s built up in the meantime, giving us the “caffeine crash” sudden tiredness, making that next cup of coffee all the more attractive! (If this sounds familiar, let’s have a chat about addictions… a blog for another day.)
TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU SLEEP
Here are some much-needed top tips to help your sleep patterns, based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and current scientific understanding. Remember: these are not hard and fast rules all of which you must tick off – try only what’s realistic for you. Every person is different, some ideas will work for one person but not for another. I have a client who swears by a small bowl of porridge at bedtime… if it works for you, it works for you!
– if you do nothing else, try those below in bold!
BED TIMES
* go to bed and wake up at the same time every day of the week. This strengthens our body’s natural sleep-wake signals.
*if you’re lying awake, feeling frustrated at not being able to sleep, get out of bed. In dim light in another room, read a book, or make a warm drink. Your bed should be associated with resting and sleeping.
*don’t check the time if you can’t go to sleep or if you wake up during the night. Clock-watching can reinforce stress and start interfering with your natural sleep cycles.
*nap for no longer than 45 minutes and avoid naps after 3pm – allow enough time for the adenosine (sleep pressure) to build back up for bedtime.
LIGHT FANTASTIC
*mornings – natural daylight is important to regulate the circadian rhythm. Try and get at least 30 minutes of bright natural daylight before noon.
*evenings – start to dim the lights 2-3hrs before bed in any room you’re in (including brushing your teeth in dimmer than the usual glaring bathroom lighting!)
*avoid blue light at night 2 hours before bedtime (tv, phones, tablets). Switch your phone onto “airplane” mode so there’s no interruptions at night, or better still leave it in another room!
*if watching tv in evening, have low-intensity ambient lighting (a soft red light is perfect) as the main source of light (not the flickering tv) , rather than sitting in darkness.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
*avoid stimulants 2-3 hours before bed (eg alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, chocolate, B Vits, ginseng, some prescription medicines). Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it reduces deep sleep and REM sleep, so will wake feeling groggy.
*iron – consider taking an iron supplement if you are iron deficient (particularly after periods for women). Liquid iron can be easier for the body to absorb (eg Floradix, Feroglobin – available in most supermarkets). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this helps build Qi and Blood energy, giving the Mind a body to anchor and settle into at night time.
*avoid heavy meals near bedtime. As well as feeling uncomfortable, our digestive system is also at its lowest in the evening, so indigestion (and Damp in TCM terms) can be exacerbated.
HEARTS AND MINDS
*write a glimmers diary at bedtime – these can be three things that happened that day that eg. you’re grateful for, that made you smile, that you’re pleased with how you reacted/behaved/felt/thought, that went better than you thought it would. Your brain will respond to the last thoughts before you go to sleep by searching for messages to reinforce these. If these are anxious thoughts, your brain will try to process these emotional memories in your sleep – which is great, but if it’s too much, your brain will wake you up. Your first waking thoughts (which you don’t control) will often be your last waking thoughts (which you can control!), so make them glimmering ones!
*enjoy reading or listening to something light-hearted and funny before going to bed. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, this supports the Heart energy, which controls sleep.
*if your mind is busy with a mental “to-do” or things that you’re worrying about, take a moment at bedtime to write a “download list” – it only needs to be headlines (eg “school activities”, “parent care”, “job application”) – then write down a time when you’ll think about this next (eg “after breakfast”). This reassures your brain that you will think about it, but you don’t need to do it while trying to sleep. It takes a little practice before your brain learns to let go til the designated time (eg “after breakfast”), but a number of my clients swear by this technique – you’ll appreciate that quieter mind when it happens.
*listen to one my guided relaxations at lights out, or to help you get back to sleep again during the night – they’re an hour long, a gentle breathing relaxation, taking you on a visual journey to a beach or a stately home, with subtle positive messaging and a metaphor story to lull you into a deepened relaxed state. If you fall asleep before you get to the end, your subconscious is still taking in the positive messages…. (available on the Discover>Resources page)
JUST DO IT
*exercise in the daytime is helpful to build adenosine, giving you more “sleep pressure” at bedtime. Avoid vigorous exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime.
*give yourself time to unwind at the end of a busy day, whether that’s a hot bath, reading, listening to music, 5mins of stretching, 10mins of deep breathing… create your own little wellbeing list of things you know help you relax and agree some downtime with your household for you to do these. If you sleep better, they’ll get a less grouchy version of you the next day!
HOT OR NOT
*take a hot bath or have a hot drink no closer than an hour before bed (a relative drop in core body temperature encourages sleep).
*keep hands and feet warm during the night (any excuse for fluffy bedsocks!)
*avoid core body heating up (if you can, move to a cooler area of the bed during the night especially if you have a memory foam mattress which can retain heat next to the body).
Having said all this (and thank you for reaching the end of this article ironically without falling asleep!), one of the most important tools to help you move on from any condition you are living with… is acceptance. Acknowledge it, thank it, release it. Be kind to yourself, be patient, and find the positives (there are always some, no matter how very slight). Acceptance is one of the singularly most powerful and transformative skills you can learn… get in touch if you would like to learn more.
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References: Walker, M. (2017) “Why we sleep – the new science of sleep and dreams” Penguin Random House.
