Welcome to Part 2 in Feel Amazing Chatswood’s All About Sleep blog series.
If you missed out on reading part 1 of this blog series click here. We covered how sleep affects our physical and mental health and listed some of the sleep hygiene habits and environmental factors that you can change to increase your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.
This post contains information on the impact of light on our body’s natural sleep cycle, something to consider with our increased use of electronic devices.
We will also discuss the way muscle recovery is slowed when you aren’t getting enough sleep, which can impact athletic performance and recovery.
How does technology impact sleep?
Technology use, especially before bed, can negatively impact sleep by disrupting melatonin production, stimulating the brain, and potentially displacing sleep time, leading to difficulty falling asleep and poorer sleep quality.
According to the Sleep Foundation, electronic devises can emit blue light that disrupts natural sleep cycles.
What is blue light?
According to websites specialising in this area, light is composed of electromagnetic radiation, which is an invisible form of energy. Our eyes interpret colours of light based on the amount of energy they contain. While light, including some light emitted by the sun, is the combination of all the colours of the visible light spectrum.
Blue light is a portion of the visible light spectrum that can influence alertness, hormone production, and sleep cycles. This wavelength of light is emitted by LED and fluorescent lights, as well as many electronic devices.
What is the blue light impact on circadian rhythms?
Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that signal our bodies to carry out essential functions, including sleep. Light is the most important factor in aligning circadian rhythms. This was once aligned with sunrise and sunset. However, with the advent of artificial light and electronics, people are being exposed to increased amounts of light before bedtime. The timing of this exposure is what can realign the body’s circadian rhythms.
Being mindful of the sources of blue light and daily exposure levels can help reduce the impact on your health and sleep.
What about morning sunlight?
The light you are exposed to during the day helps your body figure out when it’s time to go to bed (and when it’s time to wake up). Morning sunlight helps synchronize your body’s internal clock, which regulates sleep-wake cycles.
Exposing yourself to light for its health and sleep benefits is called light therapy. If you have a sleep disorder, getting light early in the day can even be part of your treatment plan. Natural sunlight is the most potent form of light therapy, but devises such as light boxes that emit artificial light can be helpful alternatives for those unable to get outside in direct sunlight each morning.
What about melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone that the brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms and with sleep. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production. This can impact your ability to get to sleep.
What else can play a role for getting a good night’s sleep?
To improve deeper levels of sleep, regular, moderate intensity exercise is recommended. It is thought that exercise also helps release endorphins and increases core body temperature. As this is a signal for the body to be awake it’s best to avoid vigorous exercise 1-2 hours before bedtime.
While mind-body practices like yoga, tai chi, and controlled deep breathing can help your body to become calm and relaxed.
If you are physically active and work out regularly, getting a good night’s sleep will then help maximise your stretching routine and muscle recovery.
Sleep deprivation can impair muscular endurance and strength, delay muscle recovery, increase the risk of injury, and reduce muscle growth.
Understanding muscle recovery
Muscle recovery is a complex process that occurs after physical activity or injury. It involves repairing damaged muscle fibres, replenishing energy stores, and removing metabolic waste products. This process is necessary for muscle growth, strength development, and overall performance improvement.
The role of sleep in muscle recovery
Sleep is another important part of muscle recovery. During sleep the body undergoes changes that aid in the repair and recovery of damaged tissues.
Lack of sleep can therefore result in decreased muscle recovery and slowdown that important healing process.
There are several ways that sleep helps with muscle recovery. This includes the release and regulation of key hormones that play a crucial role in muscle repair and growth.
Sleep also plays a role in reducing inflammation in the body, reduces the risk of injury, aids in restoring energy, and allowing muscles to relax. All key elements for rest, recovery, and regeneration.
What’s next?
Part 3 of this All About Sleep series will provide information on what natural treatments are available to help improve sleep.