Sleeping Well?
Sleep is holistic, affecting the heart, brain, lungs, metabolism, truly all parts of the body
Robert Thomas, Professor, Harvard Medical School
Before we can dive deeper into the importance of sleep, we must understand what drives our sleep/wake cycle and how it works.
It important to know that all the biological activity in our body is based on time. Each and every one of our individual cells have been designed and coded
The Body’s Internal Clock: The Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural, internal cycle (or clock) that synchronizes the body’s internal functions with its external environment. It almost perfectly follows the 24 hour cycle of a day. Circadian rhythm is responsible for controlling every single function in the body, whether it be directly and/or indirectly.
It’s the circadian rhythm that ultimately controls our sleep/wake cycle, metabolism, and production of key hormones and neurotransmitters. Every single function in the body is affected by one or more of these processes, especially metabolism, since metabolism generates the energy that all systems of the body need to function.
“The body’s inner clocks are exquisitely tuned to environmental cues and optimized for the natural world. That also means they can be thrown off track by life in the modern world.”
“The most important processes of every organ system are regulated by their circadian clocks”
The Relationship of Light & Sleep
Our ability to sleep . . . and sleep well is based on our exposure to the sun. Specialized regions in the brain respond to light and set our circadian rhythm (aka internal clock), which controls our sleep/wake cycle, metabolism, and every function of the body directly or indirectly. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle has disconnected us from the natural rhythms of the Earth and sun, causing a cascade of health issues, not in the least being our ability to sleep well.
The Sun, Blue Light and Our Sleep Cycle
Blue light is the part of natural sunlight that sets our body’s circadian rhythm and keeps us awake throughout the day. Blue light causes the release of the hormone, cortisol, which is responsible for ramping up energy production in the body. In the morning, the amount of blue light emitted by the sun is very low, but as the day progresses, it increases, reaching its highest intensity at mid-day, around noon time. This makes sense because this is when a human being is the most active . . . or at least should be. Blue light also affects the release of neurotransmitters and assists in the regulation of metabolism - two things that have a profound effect on our overall health.
How does the body read the blue light of the sun?
The eye is the key portal in which blue light enters the body. When blue light strikes the eye, the hypothalamus signals the release cortisol via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis. In short, sun striking the eye is like flipping the body’s “on” switch.
Why does blue light matter?
As we’ve seen, blue light affects our circadian rhythm, which serves a highly important function in maintaining our overall wellness. However, when created artificially, blue light can become harmful in several ways.
Modern, man-made light sources (light bulbs, fluorescent lights, computer and phone screens) isolate the blue wavelengths to stimulate the brain and body for activity by increasing hormone and neurotransmitter production. This in turn artificially keeps the body “ramped up” and can drain and exhaust the body’s reserves over time.
Isolated blue light doesn’t occur in nature because near-infrared light, which is always present in large quantities in sunlight, naturally counter-balances high-energy blue light. In the name of “energy efficiency,” modern artificial lights have completely eliminated near-infrared light, as it is viewed as “wasted energy.” Thus, modern light sources are devoid of near-infrared light, causing intense blue light to be emitted, which is highly detrimental to the health of our eyes, cells, brain, and body as whole.
During the day, chronic exposure to blue light from man-made sources (light bulbs, fluorescent lights, computer and phone screens) can cause eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue. Over time, this exposure can lead to retinal damage
In Nature, blue light is not present after the sun goes down. This lack of blue light causes the brain to signal the secretion of melatonin, which is the hormone that prepares our brain and body for sleep. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for decreasing metabolic activity, slowing down our brain waves, and putting us to sleep. It is also responsible for cellular repair. It is the body’s most important antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-cancer molecule.
Exposing yourself to artificial light with high blue light output after the sun goes down will trick the brain into thinking it is daytime, when of course, it is not. As a result, the brain will halt the natural secretion of melatonin. If the secretion of melatonin is disrupted, it makes it difficult to relax naturally in the evening and fall asleep. What is more, the suppression of melatonin secretion impairs the body’s ability to repair itself and eradicate cancer cells (yep, we make them every day). Additionally, getting high quality sleep will be difficult. Sleep can become restless, with tossing and turning, and waking up during the night. As a result, you will not wake up feeling refreshed or have the energy you need to be productive throughout the day.
You can see the devastating and cumulative effects blue light can have on long-term health.
But the solution is simple. We just need to block the artificial blue light in the evening before we wind down and get ready for bed.
“. . . sustained disruptions to the ingrained sleep needs of our bodies result in measurable brain damage, emotional dysregulation, metabolic issues, and even memory deficits.”
“The shorter you sleep, the shorter your life span.”
“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day”
“The physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise.”
Chronic exposure to blue light, especially after sunset, has been proven to disrupt our body’s circadian rhythm. Since the circadian rhythm is a timing system that controls a variety of functions, the main effect of this phase-delay can be seen in the suppression of natural melatonin production.
Chronic disruption of the circadian rhythm and melatonin production by exposure to blue light at night can lead to long-term health consequences as the result of lack of cellular repair, in particular, increased degeneration of mitochondrial function. The majority of modern chronic illnesses are mitochondrial in origin, meaning they are due to a failure of natural energy production. Hence, it is critically important to protect our natural melatonin production by blocking blue light at night.
“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
If You Want to Sleep Well
Be out in sunlight during the day.
Go to bed early — no later than 9 p.m.
Ensure you’re well hydrated.
An hour or so before going to bed turn down the lights in your home to low or dim. Avoid looking at electronics before bed.
The bedroom should be dark, quiet, and not too warm. Wear a sleep mask if there’s any lights in the room — even a small light from a smoke alarm can disrupt sleep!
Don’t take stimulants (i.e. caffeine). They cut the release of serotonin, epithalamin, arginine vasotocine, and melatonin in half!