What do you know about Vitamin S?

Ok maybe I'm just trying to make this topic funnier than it is, but SLEEP is what I'm referring to as Vitamin S. If you've been under a rock and not reading headlines...sleep is your new super power, your next best drug, the new big thing, the thing we've always been missing...the reason you're over weight, that you have pain, that your tendon is not healing, that you may be at greater risk for dementia - and all the while anxiety about getting more of it is definitely the reason you're foggy, tired and cranky.

So why is sleep so important? Here are some things that happen with 7-9 hours of sleep, which is the recommended amount for adults, from the National Institute of Health. The NIH also has a very comprehensive free booklet about sleep found here.

• Hormones circulate and release essentials chemicals for healing, calming and restoration of brain, nerve and muscle cell function
• Debris and waste products from normal and excess activity from the day is cleared 
• Tissue rehydrates and grows
• Neural activity in the brain specifically reorganizes helping with memory, focus and concentration skills
• Hormones that impact satiety/hunger as well as insulin levels adjust while we sleep and fat is metabolized  
• Some immune cells work most efficiently when our bodies are relaxed during deep sleep therefore susceptibility to simple germs/colds is higher with lack of sleep
• Respiratory exchange is also improved when the body idle

So how do I get more of it?  For starters worry and anger about not sleeping definitely does not help.  Here is a blog I did on that concept in March of 2020, when we had a lot to keep us up at night.  But in general if you cannot sleep GET UP...honestly go do something else.  Don't lie there ruminating.  Ideally getting up and going elsewhere will result in you becoming tired and returning bed, at worst it puts that energy to productive use. But also it avoids staying in bed trying to "force yourself to sleep" because soon enough bed won't be for sleep anymore...it will subconsciously be seen as where you go "to try to sleep".  NOT RELAXING.  We want the bedroom to be a good place.  Other ideas to establish improved "sleep hygiene" include things you've already heard and might finally consider: 

• the bedroom is for sleep and sex only...no tv, no kindle, ipad or books. These things alert stress hormones, ramp your system and thoughts up, not down which is essential for quality sleep
• Develop a sleep routine like you did when you were a kid
• In that vein consider preparing to go to bed an hour before you want to be asleep, so wind down phone calls, ipad use, stress
• Consider taking a warm bath or a shower to help with this "preparation for bed"
• Consider blackout blinds/curtains - our room is like a dark cave very inviting for 7-8 hours of hibernation. 

Feel free to reach out with any tricks you've found helpful, or your favorite calming apps or sounds.