Phys Ed: Benefits of Sleeping, Bad Sleeping Habits, and Stress Management

Benefits of Sleeping

1). Sleep Can Boost Your Immune System
2). Gaining Zzz's Can Help Prevent Weight Gain
3). Sleep Can Strengthen Your Heart
4). Better Sleep = Better Mood
5). Sleeping Can Increase Productivity
6). Lack of Sleep Can Be Dangerous. Literally.
7). Sleep Can Increase Exercise Performance
8). Sleep Improves Memory

Bad Sleeping Habits

1. Phone in bed
2. Late-Night Snacking
3. Falling Asleep to TV
4. Going to Bed Without Unwinding

Practical Ways to Establish Better Sleeping Habits

1. Establish a routine for sleeping and waking times, including weekends, and then stick to it.
2. Ensure that your sleeping area is conducive for sleeping.
3. Get regular exercise, but make sure your exercise sessions are not close to your sleeping time

Adenosine, Melatonin

Sleep-inducing Chemicals

When we lose sleep the ff. are affected:

1. Learning
2. Memory
3. Mood
4. Reaction Time

It also causes hallucinations, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

Chronically sleeping < 6 hours a night

Increases stroke risk by 4.5 times.

Fatal Familial Insomnia

This progressively worsening condition leads to dementia and death.

Glymphatic System

A clean-up mechanism that removes this build-up & much more active when asleep. It uses cerebrospinal fluid to flush away toxic byproducts that accumulate between cells.

Lymphatic Vessels

Pathways for immune cells.

Stress

Mental or emotional tension or strain resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

Chronic Stress

This can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions.

Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis

A series of interactions between endocrine glands in the brain and on the kidney which controls the body's reaction to stress.

When the brain detects a stressful situation (chronic stress)

It starts notifying the HPA axis and releases a hormone called CORTISOL.

Cortisol

Primes your body for instant action.

Chronic Stress

Increases the activity level; no. of neural connections in the amygdala (brain's fear
center)

Levels of Cortisol Rise

Electric signals in your hippocampus (part of the brain associated with learning, memories, and stress control) deteriorate.

To help; exercise and meditate.