“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” - Homer
Sleep is an odd state of being. It makes us completely vulnerable and exposed to a number of dangers as well as predators, running counter to our innate drive for survival. Yet all organisms with a nervous system exhibit a desire to sleep—even jelly fish seem to need it. As humans, we spend a third of our lives sleeping, and our need for sleep spans our lifetime. Sleep has long been a puzzle to both scholars and scientists, but we are beginning to understand its biological underpinnings and the role it plays in our health. We now know that the quality and quantity of our sleep patterns have a direct impact on our risk of developing a host of chronic conditions, from Type 2 diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease. It is a critical component of physical and emotional healing and is essential to memory and cognition. Even though many of us appreciate its importance, we all struggle from time to time to get enough of it. What is it about this puzzling state that makes it so necessary yet so elusive?
Research has shown that sleep is characterized by distinct stages which we flow in and out of throughout the sleep cycle. Each stage serves a specific function, from the physical repair of the brain to the integration of experiences and emotions. The first part of sleep lasts about two hours. We transition from being awake to falling asleep (Stage 1), which takes about five to ten minutes. In Stage 2 we enter a deep sleep that is marked by slowed breathing, decreased body temperature, and reduced muscle movement. During this stage, growth hormones are released that help repair proteins and regulate metabolism. The brain also filters and organizes data from the day’s experiences. Sleep in these first two stages is deep but devoid of dreams. Stage 3 is when the quality of our sleep shifts. During this stage, the limbic system--the center of our emotions--becomes active, enabling us to make mental and emotional connections that reorganize and process our experiences. This stage has two levels, one that features non-REM sleep and another, much deeper dream state in which we are engaged in REM sleep. Although all stages of the sleep cycle are important, it is during the REM state that we experience the emotional and mental clearing that is essential to our cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and creativity. Whereas the first stages of sleep are necessary for repair, these dream states are what constitute the magic of a deep, restorative rest.
We do not flow through stages of sleep sequentially. Typically, we cycle in and out of Stage 2 and 3, with varying periods of REM. This cyclic flow is what makes the quantity of our sleep so important. Each time we cycle through Stage 3, the non-REM dream state is shortened which leads to a longer period of REM sleep. It seems that, in adults, 7 – 9 hours allows for an optimum number of these cycles so that we have sufficient opportunities to stay in the restorative REM dream state.
Sleep exists in contrast to how we operate during the day. Whereas during the day we are energized and alert, deep sleep makes us resistant to arousal. Brain activity while we are awake occurs at higher frequencies but becomes much slower as we enter deeper sleep states. Throughout the day we move, squirm, and fidget, but during REM sleep we experience atonia, a state of temporary paralysis that affects all the muscles except for those in the eyes and the muscles used for breathing. We need energy and focus to problem solve and strategize throughout the day, but during sleep our thoughts are rich with imagery and infused with emotions. Given these stark differences, it is unwise to approach sleep with the tools used to navigate our day. Sleep becomes elusive when we lose sight of these differences.
Just as we engage in stimulating activities at the start of our day, we invite sleep by gradually shifting into quiet, reflective activities. The transition from day to night is gradual, downshifting imperceptibly as the sun starts to lower toward the horizon in the afternoon. Perhaps sleep would come more readily if we initiated a similar, more gradual shift of our attention away from the busy-ness of the day. Like the arc of the sun, we need to be attuned to the point in our day when our energy has peaked. Can we tune into those signals and start a gradual shift away from the activities of the day? Sleep is not a task that can be micromanaged, measured, or accomplished; it is a particular state of being that, like the moon, unfolds in different stages, waxing and waning, shifting in depth. We should not expect sleep to rush in once we turn off the light. It comes only when invited, after we slow down and take an intentional step away from the stimulation of the day. Bedtime activities should help us to let go, allow us to downshift, roll to a stop, and help us to land.
Our need for sleep starts to rise around 8 pm, peaking at 10 pm, offering us a two-hour window during which we can transition out of our day. This is a critical transition time in which we can shift the pace and flavor of our activities from stimulating, active, and heat-inducing to the reflective, introspective, cooler energy characteristic of sleep. Watching the news, scanning Facebook, exercising, organizing, and completing a to-do list—all are problem solving, energetic, and engaging daytime activities. They should be put aside well before we turn off the lights. We need to shift to activities that move us from doing to being, choosing practices that help us to settle and be present. There is a reason that civilizations have, since the beginning of time, shared myths, legends, and stories at night, before sleep. The symbolic qualities of stories recited in the safe environment of community provides a transition out of the day, moving us into the introspective, emotional, and calm mindset that invites sleep to enter us.
To enhance the quantity and quality of your sleep, notice how and when you make the transition from the activities of your day to those that are in sync with the restful, quiet nature of sleep. Notice the flavor of your nocturnal activities. Are they full of zest and excitement or are they sweet, quiet, and nurturing? How and when do you turn off the analytical, problem solving, organizing, goal-oriented mindset of daytime? Learn how to transition to activities that let you exhale and let go, developing routines that run counter to your daytime habits. What makes you feel safe? When are you able to let go and land? Learn how to create the right conditions that will be inviting for this odd, puzzling, and critically important state of being. Appreciate the contrast of this vulnerable state so that you can flow through it seamlessly, waking up refreshed and restored so you may enter the cycle of exertion and rest once more.
Comments