How do you sleep?
While it may not seem so at first, a good night’s sleep is as essential to health as water or food. In this article, explore why sleep is a cornerstone of health and how you can ensure you get the rest you need.

The dangers of sleep deprivation
Lack of sleep leads to many disturbances in body balance and functioning rhythm. Not getting enough sleep has many effects on health, some which are apparent right away and some which manifest over time. A few of them are:
- not getting enough resting time to reenergize, leading to tiredness and chronic fatigue
- no time for the production of certain hormones (the ones that are secreted during sleep time, such as the growth hormone for children)
- no time for the body to regenerate – i.e. using the rest time time of some organs (brain, muscles, digestive system) to allocate time and energy (priority) to the regeneration function – the reparation of damages that might have happened in our body during the day, may it be physical injuries or toxic load impacting our organs such as air pollution, food toxins (pesticides, food preserving agents, etc…
Sleep deprivation leads to:
- a weakened immune system, exposing the body to diseases because of lack of “strength or reactivity” of body defence mechanisms
- an increased risk of diabetes, depression, heart disease…
How much should I sleep?
Enough to get a fair amount of quality sleep to feel rested and for the body and brain to feel energized – this is something very individual, ranging from 5 hours to 10 hours. Usually 7 hours are needed to feel rested and having a body energized to face another day’s challenges.
What disrupts your sleep?
Anxiety – unstoppable thoughts or worries
Caffeine (tea, coffee, colas and other energizing drinks)
Vitamin C containing juices/fruits (orange juice, grapefruit, lemon)
Blue light from telephones and tablets, TV that excites the brain
Strong workout or physical activity/sport before sleeping
Drinking too much leading to the need for bathroom visits during the night
Physical illness or pain that prevents the body from resting, such as sleep apnoea (frequent with overweight), Breathing difficulties, chronic pain among a few
How does the body induce sleep?
The body functions with hormonal regulation – the need for active time and rest time are set through internal messengers such as hormones and neurotransmitters. Understanding some of these may help us understand how we can aid the process of a good sleep.

As we can see above Melatonin is the brain hormone inducing sleep. Serotonin (the feel-good hormone) induces the release of melatonin, and the amino acid tryptophan is the building block of these hormones. So any source of tryptophan (hot milk, etc) might help this process, and any situation of happiness will release serotonin that will help producing melatonin, the sleep regulation hormone!
How to make sure you get a good night’s sleep
Now that we have understood the inducing of sleep, we can (hopefully) better understand how to help this process and also, how not to hinder this process. Below is a table of simple Dos and Don’ts to keep in mind that might help you have a better sleep at night.

Having sufficient amount of high-quality sleep time is essential to health. If we neglect providing self-care through rest and sleep then we are seriously underestimating its impact on our well being and health.
Many easy steps can be taken to improve the way you sleep. Some simple actions put into your daily routine can hugely improve your energy level and cheer your mood, which enables you to better tackle the tasks ahead as well as have a restful sleep. If you still face issues, it is important to refer to your primary care provider as he/she might guide you to improve your health.