Importance of a Proper Sleep Cycle for Long-Term Health

Diet, exercise, and sleep form the golden trifecta of good health. Sleep, despite being a key pillar of health, may become our last priority when we are busy or stressed. But if we aim to live a long life, stay active with children and grandchildren, enjoy nature’s gifts to the fullest, and cherish our memories for as long as possible, sleep cannot be overlooked. By prioritising sleep, we look after our physical, mental, and emotional well-being for our current and future selves. So, gear up for a better understanding of sleep, because you will soon be drifting into dreamland!

Why Sleep Is Important? The Need For Zzzzs

Consistent sleep and a healthy sleep cycle are crucial to maintain overall health and longevity. While we sleep, the body is awake. Several systems like the immune system, the brain, the heart, hormones, muscles, and metabolism work and recover. Adequate sleep reduces inflammation, creates more immune cells, and can even keep you from getting a cold. The body uses this downtime to repair itself as even the brain flushes out toxins. As the brain rests, sleep promotes memory processing and prepares the brain for better cognitive function the next day. After a sleepless night, have you ever found yourself clumsier or unable to focus as much? Yup, that’s all because of sleep.

Studies show that around 55% of people in India do not get enough sleep. What ramifications could that have besides an overreliance on coffee or tea? Let’s find out.

Long-Term Risks of Poor Sleep: Sleep Today, Healthy Tomorrow

Sleep deprivation can increase our chances of an unpleasant range of chronic disorders. Sufficient, deep sleep helps regulate blood pressure, preventing hypertension and heart disease. Insufficient sleep, on the other hand, does the opposite and prevents the body from processing blood sugars and fats effectively, thus increasing the risk of metabolic problems too. Poor sleep may reduce the production of insulin, upping the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Sleep is also incredibly important for our operating system – the brain. Studies have shown that many sleepless nights can reduce the levels of an important factor that protects our neurons. This can ramp up the risk of degenerative disorders like dementia.

Indicators of a Poor Sleep Cycle: You Are How You Sleep

When we have a poor sleep cycle, it is reflected in our physical appearance and our mental capacity. These indicators may suggest that you need to spend more time sleeping.

– Daytime fatigue
– Mood swings
– Inability to focus
– Headaches
– Unexplained weight gain
– Puffy eyes/dark circles
– Sluggish physical performance
– Poor decision making
– Memory issues
– Lack of motivation
– Increased stress and anxiety

Sleep & Mental Health: A Two-Way Street

Sleep has a well-researched, two-way relationship with mental health. Low-quality sleep increases the risks of disorders like anxiety and depression. In turn, mental health difficulties can also cause sleep abnormalities. For those with mental health struggles, inadequate sleep may worsen the existing symptoms. Studies have shown that reduced sleep may stifle positive emotions, and increase stress, irritability, and risk-taking behaviour. Sleep impacts the balance between the amygdala (the emotional centre of the brain) and the rest of the brain, making it harder to make logical decisions and regulate emotions.

Can Sleep Help Us Live Longer? The Evidence

Recent studies have stacked evidence for the link between sleep and a longer, healthier life. Findings published in 2024 in the QJM International Medical Journal described sleep patterns in over 1,70,000 adults. What this study showed is that men who get an appropriate amount of sleep live for five years longer than men who do not, and women who sleep better can live approximately two years longer.

Another study from 2020 in the PLOS Medicine Journal, following over 4,00,000 participants, revealed that those who slept for less than 7 hours and more than 9 hours (Yes, too much sleep can be detrimental too!) had an increased risk of premature mortality. Those who slept for the ideal 7-8 hours had the lowest risk. If you are a toss and turn every night, do not fret, because it is never too late to make some changes in your sleep cycle that go a long way for your well-being.

Common Sleep Disruptors: The Dream Hijackers

The first step in the journey to the best sleep of our lives is to identify the things standing in our way.

– Stress: You know those nights that have you running loops in your mind of everything that worries you? That’s the result of a cortisol spike that keeps your body awake and far from relaxed.
– Light Exposure: Bright light (including that from our phones when we are doom scrolling) messes with our melatonin production and our biological clocks, as a result. This makes it harder to fall asleep and disturbs the quality of our sleep.
– Nicotine & Alcohol: We know that cigarettes and alcohol are bad for our long-term health, but did you know they also affect sleep? Nicotine increases adrenaline, which speeds up the heart rate, making it difficult to fall asleep. Alcohol affects the later stages of sleep, making us feel tired when we wake up.
– Eating Before Bed: Light dinners are the way to go as a large meal before bed overloads the digestive system and increases discomfort, which keeps sleep at bay.
– Irregular Sleep Schedule: Routine is everything when it comes to sleep. Sleeping and waking up at inconsistent times every day can confuse our biological clocks, seriously affecting our sleep quality.

Tips for a Better Sleep Cycle: Your Ticket To Dreamland

When it comes to better sleep, there are three things we need to take care of: when we sleep, how long we sleep, and how deeply we sleep without interruption. Using these tips, you’ll be conquering all three in no time.

– Enjoy a Bedtime Routine: Create an enjoyable bedtime routine at a fixed time every night, to prepare to wind down and relax. That may include skin care, a warm bath, reading, relaxing music, journaling, or meditating.

– Manage Screen Time: Blue light from screens can disrupt the melatonin surge in the body needed to fall asleep. Limit screen time and switch off devices an hour or two before bed.

– Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment: Blackout curtains, earplugs, and essential oils can be helpful to make your bedroom the ultimate comfy sleep environment.

– Avoid Caffeine: If you are a coffee lover, you may want to avoid caffeine after 6 pm. You can also opt for a relaxing herbal tea or a de-stressing supplement like our De-Stress & Snooze drops and gummies that naturally promote sleep.

– Exercise: One of the best ways to improve sleep is to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. This reduces stress and inflammation and improves how deeply you sleep.

Melatonin for Sleep: Natural vs. Synthetic

Melatonin is something your body naturally produces to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. But when you start taking synthetic melatonin regularly, it can come with some side effects—think dizziness, mood swings, headaches, and even building a tolerance over time. Plus, relying on it too much can mess with your body’s ability to produce melatonin on its own, which isn’t great.

That’s why three-60’s De-Stress & Snooze gummies are melatonin-free and non-habit forming. They help you sleep better naturally, reducing insomnia by 38% in just 30 days. Just pop 2 gummies about 30 minutes before bed, and they’ll help lower your cortisol levels for a peaceful, restful night.

Conclusion

To be the best version of ourselves, we all need sleep. By assessing our current sleep habits, we can make small but meaningful changes to improve sleep quality for long-term health benefits. Implementing simple tools like a consistent sleep routine, exercise, the right atmosphere, supplements (if needed) and a bit of mindfulness, will put you to sleep faster than you can say goodnight!

(A marketing initiative by Open Avenues)

About The Author

Dr. Kriti Soni

Dr. Kriti Soni is a pharmaceutical scientist specialising in developing drug delivery systems and natural products