How Exercise Promotes Rejuvenating Sleep

Americans are obsessed with exercise. Whether they’re lamenting a lack of gym time or clamoring to learn the latest trendy abdominal work out, it seems that exercise is on the top of most people’s minds. Although most exercise nuts are chasing the body-sculpting or health benefits associated with working out, its benefits to our sleep quality are seldom discussed. Getting exercise during the day not only helps people fall asleep faster at night but it also promotes slow-wave sleep.

Slow-wave sleep is a deep, intense sleep from which is hard to rouse people out of bed. It’s called slow-wave sleep because when measured, the frequency of brainwaves is slow and they are also very tall and deep. Slow-wave or delta sleep is the type of sleep that although we feel dead to the world while experiencing it, this type of sleep actually makes us feel refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning.

Slow-wave sleep does more than just help you feel refreshed in the morning; it’s also closely coupled with the release of growth hormone. Studies have shown that children with health issues that interrupt slow-wave sleep frequently experience troubles with growth hormone deficiency. Studies have also found that dedicated runners and those that exercise on a daily basis sleep much more soundly, are less bothered by sleep disturbances and wake up feeling more refreshed that those that do not get adequate exercise.

Looking to increase the amount of quality, slow-wave sleep you get each night? The best thing you can do is get some vigorous exercise five hours before your bed time. If you normally stay up watching late-night TV, why not use your DVR so you don’t miss anything and get to bed earlier? Falling asleep earlier in the day will increase your time spent sleeping and, along with some great exercise, will give you all of the benefits of slow-wave sleep.

How Your Dinner Affects Your Sleep

Study after study has revealed how drinking alcohol before bedtime can have a negative effect on the sleep patterns of healthy adults by inhibiting their ability to reach the deeper, more replenishing REM levels of sleep. But, can the same be said for eating dinners that are high in fat?

A recent study published in the journal SLEEP, authored by Cibele Chispim of the Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil focused on 52 healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 45. The researchers analyzed the participants eating habits and then subjected them to a polysomnioographic recording of their sleep.

The results led the researchers to believe that there was a link between inhibited REM sleep and the consumption of fatty meals before bed. “We showed that an increased fat intake was associated with a lower percentage of REM sleep, a higher arousal index and apnea-hypopnea index, and a lower sleep efficiency,” said Crispim. “These results showed that total fat intake and dinner fat intake seem to influence negatively the sleep pattern. However, researchers in the nutrition and sleep area should be carried out to better understand these associations.”

Health Tip: Minimize Jet Lag

Have any big travel plans coming up and worried that you’re going to get struck by a bad case of jet lag? In order to help you enjoy your vacation or be as productive as possible on your business trip, here’s some tips that will help you re-adjust to your new time zone!

• Limit your alcohol intake – Although alcohol may make you feel sleepy it can interrupt your sleep and prevent you from reaching your deepest, most refreshing sleep levels.

• Stick to local meal and bed times – The faster you get on your new schedule the better your chances of acclimating to your new time zone.

• Plan your flight based on your schedule – If you’re flying a long distance and not good at sleeping on planes, take that into consideration. Your jet lag will be even worse if you stay up all night on a red-eye and then have to acclimate to a new time zone.

More Exercise Could Make for Better Sleep

A recent study led by researchers at Oregon State University examined statistics from a U.S Health Survey conducted from 2005 – 2006. The researchers focused on more than 2,600 men and women aged 18-85 that had their physical activities measured and answered questions about sleep. From their measurements the scientists determined that those who met their recommended daily exercise requirements were 65% and less likely to report feeling sleepy during the day compared to those who did not. Also, the people studied were also 68% less likely to report occasional leg cramps and 45% less likely to report having trouble concentrating while tired.

Are Morning People Born That Way?

Are you the type of person that can get up at five a.m. and go for a jog before work each morning? Or do you dread the sound of your alarm clock every morning? Well, regardless of which one you are we may have to rethink our conceptions that morning people are hard-working, disciplined people and night owls are simply lazy and prefer to sleep in. Why’s that? Recent research has revealed that whether you’re a morning person or not, it may simply be a matter of genetics.

To discover whether there is indeed a “morning person” gene, German scientists recently studied over 4,000 people and their sleep habits. The participants in the study filled out questionnaires and had their genes analyzed. According to the study, people with two copies of one common variant of the gene ABCC9 (a gene acts as a sensor of energy metabolism in the cell) slept for a significantly shorter period than those with two copies of the other version. To confirm the connection, scientists altered the gene in fruit flies, which noticeably shortened the length of time the insect slept.
One problem revealed by the study was that people who have the “morning person gene” are also more susceptible to cardiovascular problems and diabetes. Also, although these people may not feel as sleepy after getting less sleep, they can still suffer from the negative consequences of sleep deprivation such as calcium build up in the arteries.

With a better understanding of how genetics relates to feelings of sleepiness during the day, people who wake up early can learn to take advantage of their genetic disposition while being extra careful of possible heart defects along the way. For those of us who are not morning people, this information is a helpful way to figure out new coping mechanisms and to learn how to either create our persona schedules around your natural inclinations. And for everyone, we can learn to be a little more tolerant of our friends, family members and coworkers sleep and wake schedules.