One of the 8 Keys to Wellness is Relaxation and the most important way to relax is to sleep. Unfortunately, the quality of sleep changes as we age. We have trouble either going to sleep or staying asleep. We wake up many times throughout the night. We sweat. We toss and turn. And, our minds and immune systems suffer the consequences.
Each of the stages of sleep is important. The brain emits particular waves in each of these stages. You have the slowest brain waves when you are in deep sleep. When the sleep cycle gets interrupted, it's harder for the brain to get back into deep sleep, although you will continue to have REM sleep. You can get great REM sleep but not get deep sleep.
Deep sleep is believed to be the stage in which the body repairs itself, so if your deep sleep quality is poor, you stand to risk immune and cognitive decline.
You can't ‘catch up' on sleep. If you have lost it, your body suffers!
In a recent study*, shallow sleep was induced in individuals with an average age of 60 to see what effect this had on their brain function, specifically their memories. The test subjects were shown 50 pictures and, following a normal night's sleep, were later that day shown 100 pictures containing the 50 pictures they had been shown the day before. Their job was to pick out the pictures they had seen before.
The test was repeated at another time (using different pictures), but this time individuals were asked to identify previously seen images after a night of ‘shallow sleep' where the subjects had were subjected to a beeping sound that did not impair the length of sleep but did impair deep sleep.
This study showed that short sleep impaired performance was significantly. A functional MRI showed that the subjects had a diminished blood supply to part of the hippocampus on the right side of the head after shallow sleep (the hippocampus is part of the brain involved in memory). The study suggests is that getting enough deep sleep is what counts for optimal memory.
Are you having trouble sleeping? My book, The 8 Keys to Wellness www.The8KeystoWellness.com has some great information on sleep and how you can improve the quality of your memory as you age.
What you eat, how you manage stress, your hormone balance, and how you exercise all contribute to your quality of sleep.
Dr. Susan Benloucif from Northwestern University put it this way: "Many of the health changes associated with aging, including the decline in sleep and cognitive abilities, can be attributed to sedentary lifestyles and social disengagement among older individuals. Evidence suggests that maintenance of social engagement and avoidance of social isolation are important factors in maintaining cognitive vitality in old age."
She did a study in which the sleep levels and quality of elderly individuals in retirement facilities was measured during levels of social interactions. The study consisted of a daily 90-minute session over a 14-day period that included 30 minutes of mild physical activity, 30 minutes of social interaction and a final 30 minutes of mild to moderate physical activity. Sessions began with warm-up stretching and mild to moderate physical activity (walking, stationary upper and lower body exercises), followed by seated social interaction (talking while playing board or card games). The final period consisted of mild to moderate physical activity, such as rapid walking, calisthenics or dancing, ending with a 10-minute cool-down.
Results of the study showed that participation in a short-duration social and physical activity program improved cognitive performance by 4 to 6 percent and improved subjective sleep quality in older adults.
Relaxation is one of the 8 Keys to Wellness. If you are not sleeping, this book can help. www.The8KeystoWellness.com
*References:
Van Der Werf YD, et al. Sleep benefits subsequent hippocampal functioning. Nature Neuroscience [epub 18 January 2009]
Susan Benloucif, Phyllis Zee, M.D., et al. Daily Social, Physical Activity Improves Sleep and Cognition in The Elderly. Sleep, Dec. 15, 2004
Occupation: speaker and author
Carol Merlo, B.S., M.Ed., Speaker and Author has degrees in both Educational and Health Psychology and has studied personality psychology for over 30 years. She has extensive knowledge in nutrition and dietary supplementation. She and her husband Bill have helped thousands of people across the globe improve their health and develop sales, leadership and communication skills.
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