Page 68 - Prevention (February 2020)
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SCI E NCE
A tired and need to go guidance, your body holds back, he
lot of us think about sleep
says, trying to conserve to prepare
approximately twice a
day: at night when we’re for the unknown.
What it all boils down to: A healthy
to bed, and in the
night’s sleep relies on healthy daytime
morning when
ical clock,” or circadian rhythm. “The
we’re still tired and want to stay there. activities to create your body’s “biolog-
But lack of sleep affects our whole interplay of sleep and rest, when it’s on
day: Poor sleepers miss out on immune a schedule, helps signal your brain as
and emotional regulation as well as to where it is within a 24-hour circa-
tissue restoration and repair, says dian rhythm,” Dr. Winter says. Certain
sleep-research psychologist Jessica activities send the right signals and
Payne, Ph.D., an associate professor at others can be harmful, says Donn
the University of Notre Dame. Stress Dexter, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo
may keep you awake, but insomnia can Clinic Health System. Here’s your
impair your ability to regulate stress the 24-hour guide to which is which so
next day, creating a “sleep-stress snow- you can sleep better, starting tonight.
ball,” adds Payne. Stress increases levels
of neurotransmitters and hormones
such as cortisol and norepinephrine,
keeping you in a hypervigilant state, MORNING
always watchful for tigers (or office
enemies). “The more you’re stressed,
the poorer your sleep is and the worse Quit Hitting Snooze
your stress is,” Payne says.
Given sleep’s ability to wreak havoc Our greatest sleep mistakes happen
on our waking hours, it only makes in the morning, Dr. Winter says.
sense that our days might be causing After a bad night, it’s tempting to give
us trouble at night. Think of your day ourselves a pity pass to sleep in or
like a fitness class, says W. Christopher take a sick day. On the other hand, a
Winter, M.D., president of Charlottes- regimented response at the start of the
ville Neurology and Sleep Medicine day helps set your brain’s sleep-wake
and author of The Sleep Solution: Why clock. The exception: If you wake up
Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix too early, don’t try to force a return
It. Your decision-making brain is like a to sleep—it’s smarter to go ahead and
good instructor who leads you through get up. That reduces the chance of
the class, giving notice of what’s developing a chronic case of insomnia,
coming up next or how many burpees according to research conducted by
you’ll be doing. Without that sort of Penn Medicine.
64 PREVENTION.COM • F E B RUARY 2020
