Sleep and Nervous System Health: Finding Calm in the Chaos
Feeling burnt out, anxious, and low on energy? Your nervous system health and sleep quality are two key areas to consider for a much-needed reset.
Nervous System Health: The Body’s Powerhouse
Think of your nervous system as your body's control center. It regulates everything from your heart rate to your digestion, and plays a crucial role in how you respond to stress. It operates in a delicate balance between two key modes: fight-or-flight and rest-and-recover.
Modern life, especially for busy professional women, often throws this balance out of whack. Juggling responsibilities, social media overload, and unhelpful habits can keep your nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight mode. This depletes your energy reserves, leading to feelings of burnout, anxiety, and fatigue.
Symptoms of a Stressed Nervous System:
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability
Muscle tension
Difficulty relaxing
Sleep problems
Bloating or digestive issues
Premenstrual symptoms
Food cravings and bingeing
These common issues can all be signs of an imbalanced nervous system yearning for some rest and recovery. An objective measure of your nervous system health is a marker called heart rate variability (HRV). HRV measures the flexibility and adaptability of your nervous system. A higher HRV indicates a more flexible and healthy system.
Sleep Habits and Nervous System Health: A Two-Way Street
Poor sleep significantly impacts your nervous system's ability to recover. When you stay up late or if your lifestyle negatively impacts your sleep quality, your body doesn't get the chance to de-stress and recharge. This creates a vicious cycle - a stressed nervous system disrupts sleep, and poor sleep stresses your nervous system.
Breaking the Cycle: Reclaiming Your Rest and Calming Your Nervous System
Here are some key strategies to improve your nervous system health and achieve high-performance sleep:
Establish a Consistent Sleep and Wake Routine: Wake up and go to sleep at a similar time most nights to regulate your circadian rhythm, your body's internal clock.
Embrace Morning Sunlight: Expose yourself to natural sunlight within the first hour of waking. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm and promotes alertness during the day.
Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine: Wind down before bed with calming activities like reading or taking a warm bath. Avoid screens and stimulating activities for at least an hour before sleep.
Limit Caffeine: While caffeine can give you an energy boost, consuming too much or too late in the day will disrupt sleep.
Prioritise Alcohol-Free Days: Alcohol may initially make you feel drowsy, but it disrupts deep sleep stages vital for nervous system recovery.
Keep Active with Sufficient Recovery: Regular exercise is a great way to improve nervous system health and sleep quality. Just make sure you aren’t doing too much high intensity work without sufficient recovery, or working out in the hours before bed.
Practice Meditation and Breathing Exercises: One instant and certain way to reduce nervous system stress is to lengthen and deepen your breath. Meditation and calming breathwork put your body into a rest and recover state, reducing input from the fight or flight nervous system.
Investing in quality sleep and nervous system health is not a luxury - it's a necessity. By prioritising these tips, you'll be well on your way to feeling calmer, more resilient, and ready to tackle anything life throws your way. Sweet dreams!