Nutrient density of sleep
The daily sleep cycle allows our bodies to restore. If sleep was available at a store, what would you look for?
What I’m calling the “nutrient density of sleep” means: What are the components of restorative sleep that we should strive for or curate? Just like you might compare a locally-grown apple at the farmer’s market to a commercial grocery store apple coated in Apeel, or pasture-raised pork compared to pork raised in a confined animal feed operation, what are the features of sleep that we can consider to preserve or optimize nourishing sleep?
We may prioritize nutrient-dense foods and create optimal sleep conditions and still have trouble sleeping—whether through lifestyle disruptions, work shifts, or insomnia—and that sleep deprivation directly fuels some health conditions and impacts how nutrients filter through the blood-brain barrier. In Romilly Hodges’ book IMMUNE RESILIENCE, they cite a study of sleep-deprived military personnel. The military members slept less than 6 hours each night for more than 3 months and were 4 times more likely to get a cold or the flu than their peers sleeping 7-to-9 hours nightly. We know that sleep can be a thermostat for creating cancer-fueling conditions, impair immunity, increase the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s, make us more susceptible to infections and pneumonia, GI issues, and other health issues. This happens not only on a long-term scale if sleep deprivation is routine over time, but on a short-term scale. Hodges’ book explains that blood tests confirm just a single night of sleep deprivation raises inflammation levels. How do we control that sleep thermostat? Many resources exist today that dive into optimal environmental features for sleep, such as temperature, lighting, and blue light use. Instead, let’s look at a nutrition label of sorts for sleep.
What would you look for if you shopped for sleep?
We can “pick up” restorative sleep that helps preserve immunity and make the most of the nutrients we consume by taking actions that aren’t sleeping. What this means is that actions in our waking hours can support future sleep health and at the same time combat the negative affects of past sleep deprivation.
Green | Studies confirm that our access to nature impacts sleep. Forest bathing increases our natural killer (NK) cell production for more than 30 days after spending a few days in the woods. (NK cells are white blood cells that remove infections and diseases, including cancer.) A 2015 piece published in PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE showed that exposure to the natural environment influences sleep quality.
Stress slaying | Not only can sleep deprivation cause stress, but stressors can cause sleep deprivation. A Stress in America survey shows the impact of stress on sleep across demographics. Help break that chicken-egg cycle with stress management techniques and lifestyle adjustments that work for you.
Movement | The Sleep Foundation outlines effective exercises and optimal times for movement to improve sleep. Exercise has a cascading effect since it not only helps support sleep quality, but helps with overall flexibility, cardiovascular health, and weight management, which collectively influence other conditions that impact sleep.
Sleep snacks | Conversations about sleep often circle around to the essential amino acid tryptophan, melatonin, and serotonin. We’re on the feathery tail-end of turkey time, and turkey is often referred to as a good source of tryptophan. Tryptophan helps our bodies produce melatonin and serotonin. Our bodies produce melatonin based on diet and our exposure to light. Commercially-formulated melatonin supplements help cover the gap if someone isn’t producing enough of their own melatonin (whether due to health conditions or light exposure). Serotonin regulates many functions in our bodies and influences mood and sleep. A 2020 piece in NUTRIENTS showed that “tryptophan-containing foods improved sleep” both by sleep time and efficiency. It also found that “nutrients are likely to benefit general health more when consumed as part of food rather than as supplements.” A friend and Tara Lynne Today subscriber (Hi, B!) recently shared their positive experience with taking a daily CBD supplement to improve their sleep. Several resources help support the positive results of CBD on sleep. The Sleep Foundation breaks down CBD for sleep in how CBD works, dosages, and includes a reminder that more studies are needed to validate its use as a sleep aid.
What does your current “grocery” list for sleep look like today? I generally try to spend as much time outside as possible, which helps me manage stress. Gardening and beekeeping provide routine movement, but I also visit the gym regularly depending on the season. (I recently threw out my back, so I have a different approach to movement right now. Lots of yoga.) For me, the top cause of sleep disruption is stress. It generally doesn’t impact falling asleep, but I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and won’t be able to get back to sleep. I proactively try and reduce stressors, but like many sneaky ingredients on food labels, sometimes it just slips in.