How well are you sleeping?
Answer 5 simple questions in our sleep test for a brief evaluation and some advice.
Take the sleep testIf you’ve ever suffered from insomnia, you’ve probably been met the ‘but you looked like you were sleeping last night’ remark half a hundred times. Despite seemingly being deep in the land of nod, you still wake up feeling exhausted, as though you haven’t had a wink of decent sleep. Well, it looks like research finally has an answer for this conundrum as I explore in today’s blog!
There’s nothing more frustrating than waking up feeling as though you haven’t had a wink of sleep all night, despite being told you were snoring your head off at 2am. Yes, your body may have been asleep, but you couldn’t feel any further from refreshed or rejuvenated, and worse still, in this situation, it can be difficult to garner any sympathy from your partners or spouses.
However, it seems that science has an answer for this phenomenon and, simply put, it seems that even while your brain is sleepy, you may be consciously awake.
According to a study conducted by Professor Kay that was published in the journal Sleep, it’s thought that insomniacs may suffer from an impaired inhibition process.1 Simply put, when you’re falling asleep, your brain will release a wave of inhibitory neurons which will steadily make you feel less and less aware until you’ve entered deep sleep.
The study, which looked at the sleep patterns of both insomniacs and normal sleepers, found that, despite contrary readings from the polysomnography, insomniacs still reported that they felt as though they’d been awake all night and had increased activity in the areas of your brain connected to conscious awareness, particularly during NREM sleep.
Participants that didn’t have insomnia also had increased activity in the same areas but they reported that they were fast asleep, even before the polysomnography indicated so. This would seem to suggest that, to some degree, the inhibitory process is being hindered in insomniacs, meaning that they feel more consciously awake even when their brain is fast asleep.
In his research, Professor Kay does mention one method in particular that can help to enhance your inhibitory process and it’s a coping method that’s I’ve already mentioned in detail – mindfulness meditation! He states that, “it may help patients inhibit cognitive processes that are preventing them from experiencing sleep,” perhaps hinting at the beneficial effects mindfulness can have over emotional imbalances such as stress and anxiety.
As I explore in my blog, ‘Is mindfulness the key to a good night’s sleep?’ being more mindful can help you to be more aware and objective when it comes to any negative emotions you may be experiencing. This heightened awareness, combined with deep breathing techniques, can encourage you to be more at peace with your thoughts, allowing you to think about them objectively and to relax. Studies have even found that mindfulness can help to lower your blood cortisol levels!3
Mindfulness isn’t the only way you can go about tackling stress and anxiety, if they are factors that could be affecting your sleep pattern. I talk about more about how to cope with emotional upsets like low mood and stress over at A.Vogel Talks Mental Wellbeing, but the main blogs I would recommend are:
My top tips to combat mood swings
Breathing tips to relieve stress
How does stress affect our nervous system
Your sleep hygiene can play a big role in determining your sleep quality, so it’s important to maintain a regular and consistent sleep routine. You can read more about my top sleep hygiene tips here, but below I’ve just mentioned a few of my top suggestions!
Traditional sleep medicines can sometimes contribute to problems such as grogginess or disrupt your balance of NREM and REM sleep, which is why so many are turning to natural alternatives like Valerian. Studies have found that a combination of valerian and hops can help to promote relaxation by increasing your levels of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter which can help to calm your nervous system, making it easier for you to fall asleep.
Our sleep remedy Dormeasan contains organically cultivated extracts of Valerian and Hops, which makes it ideal for those that find it difficult to wind down or fall asleep. It also has the advantage of being a non-drowsy remedy, meaning that you won’t wake up feeling groggy or disorientated the following day. Simply take 30 drops in a couple of tablespoons of water around 30 minutes before you go to bed for the best results.
1https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321388.php
2https://sleepjunkies.com/health/science-sleeping-cool-room/
Looking for an undisturbed nights sleep? Need to regulate your sleep pattern?
Then look no further than Dormeasan Valerian & Hops.
"Has really helped me to sleep especially with the advice on the site as to how best to take it for the best results."
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Answer 5 simple questions in our sleep test for a brief evaluation and some advice.
Take the sleep testAs the A. Vogel Sleep advisor, I recommend Dormeasan®, a natural sleep remedy made from fresh extracts of Valerian root and Hops.
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