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Lisa Ives Osteopathy

Lisa Ives Osteopathy

GOsC Registered Osteopath

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An osteopathic perspective on the importance of sleep

2 January 2018
Sleep

Underestimated to say the least, we work hard, train hard – why not ‘sleep hard’?

Quality sleep is important to not only recharge our batteries but plays a vital role in tissue repair from injuries and aids rehabilitation. It’s a misnomer that more treatment equals faster healing.

Its true our bodies possess a fantastic ‘in built self healing mechanism’ which osteopaths can help to facilitate should this break down. However, time is also a healer and quality recovery with downtime from maintaining factors in some injuries can also be essential.

What happens when we’re asleep?

Sleep architecture follows a pattern of alternating REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep throughout a typical night in a cycle that repeats itself about every 90 minutes.

Sleep Cycle Stages

NREM (75% of night)

As we begin to fall asleep, we enter NREM sleep, composed of stages which essentially head towards REM gradually relaxing all body systems that don’t need to be operating at such a level that is required in the working day.

  • Blood pressure/breathing rate/body temperature etc all begin to lower.
  • Blood supply to muscles increase and hormones such as growth hormone (essential for growth and development and muscle development) are released.
  • White blood cells are released which aids fighting infection and boosting your immune system.

REM (25% of night)

First occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep and recurs about every 90 minutes, getting longer later in the night.

  • Provides energy to brain and body
  • Supports daytime performance
  • Brain is active and dreams occur , eyes dart back and forth
  • Body becomes immobile and relaxed, as muscles are turned off

It’s not just tissue repair that goes on when you’re asleep. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people ate an average of nearly 300 fewer calories per day when they were well-rested.

“We’re discovering that a part of the brain that controls sleep also plays a role in appetite and metabolism”.
Your body makes more Ghrelin and less Leptin. Ghrelin is a hunger hormone, and Leptin is a hormone that tells you when you’re full.

Clinical relevance: If we are in pain and unable to sleep, our repair process struggles and lack of sleep begins to run us down mentally and emotionally!

Further info – How can I sleep better to help tissue repair?

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Lisa Ives Osteopathy, c/o The Lilley Clinic
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Lower Slope End Farm
Stype
Hungerford
BERKSHIRE
RG17 0RE

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