Recovering from a Sleepless Night.
Lately, I’ve had a couple of sleepless nights, three in one week, to be exact. One night Ben was snoring and woke me up about five times, and then for two consecutive nights, I slept on the couch to keep an eye on our pooch Peggy as she wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t sleep because she woke me up every few hours. Poor sweetie, we have now nicknamed her Peggy Poopy Pants. Thankfully, she is much better, though she has not fully recovered and remains quit tired, like me.
I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the more challenging it is for me to recover from a sleepless night. Gone are the days when I could stay up all night, shower and change, and carry on, full of energy. I remember one time in my early 20s, staying up all night in a lineup to get Bruce Springsteen tickets. It was a fun night, and after getting my tickets, I carried on with my day, went out dancing that night with some friends and didn’t get to bed until 2–3 am, which means that I was awake for close to 40 hours! Good grief. When I was in university, I wrote most of my papers by pulling all-nighters with the help of a pot of coffee. Now, I’m delirious the next day if I stay up after midnight.
Because of these recent events, I became curious about sleep and what happens to us physiologically when it’s disrupted, particularly why I insisted on going to Wendy’s for the first time in decades and inhaling a large order of fries. Yuck!!!
The purpose of sleep is to rest and let your body recover, recuperate and regenerate. It also allows your hormones to rebalance their levels with each other. Your hormones get disrupted when you don’t sleep well, and this causes you to crave unhealthy food.
Four main hormones are connected to your appetite: ghrelin, insulin, cortisol and leptin. Ghrelin and leptin, in particular, play an essential role in your appetite- ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin tells your brain that you’ve eaten enough. When sleep deprived, ghrelin turns into a nasty green monster. Ever hear of the term hangry? That’s ghrelin making you so hungry that you also become angry and will ingest anything in your path. I now understand that if I didn’t have access to those fries, I would have started chewing Ben’s arm!
We crave carbs and sugar when we’re exhausted because they give us a quick, easy energy fix. I try to eat a big salad once a day, but when I’m tired, it’s the last thing I want to eat, and if Wendy’s had offered chocolate sauce or brownies to place on top of my fries, I would have been thrilled and probably would have ordered two. The carb-heavy foods and sugar will increase your energy briefly and then cause a severe crash which results in more cravings, thus causing a vicious cycle to emerge.
Dos and Don’ts After a Bad Night’s Sleep
Do
Hydrate
Staying hydrating will energize you, so have at least 8 full cups of water a day.
Get some sun
Vitamin D will help your body reset its internal clock and boost your mood and brain.
Get some caffeine, but not too much
If you usually drink coffee or tea in the morning, continue to have it, maybe a bit more, but not too much. After my second night of no sleep, I had more than two cups of coffee, started to feel worse, and then had jitters and some nausea.
Green tea is an excellent alternative to coffee because it has less caffeine and, for me, has never caused jitters or nausea. And, of course, don’t have caffeine -- coffee or otherwise -- close to bedtime.
Move
I usually hit the gym three times a week but missed two workouts because of this exhaustion. However, I ensured that I went for a few short works (thank you, Peggy) and felt better after. Try not to exercise before bed as it might disrupt your sleep.
Nap
I’m not much of a napper and envy anyone that can take a short nap and feel better. I always feel worse. If napping works for you, include one, as it will help you recover. Try not to nap longer than 30 minutes.
Eat well & avoid quick fixes
Avoid quick carb and sugar fixes even when they are screaming your name. When I had those fries the other day, I was so happy in the moment, but, about an hour later, I felt so gross. Since then, I’ve been focusing on smoothies and loading them with protein sources like protein powder, chia, flax and hemp seeds, and adding unsweetened nut milk, avocado, coconut oil, and frozen fruit. It seems to stabilize my blood sugars, which decreases my desire for the gross stuff. Eat a healthy, light dinner several hours before bed.
Chill out for bedtime
Start to relax as bedtime approaches: no bright lights or stressful talks or activities. All of that can make it hard to fall asleep. Try to keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool.
Don’t
Sleep in
If you’ve had a sleepless night, it’s tempting to take the morning off and sleep. It’s a bad idea because it will mess with your body’s “internal clock.” Try to stick to your usual sleep routine as it will help get your cycle back on track.
Drink alcohol
While recovering from a poor night’s sleep, skip alcohol. It might help you become sleepy and fall asleep more quickly, but within in a few hours after your body processes the alcohol, it will wake you up. Alcohol will always interfere with your sleep quality.
Use your devices before bed.
Avoid too much of any light after the sun is down as it can mess up your sleep, especially the “blue light” given off by your smartphone, computer, or tablet..
Make big decisions
Without proper sleep, your judgment goes down the tubes. Overworked brain cells can’t put thoughts together or remember basic information. So wait until you’ve had a good night’s rest and things become clearer before deciding on anything important. Avoid knee-jerk decisions like getting a tattoo, and avoid your credit card to prevent any impulsive online retail therapy.
When to see your doctor
We can’t avoid the odd sleepless night. Snoring partners, sick pets, sick children, worry, and excitement are all culprits that disrupt a good night’s rest. There is nothing to worry about if it happens now and then. However, if it continues and you notice that it interferes with your general mood, health and relationships, I urge you to speak to your family doctor or other health practitioners.
Some health conditions can cause sleep problems, and chronic insomnia is one of the worse things for your health. Your family doctor can run some tests, and a naturopath can review your diet and lifestyle and recommend changes. Check out this blog that I wrote on sleep.
I’d love to hear how you cope when your sleep has been disrupted.
Keep well and sleep well.
Anita
DISCLAIMER; The information provided on County Yoga Loft’s website blog is for general health care informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith. However, it should not replace consultation or advice from a physician and/or other healthcare practitioners. The use or reliance of any information contained on this site is solely at your own risk.
Resources
1. WebMD
2. CNNHealth
3. A Vogel