Sleep and immunity - Nutritionist's Column Vol.18 (Part 1)
Last time we talked about "immunity."
About immunity ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.17 About immunity ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.17
I would like to write about this topic focusing on sleep.
Sleep allows the brain and body to rest and recharge.
It is said that getting good quality sleep helps you wake up refreshed in the morning and has a positive effect on your body and mind. Sleep is very important not only for boosting your immunity but also for your body and mind.
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There are two types of sleep: REM sleep and non-REM sleep. These two types work together and are repeated at a regular rhythm 4 to 5 times a night.
1. REM sleep: This is a light sleep in which the body is asleep but the brain is active in a state close to waking. When you dream, you are in REM sleep. This is the preparation stage for waking up. When you wake up during REM sleep, your brain feels refreshed.
2. Non-REM sleep: This is deep sleep in which both the brain and the body are deeply asleep. If you wake up during non-REM sleep, it makes it hard to wake up.
If you can maintain a good balance between these two types of sleep, it is said that you are getting good quality sleep.
However, there are many people who are not able to get good quality sleep.
If you have been having trouble sleeping for more than a month, you may have insomnia. Insomnia mainly causes daytime fatigue, loss of motivation, poor concentration, and loss of appetite.
If you have trouble falling asleep, if your sleep is shallow and you wake up frequently during the night, if you wake up early in the morning, or if you don't feel satisfied after a good night's sleep, you should be careful.
Stress is said to be the number one cause of insomnia.
In today's stressful society, many people find themselves troubled by big worries, or are unable to solve their worries and find themselves thinking about them constantly.
Other causes include waking up due to alcohol or caffeine, waking up due to the blue light emitted from PC and smartphone screens, and not having the right room temperature.
There may also be some people who feel fatigued and unrefreshed even though they sleep a lot.
First of all, people like this have their daily routine disrupted.
It is believed that the cause of feeling fatigued after sleeping too much lies in the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and plays a vital role in maintaining life.
The sympathetic nervous system is dominant during the day when you are active, while the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant at night when you are relaxed.
It is good for these two nerves to function in a balanced way.
However, when you wake up in the morning, instead of the sympathetic nervous system which should be dominant, if you sleep too much, the parasympathetic nervous system will remain dominant for a long period of time, causing fatigue, lethargy and drowsiness in the morning.
The causes of sleeping too much may be extreme fatigue or chronic lack of sleep. It is very important to ensure good quality sleep, not just the amount of time.
Here are some tips to help you get a good night's sleep.
1. Don't drink alcohol before going to bed
While alcohol has a relaxing effect and is said to help you fall asleep, it also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system as it is broken down in the body, causing a stimulating effect and making you more likely to wake up in the middle of the night.
If you drink it, do so at least 3 hours before going to bed.
2. Don't drink caffeine before bed
Caffeine works by blocking the transmission of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect, in the brain.
In other words, it has an anti-sedative, stimulating effect, suppresses drowsiness, and keeps you from falling asleep.
Once you ingest caffeine, it remains in your body for a long time, so the key to getting a good night's sleep is to avoid consuming it after the evening, if possible.
Drinks that contain a lot of caffeine include coffee, nutritional drinks, energy drinks, and gyokuro tea.
・Don't use your smartphone or PC before going to bed
The light from smartphone and PC screens is called "blue light" and can reduce the quality of your sleep.
It is said that blue light wavelengths stimulate the brain through the eyes and interfere with falling asleep or achieving deep sleep.
- Room temperature should be at an appropriate level. I'm sure you've had the experience of being too hot to sleep or too cold to sleep.
It is said that adjusting the room temperature to an appropriate level when sleeping can improve the quality of your sleep.
- Relax before bed. Relax in the bath and with some stretching exercises, focusing on regulating your autonomic nervous system.
We also recommend taking a half-body bath or burning an aroma to soothe yourself with your favorite scent.
- Dim the lights in the room. We recommend dimming the lights in your bedroom before going to sleep.
Some people cannot sleep unless it is bright, but sleeping in a bright room will reduce the quality of your sleep.
- Breathing before going to bed: Imagine expanding your stomach. Breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth, using abdominal breathing.
This is the simplest and most effective way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Not only does it improve blood circulation, it also helps regulate the pace at which you fall asleep.
When you wake up in the morning, expose yourself to bright light. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and produces the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is the source of the sleep hormone melatonin, which makes you sleepy at night.
・Food choices for good sleepOur bodies are built and metabolized by the food we eat every day.
It is also important to change your body's constitution for good sleep from the inside out through your diet.
In addition to eating a balanced diet, you should also be conscious of how you eat.
It is especially important to finish dinner three hours before going to bed.
Digestion puts a strain on the body, which makes it difficult to get a good night's sleep. If you have to eat dinner late, avoid oily foods and choose easily digestible vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and turnips.
Also, good drinks include non-caffeinated barley tea, buckwheat tea, black bean tea, herbal tea, rooibos tea, hot water, and non-caffeinated coffee.
In the second part, we will introduce the nutrients that will help you get better sleep, foods that are rich in them, and the effects they have.
>>To the second part
Food to improve the quality of your sleep ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.18 (Part 2)
Click here to purchase GRØN products, a domestically produced, plant-based protein containing non-caffeinated superfoods.
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Nutritionist, Food Education Instructor, Food 6th Industrialization Producer Level 4
Ayako Ishihara
A nutritional advisor in the healthcare field and an agribusiness professional.
She is involved in a variety of activities specializing in the fields of beauty and health, including giving lectures to Miss World Japan candidates.
With the philosophy of "enriching the mind and body through food and realizing a vibrant society where people and communities are connected," he founded i-Field Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its representative.
He is a core member of the food team for "DINING OUT," which opens outdoor restaurants in various regions, and also participates in fashion brand projects.
She is also involved in the promotion of local ingredients, product development and production specializing in "health" and "beauty," branding, concept design, food hygiene, sales promotion, training planning and management, etc. She is in charge of nutritional supervision for GRØN's product development, proposing ways to incorporate them more effectively into consumer health.
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