If you’ve ever encountered a family member who was walking in their sleep, it may have spooked you a little bit. Or maybe a lot.
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Sleepwalking is an unsettling sleep disorder, according to MSN, both for people who have it and those who have witnessed a loved one walking through the house in the middle of the night, glassy-eyed and confused.
MSN detailed some of the causes of sleepwalking, including genetics, fever, alcohol or medications, overactive thyroid, obstructive sleep apnea, head injury, sleep deprivation and stress or anxiety.
Most people know that diet and exercise are vital for a healthy heart, but sleepwalking and other sleep disorders can wreak havoc on your life and your overall health.
Sleep is connected with subclinical atherosclerosis, the early stages of hardening and narrowing of the arteries, where a buildup of plaque in your arteries restricts blood flow, leading to blood clots, heart attack and stroke.
Those who sleep less than six hours a night are more likely to have hardening of the arteries than those who sleep for seven or eight hours a night, while people with fragmented sleep, meaning they wake up often or have trouble falling asleep, are even more at risk.
Those who sleep less than seven hours a night also have an increased risk of heart disease, and this is true regardless of other factors that influence heart health, like age, weight, smoking and exercise habits.
Nearly every cell in your body has its own circadian clock, which regulates the activation and deactivation of genes. For your health’s sake, it’s important to pay attention to and honor ancient patterns of waking, sleeping and eating.
Meal timing also has a significant impact on your circadian rhythm. Many organs need between 12 and 16 hours of rest, meaning a minimum of 12 hours without food, to allow for repair.
Melatonin is an important hormone. One of melatonin’s primary roles is regulating your body's circadian clock. When it gets dark, your brain starts secreting melatonin — usually around 9 or 10 p.m. — which makes you sleepy. Levels typically stay elevated for about 12 hours, then, as the sun rises, your pineal gland reduces your production, and the levels in your blood decrease until they're hardly measurable at all.
Melatonin production also decreases as you age — a 60-year-old may produce one-tenth the melatonin of a 10-year-old. That’s why many of the elderly experience sleep disorders.
However, there are ways to increase your melatonin production as you age.
Of course, you could take a melatonin supplement, but a simpler solution, which costs nothing, is to control your lighting.
Start by replacing LEDs and fluorescent light bulbs in key areas where you spend time in the evening with low-watt incandescent bulbs, and avoid electronic screens for a few hours before bedtime.
Realize the importance of meal timing on your circadian rhythm. Many cleanout functions occur in your brain during deep sleep and your other organs need downtime, as well. Many of your organs need between 12 and 16 hours of rest — a minimum of 12 hours without food — to allow for repair.
So set your circadian clock, turn out the lights, rest your innards and organs and sweet dreams.