A good night’s sleep is the firm foundation upon which to build an effective Lent, writes Jason Osborne
Sleep remains a mystery right at the heart of our daily existence. We know we need it, and we have some sense of what goes wrong when we don’t get enough or when it’s of a poor quality, but exactly why we sleep remains an open question for the scientists of the world.
Despite the questions, I think it’s fair to say that sleeping soundly is one of the keys to a successful Lent. It’s been long understood in the spiritual tradition that good decision-making is more difficult when we’re tired, and in recent decades scientific research has backed that up. One 2020 study suggests that under the effects of sleep deprivation, people who are habitually more reflective and cautious become more impulsive and prone to risk taking.
With this being the case, it’s not hard to imagine those tricky Lenten resolutions appearing a little more daunting, that little bit less possible, if we haven’t been sleeping as well as we could have been. In the name of a successful Lent, it’s worth considering the mystery sleep presents us with, the benefits of prioritising it, the risks of neglecting it, and ways to ensure we’re getting as good a sleep as possible.
Why we sleep
As mentioned, why we sleep is still a question with which many people are grappling. However, one path researchers have taken in an attempt to answer why we do it is to look at it practically. Sleep is an essential function. That is to say, if we don’t do it, it can end in death. At the very least, it will have an extremely detrimental effect on our health. Sleep recharges both the body and the mind, and as such helps keep us healthy, staving off disease.
Without enough sleep, neither the body nor the mind function as they’re supposed to. A few key effects of a lack of sleep are difficulty concentrating, thinking clearly, and processing memories. Not limited to these, a lack of sleep has also been associated with a wide range of negative health consequences, such as cardiovascular problems, a weakened immune system, a higher risk of obesity and diabetes, and an increased risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
The fact that sleep seems to affect so many vital functions of, not only the body, but the entire person, implies that it doesn’t just have one biological purpose.
Circadian rhythm
A “body clock” regulates our sleep cycle, and it’s widely known as the circadian rhythm. This “clock” operates on a 24-hour cycle or so, and it dictates the natural fact that after waking from sleep, you’ll grow increasingly tired throughout the day. These feelings peak in the hours before bedtime.
A couple of things influence this cycle – light foremost among them. A specific region of the brain processes signals when the eyes are exposed to natural or artificial light, and these signals help the brain determine whether it is day or night. As the natural light fades throughout the day, the body releases a hormone, melatonin, which induces drowsiness. When the sun rises in the morning and light increases, the body produces another hormone, cortisol, which brings about energy and alertness.
Chemicals play a large role in the regulation of sleep. Scientists suspect the sleep drive (which is also known as sleep-wake homeostasis) may be linked to adenosine. Adenosine levels increase throughout the day as tiredness develops, before the body breaks the compound down during sleep.
Stages of sleep
Once asleep, our bodies follow what have been identified as four sleep cycles. The first three stages are known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, with the first stage known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
Stage one: The first stage sees the transition between wakefulness and sleep, and it consists only of light sleep. The body relaxes, such as the muscles, breath and heart rate, eye movement, and brain waves. It’s understood that stage 1 sleep lasts for only a couple of minutes.
Stage two: The second stage is similar to the first, as the body continues to slow down and enter into deeper sleep. Eye movement stops during this time and body temperature drops. This is generally the longest of the four sleep stages.
Stage three: This stage sees the lowest levels of bodily activity, and plays a key role in granting the feeling of ‘refreshment’ that everyone wants following a night’s sleep. The heartbeat, breath rate, and brain wave activity are as low as they will descend to, and muscles are as relaxed as they can be.
Stage four: The first stage of REM sleep generally occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep, with the eyes beginning to move rapidly underneath the eyelids. Breathing and heart rates increase, along with blood pressure. Dreaming typically occurs during this sleep cycle, and the arms and legs become paralysed – this is thought to be intended to prevent a physical acting out of the dreams. A number of studies have linked this sleep stage to memory consolidation, which is the process of converting recent experiences to long-term memory.
Even though their bodies struggle for a lack of sleep, they may muddle through because the state of sleep deprivation has become the norm”
These four stages are repeated cyclically until waking. For most people, each cycle lasts about 90-120 minutes, with NREM sleep accounting for about 75-80% of each cycle.
How much sleep do we need?
The amount of sleep we require depends on a number of factors, but age is a primary one. Newborns generally need 14-17 hours, with that number lowering as our age rises. Toddlers need around 11-14 hours, while teenagers require around 8-10 hours. However, as adults, we progress to a stable 7-9 hours per night, with older adults needing slightly less at 7-8 hours a night.
Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night for proper physical and mental functioning. Troubling research has also suggested that people can develop a tolerance of sorts to chronic sleep deprivation. Even though their bodies struggle for a lack of sleep, they may muddle through because the state of sleep deprivation has become the norm.
Tips for a good night’s sleep
For those among us who struggle to manage their sleep, or who haven’t been able to enjoy a good night’s sleep for one reason or another, a couple of the following steps may be worth implementing in your daily routine:
– Set a realistic and healthy bed time and stick to it as often as possible.
– Maintain a low level of light in your bedroom before bed.
– Make sure your sleep settings are comfortable – mattress, pillows, quilt, and temperature.
– Consider removing screens from your room, or ceasing the use of electronics a certain amount of time before bed, e.g. for an hour.
– Exercise during the day.
– Don’t consume heavy meals, caffeine or alcohol in the hours leading up to bedtime.
– Pray before bed – the slow, peaceful nature of the activity is good for slowing down your mind and body before sleeping.
Sleep may seem like the most mundane of realities, but the truth is that a good sleep underpins much of the success of the day that follows. If our Lent is to be made up of good, sober and prayerful days, consider building them upon the firm foundation of a good night’s sleep.