The Power Of Z's

What's in a Z?

I wanted to write a blog post about sleep since the last few years have been quite troublesome for me in the sleeping department. As I was researching and learning, a thought came to me: Why on Earth do people use the letter "Z" to represent sleep? Was "Z" just a lonely letter and someone felt sorry for it so they felt it needed to be used for something? Why don't we use, say the letter "A" when referring to waking up in the morning? "I can not wait until morning when I can catch some A's!"
So, I decided to look it up. This has really no importance to the purpose of this blog but I was just so curious I couldn't help myself.
It all started with comic strips! You know how when you read comics you see a lot of words that represent certain sounds and actions? For example, Boom! Pow! Crash! Bang!
Those comic strip creators needed something to represent sleep. ZZZzzz just happened to sound  the most like snoring. To me, snoring sounds a little more like Gnfffnnnss. But, hey, who am I to judge? They started using Z and it caught on and has been handed down for years as a way of representing sleep. Honestly, I was hoping to find something much more in depth and interesting about why Z was used to explain sleep. It's a fun fact nonetheless!

Why Do Older People Wake Up So Early?

I wasn't sure if it just tends to happen as you get older or if it's just me but I seem to wake up on my own earlier and earlier as each year goes by. I remember when I was a kid I would wonder why my grandma would wake up before the sun came up and put the coffee on. I would think "Why would anyone want to get up this early!?"  I certainly want to sleep in everyday but why can't I?
Well, I realize that there are many factors that contribute to not being able to sleep. There are the obvious reasons why someone would get less sleep. These reasons would include things like stress, bladder issues, chronic illness, hot flashes in menopause, body aches, etc. I decided to find out what a less obvious reason might be.

Here's what I found:

When we get older our bodies produce less growth hormones and melatonin. These are 2 important sleep hormones. Melatonin effects our sleep cycle. When there is less melatonin being produced, people may find themselves getting tired earlier in the evening and waking up earlier in the morning.
Growth hormone is something that children have a lot of. This is why they are able to sleep so deeply. Less production of this hormone results in a less deep sleep for us older folks.

So, what can we 'melatonin and growth hormone deficient' people do?

• Getting at least 2 hours of sunlight per day can increase melatonin production.
• If you have trouble sleeping at night, limit napping during the day.
• Some people choose to take melatonin supplements though I have not tried this so can't really recommend it.
• Keep your body cool. As your body temperature drops, it signals to your body to produce more melatonin.

Sleep Does A Body Good

Memory booster!
Through a process called "consolidation" your sleeping body connects and improves your memory of something that you learned while you were awake. You can learn new things through practice but the memory of that learned skill is only enhanced through proper sleep. I was very engaged by reading about this process of consolidation. If you just started a new job, be sure to get a good amount of sleep after learning something new and you will be sure to retain it better!

Inflammation reducer!
I have direct experience with this. When I stay up late and wake up early, I notice more aches and pains in my body and my skin issues are worse. Studies have found that there is a particular protein called a C-reactive protein that is commonly associated with heart attack risk and it was found to be at higher levels in people who slept less than 6 hours per night. That's incentive for me!

Lessen depression risks!
Less sleep can increase anxiety. Anxiety and depression generally go hand in hand. A common sign of depression is insomnia. A proper amount of sleep for an adult is 8 - 9 hours per night. Sleeping is a restorative process. Your body is rebuilding itself. This includes your mental and physical state.

Boost creativity!
Looking for some inspiration? While sleeping, your brain can reorganize what is in it. This can result in your creative side coming to a more prominent place. "Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process".


I think we're all aware that sleep is important. After reading many articles, I'm realizing that needing sleep is not just about trying to avoid being so irritable that you bite your husband's head off. Getting enough sleep is not just about feeling rested. It is essential to life, brain function, and creativity. I hope that you have been inspired to catch some more Z's or Gnfnnnss, whichever you prefer. I am so excited to pursue a life of lots more sleep. Although, I'm not so sure my family will be quite as excited as I am about this pursuit.






Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/resources.htm
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-sleep-disorder
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Sleep/
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221_5,00.html
http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_aging.htm
http://www.livescience.com/13666-older-people-sleep-wake-early.html
http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep/a/sleep_aging.htm