Sleep is an incredibly important aspect of our everyday lives, as it hugely affects our physical and mental health. In fact, we need sleep to survive – as it is an active period in which a lot of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs.
On average, we spend one-third of our lives sleeping and our body uses sleep for important biological processes. When we sleep:
Our brain stores new information and gets rid of toxic waste,
Our nerve cells communicate and reorganize, a process that supports healthy brain function,
Our body repairs cells, restores energy, and releases molecules like hormones and proteins.
These processes are critical for your overall health. Without them, your body can’t function correctly.
Why is sleep so important?
It affects stress and growth hormones
It boosts immune system
It regulates appetite
It improves concentration and brain function
It decreases risk of depression
Circadian rhythm: Your internal clock
The circadian rhythm is a cycle, that controls many biological processes such as the sleep-wake cycle (our ability to get quality sleep), hormone secretion, cardiovascular health, glucose homeostasis, body temperature, energy levels and metabolism regulation (weight control). Think of it as your internal clock.
This rhythm is influenced by the environment (such as lightness or darkness) as well as your genetic makeup and determines your sleep patterns by releasing hormones when it’s time to sleep.
Nowadays, with the amount of time spent indoors, lack of regular exercise and exposure to sunlight, it’s likely to disrupt our internal rhythm, and abnormalities in the circadian rhythm can lead to sleep disorders like insomnia. Small changes to your lifestyle, such as sleep-wake up at the same time, regular light exposure, physical activity and IV therapy treatments can do a lot for your health.
How sleep affects your immunity
During sleep, your body produces and releases cytokines - a type of proteins that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response. Without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines, leading to a compromised immune response.
Getting recommended 7 to 8 hours quality sleep each night can help you stay healthy, will keep your immune system in fighting shape, and also protect you from other health issues including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Alcohol and sleep
While many people believe that having a drink will help them get to sleep faster, alcohol actually increases the number of times you awaken during the night, leaving you tired and sleep-deprived the next day.
Sleeping deprivation and what causes it
The loss of sleep is a common problem in modern society, affecting many individuals at some point in their lives.
Sleep deprivation occurs when an individual gets less sleep than they need to feel awake and alert. Insufficient sleep adversely affects how the body functions. Experts say that if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven’t had enough sleep.
Negative Impacts of Insufficient Sleep
Without enough sleep, your body has a hard time functioning properly. Consequences of sleep deprivation include:
poor memory
poor focus and concentration
poor motor function
weakened immune system
chronic diseases (like diabetes and heart disease)
early mortality
Poor sleep quality can be caused by any number of things, from stress and vitamin deficiency to chronic condition. Some of the causes for sleep deprivation include:
Stress – being under a lot of stress can cause many sleepless nights.
Unhealthy diet - What you eat can affect your sleep. Data shows that eating less fiber, more saturated fat and more sugar throughout the day is linked with lighter, less restorative sleep.
Nutritional deficiencies - A new study based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) suggests that sleep quality may be linked to a lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet. A lack of Vitamin B6 has been linked to symptoms of insomnia and depression. Vitamin B6 aids in the production of the hormones serotonin and melatonin, both of which are important to sound, restful sleep, and also to mood.
Lack of exercise - Sleep and exercise complement each other. Working out regularly can help you sleep better, and conversely, you're more likely to exercise if you get a good night's rest.
Anxiety or depression – emotional problems can be underlying problems of the insomnia,
Medical problems or illness - Many medical conditions and diseases can contribute to insomnia, including asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, and cancer.
Sleep disorders - Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work.
How to improve your sleep quality?
Getting a good amount of sleep is incredibly important for your health. Sleep helps your body and brain function properly. A good night’s sleep can improve your learning, memory, decision-making and even your creativity.
What’s more, getting sufficient sleep has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity.
Small changes to your lifestyle can positively impact the quality of your sleep and significantly improve your health.
How to adjust your lifestyle for a better-quality sleep?
- Try to sleep and wake at consistent times - Your body’s circadian rhythm functions on a set loop, aligning itself with sunrise and sunset. Being consistent with your sleep and waking times can aid long-term sleep quality.
- Increase bright light exposure during the day - Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as night time sleep quality and duration.
- Exercise regularly — but not before bed - Exercise is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep and health. Regular exercise during daylight hours is one of the best ways to ensure a good night’s sleep.
- Don’t consume caffeine late in the day - Caffeine can significantly worsen sleep quality, especially if you drink large amounts in the late afternoon or evening.
- Optimize your bedroom environment - To optimize your bedroom environment, try to minimize external noise and dim artificial lights. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean, and enjoyable place.
- Reduce blue light exposure in the evening - This is due to its effect on your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which help you relax and get deep sleep.
Quality sleep and nutrition
Insomnia and poor sleep quality is also often related to nutrient deficiencies, that’s why sleep specialist Michael Breus, PhD, recommends testing nutrient levels in patients with sleep problems. “Sleep is a holistic process,” he says, and proper nutrition is a key part of that process.
The deficiencies of the key vitamins and minerals can directly impact our risk of sleep disorders and supplementation can be vital for a better sleep.
Vitamin D – this vitamin helps regulate your circadian rhythm that helps you wake up in the morning, feel energized throughout the day, and fall asleep at night. Research shows that low levels of vitamin D affect how much sleep we get and how well we sleep.
Vitamin C – usually associated with strengthening our immune function, this vitamin also improves the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. It improves sleep quality and decreases daytime sleepiness.
Vitamin B6 – Research links a lack of Vitamin B6 to symptoms of insomnia and depression.
Vitamin B12 - this vitamin is involved in regulating sleep-wake cycles by helping to keep circadian rhythms in sync.
Magnesium - plays an important role in enzyme production that controls our sleepiness. Often referred to as the “sleep mineral,” magnesium “helps activate neurotransmitters responsible for calming our body and mind, not only helping us sleep but helping us achieve deep and restful sleep,” explains dietitian Jenna Appel, RDN. Research suggests it does so specifically by supporting the release of melatonin. Magnesium deficiency is often tied to insomnia.
Iron – this mineral helps transport oxygen throughout your body and it’s lack is linked to one particularly frustrating sleep-disruptor: restless legs syndrome (RLS). Research suggests having iron deficiency anemia (a condition in which iron deficiency affects the number of healthy red blood cells in your bloodstream) may have a general impact on sleep.
Zinc – it is the second most abundant mineral in your body, and research shows it impacts the length of your sleep. Other research also linked zinc levels with sleep quality and disturbances.
For regular nutrient levels testing, Vit&Drip Center offers Deep Tissue Nutritional Analysis, a non-invasive test with immediate results, that show the nutritional bioavailability on the cellular level and heavy metals toxicity. The results of the analysis help to create a bespoke wellness treatment for you that will restore nutritional imbalances and improve the quality of your sleep, health and well-being.
Dehydration can also be one of the causes for lack of sleep. It can make you feel wide awake when you should be tired, or fatigued and exhausted by being unable to fall asleep. Without proper hydration, your body may acquire a build-up of toxins. Dehydration can also lead to headaches and melatonin deficiency, both leading to lack of sleep.
If you think you might suffer from dehydration, book an appointment with Vit&Drip Center for a HYDRATION Boost that will restore and replenish fluids and electrolytes in your body and immediately make you feel better.
How IV Therapy at Vit&Drip Center in Marbella can help you improve the quality of your sleep?
Proper diet and nutrition play an important role in the quality and quantity of sleep you are getting each night. Due to unhealthy diet, digestion and limited absorption of oral supplements, your body might not be getting the enough nutrients and your cells might be deficient in vitamins and minerals they need to work at their optimum level.
Intravenous (IV) Therapy treatments supplement your body with vitamins and minerals delivered directly into your blood stream for almost a 100% absorption and immediate bioavailability. Providing your body with appropriate nutrients effectively has a direct impact on your health and wellbeing, improving the quality of your life.
Some of Vit&Drip Center’s intravenous (IV) treatments in Puerto Banus, Marbella for better quality sleep include:
IV Therapy:
BETTER SLEEP IV - Calm and replenish your body for a healthier sleep and wake up feeling recharged.
Recommended for: Tiredness and fatigue, waking up tired, irregular sleep cycle.
Contains: Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin C, B-vitamin Complex, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B12, Glutamine, Taurine, Electrolytes
Booster Drips:
HYDRATION BOOST - Hydrate your body from within and replenish the electrolytes. Contains: 500ml Saline Solution + Electrolytes
Vitamin Boosters:
- Vitamins A,D,E,K Boost – help regulate circadian rhythm and helps with quality of sleep
- Magnesium Boost - improves sleep quality, helps with insomnia, reduces stress and stabilizes mood.
- Vitamin B-Complex Boost – vitamins B help achieve good sleep, as they help regulate the body's level of the amino acid tryptophan, which helps the body produce sleep-inducing melatonin.
- B12 Shots – helps people with problems falling asleep, as well as promoting normal sleep-awake cycles.
Each treatment includes consultation with the medical professional and every treatment can be customized to your specific needs.
Contact us for more information or book your appointment online.
