Our biological clocks, the one that sets our circadian rhythm is found in the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) of the brain, contiguous to the hypothalamus. And, our circadian rhythm sets up our ability to be alert and when we feel sleepy.
And our sleep has its own cycle, its own rhythm. For most of us, it’s around 90 minutes (an hour and a half). (My sleep cycle just shifted from 91 minutes to 82, and I now am getting about 4 hours of sleep a night, up from the three that has persisted for decades)
(You don’t know your sleep cycle? There are plenty of apps nowadays that help you determine that. You don’t need to go to a sleep cycle to know what your “magic number is”. For example, www.sleepcycle.com is available for Android or iOS (Apple). While I am not sure that they have a great handle on sleep quality, they seem pretty accurate for sleep cycle determinations.)
Our sleep cycle means that we can be aroused every 90 minutes or so (at the end of one cycle and before the start of another)- and still fall right back to sleep. That is perfect for breastfeeding moms- because they can feed their infant and then enjoy some blissful hours of additional sleep.
But, it’s not just about the cycle length with we need to be concerned. It’s the total number of cycles. If one goes to bed too early, they will wake up pretty early in the morning (after 5 cycles)- or worse yet, our body is too awake to sleep and we twist and turn in bed without falling asleep.
As you must have noted, I know my sleep cycle well- so I set up my sleep time based upon when I have to wake up. Up at 6 means I go to sleep (nowadays) at 1:45. That gives me 15 minutes to decompress and fall asleep, and then get my three 82 minute cycles (246 minutes), for a total of 261 minutes. And, I wake up between 5:55 and 6:06 each morning- with no alarm clock.
That’s another issue. Using an alarm clock can mean you sleep is disturbed, because you are awakened in the middle of a cycle. When that happens you are tired all day long. The trick is to awaken at the very end of a cycle- so your brain is fully replenished and relaxed. So, your day will find you totally awake.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about another factor that will afford us better sleep.
(If you want even more information, check my index on the left for sleep. You will find many other articles to enjoy.)
Ah, another challenge. Lately my sleep pattern has been messed up. I have always be up between 4 and 5 am but now that my wife has a new job and she returns home between 1:30 and 2 a.m. and wakes me up for a few minutes of “chit-chat” I am sleeping a little later in the morning. I think I need to return to my old pattern, which I liked much better because it allowed for a nice little nap midday.
Chef William Chaney recently posted..Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Naps are a fantastic addition, Chef William. I was thinking about adding that information to my blog posts, too… 15 to 30 minute naps tend to clear the cobwebs of life away and let you tackle the rest of your day with aplomb!
Some great information. I’m always looking for ways to increase the quality of my sleep.
The quality of sleep- and the quantity of sleep- are both important, Jeffrey.
(Of course, you can always go to a boring lecture to augment the quantity…. 🙂 )