CHAPTER ONE
EXPLORING SLEEP
Before we enter the world of dreams, let’s explore the realm of sleep. After all, we need to sleep well to dream well. And, of course, we need to sleep well because it helps to keep us well. Not only are we filled with more energy and clarity when we’re well rested, but a continuing stream of research supports that getting adequate sleep is integral to optimal health and well-being.
It would seem that sleep — as natural as it is — is something that we would naturally have an amiable relationship with, something that would be effortlessly woven into our lives. But, unfortunately, as many of us know, that’s far from true. In our modern-day lives, we wrestle with sleep, with our slumber struggles running the gamut. Some people don’t prioritize it, laboring to find the interest — let alone the time — to carve out the hours necessary to feel well rested. Consider the often-cited phrase “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” With many claiming this as their rallying cry, it reflects how our society’s heightened valuation on productivity and achievement often usurps the value we place upon getting a good night’s rest. And then there are other people who enjoy sleep and want nothing more than to have it be a trusted and reliable part of their lives. Yet, for one reason or another, they find themselves in the throes of obstacles that keep them from consistent lengthy sojourns to the Land of Nod. That the global sleep-aid industry was valued at almost $70 billion in 2017, and set to grow to almost $102 billion by 2023, is a testament to the collective challenge we face. So is the 2016 finding by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that over one-third of the nation’s adults don’t get the recommended hours of sleep each night.
Wherever you are on this spectrum, whether you’re a sleep admirer or avoider, this chapter and the following three are for you. You’ll learn just why sleep is at the bedrock of well-being, how to embrace it, natural approaches that will help you get more of it, and ways to design your bedroom to transform it into a sleep and dream sanctuary. However, before we dive into all of that, let’s start with an even more fundamental question: Just what is this thing we call sleep and why is it so important?
What Is Sleep?
Sleep is ubiquitous. Humans sleep. Animals sleep. Even bacteria and some plants exhibit behavior that approximates sleep, in sync with a rhythm that’s connected to light and dark. But it’s quite a mystery, this thing called sleep, one that’s intrigued and puzzled philosophers, physicians, and scientists throughout history.
Of course, there are some things we do know about it. We know that it’s a biological necessity. Not only because of how we feel when we don’t do it, but also because it’s an actual must: in a battle between wakefulness and sleep, when we’ve gone past a certain amount of time being awake, sleep will always be crowned champion. We also know that sleep is quite different than wakefulness. During slumber, we must maintain a prone position and have our eyes closed. We’re also unable to move as we do during the day. Our physiological functioning, for the most part, is downshifted as we rest, with vital repair functions occurring. However, this thing we call sleep is not one continuous, undifferentiated activity. As you’ll see in chapter 5, sleep has an architecture that is characterized by numerous different stages, each with its own hallmark characteristic (including how dreams are expressed). And while we may assume that sleep is all rest and repose, it is not necessarily a time of complete brain inactivity. As we’ll continue to explore, during REM sleep — the period in which it’s thought that the most vivid dreams occur — our brain activity is energized in a somewhat similar way as it is when we’re awake.
WHY DO WE SLEEP?
Although everyone agrees that sleep is compulsory, there’s still no full consensus on just why this is, what occurs during slumber that makes it a prerequisite for life. Here are some of the theories that have been proposed along the way. It seems that none of them completely provides a thorough explanation, and yet, each one does give us a periscope into some of the vital functions that sleep offers. Given the concentrated focus afforded to the arena of sleep, it isn’t surprising if new postulates, perhaps ones that even weave in some of these existing theories, continue to be put forward.
Inactivity Theory
The thought: The stillness and quiet that is inherent in sleeping is a survival mechanism, as it keeps animals out of harm’s way at night. Modern sleep is an adaptation of this.
Energy Conservation Theory
The thought: Our metabolism slows down during sleep, reducing energy requirements and allowing us to recharge and replenish energy stores.
Restorative Theory
The thought: Important body functions occur mostly or solely during sleep. These include tissue repair, muscle growth, protein synthesis, cell division, and the release of growth hormone.
Neuroplasticity Theory
The thought: A more recent theory that proposes that sleep allows for brain development through the formation of new neural connections, compensating for injuries and aiding in memory consolidation. Additionally, beneficial brain structural changes occur while we sleep, including the expansion of space between cells, which allows for wastes such as beta-amyloid (the accumulation of which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease) to be flushed away.
The Health Benefits of Sleep
While scientists may be equivocal about the overarching mechanisms of why we sleep, research has unequivocally found significant health benefits of doing so. Scientific studies have shown that getting sufficient sleep leads to a longer life. The following findings regarding the health-promoting benefits of sleep may help us understand why.
HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT
Insufficient sleep — consistently getting an average of less than 6 hours each night — is associated with an increased risk of obesity. One proposed reason for this is that skimping on sleep is linked to hormonal changes associated with weight gain. Those who sleep less have been found to have increased levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite. They have also been found to have reduced levels of leptin, a biochemical messenger that contributes to the feeling of satiety and helps regulate energy expenditure.
HEART HEALTH
Getting inadequate sleep has been associated with a greater risk of having high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. The underlying reasons for this extend beyond both elevated body weight and increased blood sugar levels both negatively impacting cardiovascular health. It may also be related to the finding that short sleep is correlated with higher levels of inflammatory markers and stress hormones.
IMMUNE HEALTH
One outcome of the lack of sleep is the concomitant reduction in immune-supportive molecules known as cytokines. Those deficient in sleep have been found to be more apt to get sick after being exposed to a virus. One of the associative factors for this connection may be simple: when we’re exhausted, we’re more likely to be stressed, initiating a cascade of body chemicals that dampen our immune response.
BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE
Insufficient sleep may disturb the mechanisms that keep our blood glucose levels within a certain range. Sleep plays an essential, although not yet fully elucidated, role in blood sugar regulation, with sleep deprivation linked to insulin resistance and lowered glucose tolerance.
BETTER MEMORY AND LEARNING
Memory consolidation occurs during sleep, with items shuttled from short-term to long-term memory. Additionally, reduced sleep has also been associated with a compromised ability to concentrate. And, with one of the functions of sleep being the cleaning out of toxins, such as beta-amyloid, poor sleep may enhance our risk of health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Lack of sleep may cause alterations in both brain chemistry and hormonal homeostasis, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Research has linked lack of sleep to higher circulating levels of the stress hormone cortisol. And it may not just be your subjective observation that you get along better with your partner when you’re well rested: studies have shown that having adequate sleep may lead to greater satisfaction within relationships.
What Is Adequate Sleep?
The amount of sleep we need depends upon our age, life stage, and health status. And it also depends upon whom you ask, with different organizations in different countries — and even those within the same nation — having their own guidelines. Since the daily target goals are relatively similar, to get a general picture, let’s look at those offered by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Remember that these recommendations are for the average person. Owing to their innate nature, some people are short sleepers (requiring fewer hours) and some long sleepers (requiring more hours), needing a different amount to maintain their vitality.
Life Stage |
Recommended Daily Sleep |
Newborns (0–3 months) |
14–17 hours |
Infants (4–11 months) |
12–15 hours |
Toddlers (1–2 years) |
11–14 hours |
Preschoolers (3–5 years) |
10–13 hours |
Children (6–13 years) |
9–11 hours |
Teenagers (14–17 years) |
8–10 hours |
Younger adults (18–25 years) |
7–9 hours |
Adults (26–64 years) |
7–9 hours |
Older adults (65+years) |
7–8 hours |
BARRIERS TO SLEEPING WELL
There are numerous reasons that people may not get adequate sleep. For many, there’s a feeling that there’s just not enough time in the day. Economic pressures have people working longer hours while also maintaining childcare responsibilities that were traditionally assumed by community members. A desire to “stay connected,” as well as carve out time to unwind, has the average person spending close to 5 hours a day engaged in social media, messaging platforms, and television watching. With awake time seeming limited, we may eat into our sleep time to find the hours to do all we feel we need to get done.
There are other factors as well, some that are biological in nature. Whether it’s a natural process, like menopause or aging, or a health disorder, like restless leg syndrome or untreated obstructive sleep apnea, there are physiological reasons that may underlie an inability to get a restful night’s sleep. And let us not forget the stress and worry that rile us up at different points in our lives and keep us tossing and turning.
Some also assert that one of our most hailed technologies is also a key perpetrator in our losing battle to get adequate rest. As it turns out, the nineteenth-century introduction of artificial light shifted our relationship to sleep. It, along with other advances, played a role in catalyzing the Industrial Revolution, which reframed the concept of productivity and workers’ schedules — including their natural sleep/wake cycles. Additionally, conventional illumination emits a type of light that curtails the production of the sleep-encouraging hormone melatonin, with research linking excessive light at night (known as LAN) to reduced sleep quality.
All said, there’s no need to feel resigned that regularly getting a good night’s sleep — and the well-being that comes with it — is out of your reach, or even inaccessible without medication or expensive gadgets. In fact, if you’re someone who has sleep challenges, there are many things you can do to access more shut-eye. In the following chapter, we’ll explore sleep-hygiene practices and self-care strategies; these can restore your restfulness, inspiring your ability to sleep well, so that you can enhance your physical and emotional well-being — including through your ability to connect to your dreams.