Sleep | Energy & infrared sauna
Submitted by Dr. Daryl Bourkep
How well you sleep and how much energy you have during the day go hand in hand. Technology, which is designed to make our life easier, has actually created a society that is chronically fatigued. I am not only referring to patients that suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but also to a society where the majority of the people suffer from sleep deprivation.
The human body is affected by regular cycles, like moon phases, tides or even the female menstrual cycle. There is another cycle most people are not aware of called the Circadian Cycle, which affects the body’s sleep patterns every 24 hours. The Circadian Cycle is what tells the body when it should rest, and that is in early afternoon (the siesta) and late evening. Modern life, with artificial lighting, caffeine and sugar, allows us to circumvent this natural sleep pattern. When this happens, then the quality of sleep decreases. There are two cycles of sleep; the body first goes in to a light sleep phase and if it not disturbed, it will enter the REM phase of sleep, which is essentially a more therapeutic sleep. During this time, the body heals itself and the individual will awaken felling refreshed.
Conversely, sleep deprivation is a well known form of torture. A short time after being exposed to sleep deprivation, a prisoner will experience psychological pain in the form of depression, unbearable fatigue and mental disorientation.
Look at the proliferation of energy drinks. Energy is like money. You only have so much, and if you use too much one day, you’ll have to pay it back the next. There is no energy bar that I am aware of that is not just a temporary fix. You have to replenish your energy by getting a better quality and longer sleep. If you wish to have more energy, you have to find ways of getting quality sleep. Taking medication will not help to achieve this goal.
Many people cannot get a good night’s sleep because of slow changes that occur over years from high stress levels to musculoskeletal pain, back pain, leg pain or restless leg syndrome. People who have disturbed sleep patterns are pretty easy to recognize; they often complain of feeling tired (even on rising), they are the ones looking for coffee, sugar or donuts to give them more energy, and their mental acuity may be diminished.
Far Infrared Sauna Therapy (F.I.R.S.T.) can help you to train yourself to get a better night’s sleep. The first thing you should do is relax and prepare yourself for sleep. Far Infrared Sauna Therapy (F.I.R.S.T.) causes the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural opiates or pain killers. This will reduce your pain, relax your muscles and make you feel more comfortable.
It also helps to reduce swelling. Many people can go to sleep, but are later awakened by pain. This occurs when they lie down and the gravitational stress on your joints is removed from the body. The lessened body weight can allow the joints to swell, which is what produces the pain. F.I.R.S.T. helps to increase the circulation in your body, and this helps to remove toxins like caffeine and sugar from your system. This improves the function of your immune system, making you healthier and resulting in better sleep.
Conversely, when F.I.R.S.T. is used in the morning or throughout the day, the release of those same endorphins causes a boost in energy. This is a very common, almost universally reported side effect to morning use of far infrared therapy.
Here are some additional tips to help improve your sleep:
Make sure you have a quiet sleep area where you will not be disturbed.
Avoid eating late at night and decrease sugar intake.
Try to have some quiet time before retiring.
Try to decrease stress levels. If you consume energy drinks or coffee, decrease their consumption in the early afternoon and avoid drinking it later in the day.
Try incorporating Far Infrared Sauna Therapy (F.I.R.S.T.) into your routine.
Infrared Sauna Reviews| reducing stress, pain, arthritis
Submitted by Dr. Cory Hewko
The amount of sleep each person needs varies from person to person. For the purpose of this article we will just focus on adults. The average adult needs between 7 and 8 hours of sleep. There are 2 broad types of sleep; REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM. Everyone has a sleep cycle which is often around 4 hours long but can vary between 3 to 5 hours in some people. When we sleep, the middle of these cycles are the deepest sleep and if we wake up during this period we end up being sleepy and tired all day. This is why it is recommended you get eight hours of sleep a night, enough for two cycles and then waking refreshed.
Sleep debt is the effect of not getting enough rest and sleep; a large debt causes mental, emotional and physical fatigue. Sleep debt results in diminished abilities to perform high-level cognitive functions. In humans, the metabolic activity of the brain decreases significantly after 24 hours with no sleep. Sleep deprivation results in a decrease in body temperature, a decrease in immune system function, and a decrease in the release of growth hormones. Sleep deprivation can also cause increased heart rate variability. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can more than double the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and too much sleep can also be associated with a doubling of the risk of death, though not primarily from cardiovascular disease.
Numerous studies have shown that Far Infrared Sauna Therapy (FIRST) is very effective in reducing stress, alleviating muscle pain and arthritis, combating seasonal affective disorder and depression, reducing symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, boosting metabolism and boosting the immune system. All of these have a relationship with energy and sleep in some way or another. Not only that, FIRST can greatly improve your quality of sleep which in turn leaves you with more energy throughout the day.
The benefits of sleep are numerous and I will outline a few of them here. Sleep keeps your heart healthy. Lack of sleep has been associated with higher blood pressure and cholesterol, all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress. The body's functions are put on high alert which causes an increase in blood pressure and a production of stress hormones. The increase in stress hormones raises the level of inflammation in your body, also creating more risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes. Inflammation is thought to be one of the causes of the deterioration of your body as you age.
Researchers have also found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. It is thought that the lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important for the regulation of appetite, have been found to be disrupted by lack of sleep. So if you are interested in controlling or losing weight, don't forget to pay attention to getting a good night's sleep. While relaxing in a Far Infrared Sauna there is a substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. Because our body expends energy to produce sweat (1g sweat requires 0.586 kcal), this means that your body can safely burn up to 300 to 500 calories in just one 30 minute session; with sweat loss equivalent to running 10-15km. As an added benefit, your basal metabolic rate rises meaning you will burn calories at an elevated rate for hours after your session has finished. This can translate to a benefit of up to 800 calories from a single session.
Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep, between 7 and 9 hours each night. When relaxing in a Far Infrared Sauna there is a reduction in stress hormones coupled with an increase in serotonin which induces a deep state of relaxation and promotes a better quality of sleep.