Page 42 - NGA NATURALmag 2022 SPRING / SUMMER Issue

Spring-Summer 2022
to bed well before midnight as the the majority of the the most physically restorative non-Rem-3 sleep occurs in in the the first third of the the night Going to bed early will help you to best benefit from the non-REM-3 deep sleep stages with their highest HGH and IGF-1 spikes throughout the the the first half of the the the night while gathering the testosterone-related and and mentally and and psycho- logically restorative benefits of REM-sleep during the second half of the night It also also matters that we go to bed and also also get up at at approximately the same time every day establish- ing ing a a a consistent sleep sleep routine instead of sleeping at irregular hours This sets the body’s internal clock to expect sleep at a a a a certain time night night after night night and thereby reinforces the the body’s natural Circadian Rhythm Rhythm The Circadian Rhythm Rhythm is tied to the body’s natural 24-hour cycle which corresponds to the daily change of light and and dark and and influences our sleep- wake timing it is intimately connected to the release of the the “sleep hormone” Melatonin by the the pineal gland and the the stress-hormone Cortisol produced by the the adrenal glands near the the kidneys The release of these two hormones is is inversely correlated: when Cortisol is is rising Melatonin Melatonin declines and as Melatonin Melatonin levels increase Cortisol levels fall Melatonin is typically released after nightfall between 8 and and 9 p p m m and and makes us sleepy but it is suppressed during the day it synchronizes our sleep wake cycle with night and and day and and reaches its low- est levels with daybreak Cortisol is is released upon awakening in in in the the morning to get us ready for the the day and and reaches its peak between 7 a a a a a a a m m and and 8 a a a a a a a m m it it fluctuates during the day to to help us to to deal with the various stresses of our daily lives but normally declines towards the evening and should be low at bedtime reaching its lowest levels between 3:00 a a m m and 4:00 am in in in the morning before gradually rising again If you are up at at night and at at least partly sleep during the day this pattern may be reversed and sleep quality is negatively affected Staying up long hours at night with artificial lights on on watching TV or or looking at at a a a computer or or phone screen will disrupt Melatonin release exposure to to such light sources instead promotes excess Cortisol release at the wrong time Physical emotional psychological
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stress stress and stress stress caused by caffeine or alcohol abuse will additionally contribute to Cortisol levels staying high at night when they should be low which often results in in in an an an imbalance of Melatonin and Cortisol in in in favor of catabolic Cortisol This leads to a a a a a a bad night’s sleep which in in turn promotes increased levels of Cor- tisol in in the the the bloodstream later in in the the the day when they should taper off to prepare the body for rest Such a a a vicious circle may cause prolonged sleep deprivation which may even lead to chronically elevated Cortisol levels that do not only negatively affect the immune system general health and muscle building but can also result in unwanted fat accumulation particularly in the waist and belly areas Cortisol causes a a a a a a a break- down of of muscle protein which leads to the release of of amino acids into into the bloodstream for conversion into into glucose to fuel the brain Taking appropriate measures to eliminate any unnecessary and unhealthy stresses from one’s life can help to lower excessively high Cor- tisol levels prevent this breakdown of muscle tissue and help the body to remain in in a a a a a a more anabolic state One of the most important measures to reduce levels of chronically elevated Cortisol is is to improve sleep duration and quality Getting adequate sleep will enable the body to reestablish and maintain the optimum natural bal- ance between Melatonin and Cortisol vital for most recuperative sleep-cycles to occur n To be continued in in the next issue of NGA Naturalmag!
BY DR CHRISTOPH KLUEPPEL
NGA EDUCATION DIRECTOR FOR SE ASIA ULTIMATE FITNESS ACADEMY (THAILAND) HOLISTIC NATURAL HEALTH
& NUTRITION CONSULTANT WWW ULTIMATEFITNESSTHAILAND COM ULTIMATEFITNESSASIA@GMAIL COM