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Sleep

Before the Babies Arrive You can only go 2 days without sleep! The average person is already loosing (1,843) hours less sleep per year.
( This equals 77 days or 2.5 months without sleep per year)

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Sleep Facts

1. The minimum number of hours of sleep to heal, repair and to stay in total health is 9.5 hours ( and 3 of those must be before midnight.)
2. 56% of adults report daytime drowsiness as a definite problem.
3. 37% report it interferes with daily activities.
4. 30% report a drop in job performance.
5. 50% report a drop in performance of daily family duties.
 

  • The average number of sleeping hours we are really need is 12 hours per day which comes to (4380) per year

  • In 1910 the average American night sleep was 9.5 hours which comes to (3468 ) hours per year.                                                 

  • In 1975 it had dropped to 7.5 hours total sleep per year is (2738)

  • Now in 2011 it is at an all time low of 6 hours 54 minutes which come to (2537) hours per year.

  • The average person is already loosing (1,843) hours less sleep per year. ( This equals 77 days or 2.5 months without sleep per year)

  • Now add multiples, singletons, into the mix you can quickly see the importance of sleep. You can see why it is important to have Postpartum Doula care.

What does lack of sleep cause?

  • Sleeping controls hormone production so the loss of sleep not only affects at least 11 different hormones in the body,

  •  It also affects neurotransmitter production especially dopamine and serotonin. This directly affects behavior/ mental / emotional well being 

  • Depression increases when serotonin and dopamine have a decrease in production. (Postpartum depression makes sense when your losing sleep)

  • Overweight  (Hormone production controls stress and appetite)

  • Increases all cravings /addictions to food.

  • Increases chances of diabetes (Insulin and prolactin control the brain chemistry)

  • Decreases fertility and can make one impotent. (Stress and appetite control reproduction - which is based on a persons hormonal balance)

  • Raises blood pressure

  • Increases chances of heart disease  (reproduction controls aging)

  • Throws your immune system completely off track increasing your chances of developing infections, autoimmune disease, allergies and cancer.

  • Melationin and prolactin communicate with your immune system and metabolism, they are controlled by light and dark cycles, day and night.

  • Melatonin affects the pituitary gland function which makes part or all of the hormones that controls you Thyroid, Thymus, Pancreas, Adrenals, Overies and Testies

  • ALL of these go out of balance with less than 9.5 hours of sleep per night.

Stages of Sleep

  • Stage 1 - Light sleep: muscles relax and body temperature drops as you drift in and out of the waking state.

  • Stage 2 - Transition: heart rate, breathing and he electrical activity of the brain slows down to rest.

  • Stage 3, 4 Deep Sleep: the body shuts down to all stimuli, it is harder to awaken, Large, slow brain waves (delta waves) are seen, organs and tissues are repaired 

  • Stage 5 REM Sleep*: (with  newborns the body is able to develop and grow) Eyes move, heartbeat and bloodpressure rise, body is paralyzed. Brain activity is greatly increases and vivid dreams occur. REM sleep cycles occur 70-90 minutes after you fall asleep and lasts about 30 minutes per cycle then it repeats again.

  • *REM Sleep is when your brain renews its energy stores, clears short-term memory and most importantly releases any built up negative energy from the day, in essence REM sleep is when you mentally and emotionally detoxify yourself at the cellular level.The more hours you sleep in the dark, the longer and longer the REM sleep cycle intervals become, causing more renewing, more releasing of the stored mental and emotional toxins. 

    The longer the dark evening sleeping occurs the greater the healing of mind, body, emotions and your spiritual well being.

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