Deeper Brain Sleep Improves your Performance

Background

We sleep for around a third of our lives and the quality of sleep will determine how our body functions. Without slow wave sleep, otherwise known as deep sleep, you are more likely to get sick, feel depressed, and gain an unhealthy amount of weight. However, research shows that 75% of athletes fail to get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, and 11% of athletes sleep for less than six hours per night, which impacts their performance.

Healthy sleep is divided into a four-stage cycle. As we progress past stages 1 and 2, we become increasingly disengaged from the world until we hit the deep sleep that happens in stage 3. Both brain and body activity drop to their lowest point, and blood is redirected away from the brain to the muscles, completely unplugging us from the outside environment.

Benefits of deep brain sleep

Everyone could benefit from higher quality deep sleep every night, especially athletes who want to compete at the top of their game. Deeper brain sleep will give them that small edge over their competitors which could be the difference between coming first and coming last.

A deeper sleep has numerous benefits to the human body. When your body is in this relaxed state, it takes the time to repair itself to set you up for an energised day when you wake. Some of these benefits include:

1. Reduces risk of obesity & depression: Increased brain glucose metabolism which can reduce risk of depression and obesity ^{(1), (2)}. A large review linked insufficient sleep to an increased risk of obesity by 89% in children and 55% in adults⁽⁶⁾
2. Muscle growth: Increased hormone secretion by the pituitary gland. Including human growth hormone which leads to growth and development⁽³⁾
3. Improved recovery: Increased cell regeneration resulting in growth and repair of tissues and bones along with strengthening the immune system⁽⁴⁾
4. Energy restoration: Restores energy lost during the day thus enabling you to be more productive and improve your performance⁽⁵⁾

^{Your internal environment - Hydration}

The circadian rhythm, your 24-hour internal clock, coordinates many cellular functions. These include cell division, cell migration, metabolism and numerous intracellular biological processes. The physiological changes that occur during sleep are believed to promote a suitable microenvironment for cells to function optimally. It is only when the internal environment is suitable that cells can grow and divide to repair any damage.

This cellular environment can be enhanced through different factors. Totum Sport Nite is a unique isotonic solution that has a mineral concentration of 78 minerals and trace elements, identical to the human body’s internal environment. This gentle solution is slowly absorbed by your cells, supporting hydration throughout the night. Adequate hydration supports better sleep.

How does hydration aid our sleep quality?

Research shows that when you sleep, the movement of vital fluid, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid in your brain, spine and lymph system increases. This helps rid the body and brain of metabolites and toxins. Making sure you are optimally hydrated throughout the night will avoid accumulation of toxins through improved fluid movement whilst you sleep.

Totum Sport Nite is the only 100% natural isotonic solution derived from the sea that contains this unique composition of 78 electrolytes and in a concentration that mirrors our ideal internal environment, aiding hydration to support deeper sleep.

How deeper sleep improves performance

Research suggests that deep sleep that helps improve athletic performance mainly through the release of the growth hormone which stimulates muscle growth and repair, bone building and fat burning. One study from 2009 showed that increased sleep was associated with a faster sprinting speed, through optimum recovery. Not only this, but studies have shown that sleeping fewer than eight hours a night can almost double the risk of injury, especially when performing at an elite athlete, and for those who slept frequently less than six hours had a substantially higher risk of injury.

Totum Sport Nite is taken before bed to prepare the body to repair whilst you sleep.

5 tips to get deeper brain sleep

• Set yourself a sleeping schedule – go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
• Exercise during the day – A study in older adults found that exercise nearly halved the amount of time it took to fall asleep and provided over 40 minutes of extra deep sleep at night⁽⁷⁾
• Create a dark sleeping environment – Darkness is essential to sleep. It stimulates the production of Melatonin – the “sleep hormone” – which signals the brain to rest.
• Hydrate – not just with water. Your cells require 78 electrolytes as well as water to enable complete hydration and recover.
• Avoid stimulants before bed – caffeine delays the timing of your body clock. Consuming caffeine 6 hours before bedtime has been shown to reduce sleep time.

Better sleep, better performance. Totum Sport Nite

References

1. Spiegel K, Tasali E, Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Effects of poor and short sleep on glucose metabolism and obesity risk. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 2009;5(5):253-261.
2. Ho A. Brain Glucose Metabolism During Non—Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in Major Depression. Archives of General Psychiatry. 1996;53(7):645.
3. Van Cauter E, Plat L. Physiology of growth hormone secretion during sleep. The Journal of Pediatrics. 1996;128(5):S32-S37.
4. Elkhenany H, AlOkda A, El-Badawy A, El-Badri N. Tissue regeneration: Impact of sleep on stem cell regenerative capacity. Life Sciences. 2018;214:51-61.
5. Goad K. Why Deep Sleep is Important and How to Improve It [Internet]. Alaskasleep.com. 2020 [cited 6 July 2020]. Available from: https://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/why-deep-sleep-is-important-and-how-to-improve-it
6. Cappuccio F, Taggart F, Kandala N, Currie A, Peile E, Stranges S et al. Meta-Analysis of Short Sleep Duration and Obesity in Children and Adults. Sleep. 2008;31(5):619-626.
7. King A. Moderate-intensity exercise and self-rated quality of sleep in older adults. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1997;277(1):32-37.

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