Snooze or Lose? Why Sleep Matters More Than You Think

0:11 Good morning. I'm Dr. William T. Choctaw, and I am delighted to be with you today. Each month we try to provide you, our listeners, with mental, physical, and spiritual strength by giving you actionable advice, tips, guidance, and information to help you achieve your own personal, professional, and spiritual goals. We consider the help of the mind, body, and spirit paramount as a single unit. That can provide a cumulative strength greater than its individual parts. So, stay with us today and listen to this very interesting topic.

0:56 Today, we're going to talk about healthy sleep. That's right, healthy sleep. I'm Dr. William T. Choctaw, and I will be your host this morning. Sleep is one of those things that we all take for granted. We do it every single day or have done it every single day of our lives. We do it in different amounts. We may do it at different times. But what I want to get across this morning, that it is extremely important that we maximize the benefits of sleep. That when we look at body, mind, and spiritual health, all of them in one form of another are influenced by us receiving a certain amount of healthy sleep.

1:46 Now this is going to be part of a two part series. Today we're just going to talk about healthy sleep, and the second part will be another podcast where we will talk about napping, N A P P I N G. and how that's applicable to our overall sleep health. So let's, let's look at healthy sleep. First, let me start with my beliefs. I believe that life is about being of service to others. I believe knowledge is power. I believe leaders can change the world. And indeed, it is those beliefs that propel us and propel me throughout life and gives us the why.

2:28 As to why we're doing things and certainly that why is applicable to why we're doing these podcasts It is so that we can provide service to others so that we can empower ourselves to both stay healthier And so that we can change the world For better reason or more positive reason as always I like to give you an outline and the purpose of the outline is to let You know what we're going to talk about and more important to you and more importantly to let you know that when we're just about done We're going to talk about the science of sleep We'll make some comments about the sleep cycle And then we'll make some other comments about other relaxation techniques all of this is designed to help us to be healthier mentally, physically, and spiritually.

3:26 And our approach is to look at those things that we can do internally, that we can do ourselves, that we don't have to have someone else to help us, we don't have to take medication but by using our mind, body, and spirit that we can basically help to improve ourselves and repair ourselves. This is part of our Masterclass series. Our Masterclass series is in two parts. One is a verbal lecture that we give once a month, on the second Saturday of each month. And the second part or concomitant part, if you will, is the Masterclass, is the podcast itself, that we do three to four times per month.

4:13 So, this information is primarily based on my 75 years of life. And over 50 years of medical practice. I am a physician, a general surgeon. And these are based on lessons, if you will that my patients have taught me. Lessons that my patients have taught me. It's ironic that you would want to think that as someone who is taught and trained to give care that one would end up learning quite a bit, but indeed I would submit to you that whatever your profession is, If you pay very, very close attention, there are many lessons that you are receiving probably on a daily basis.

4:58 And I would encourage you to listen to those lessons, to absorb them and to include them in your normal daily practice. So, let's start off as I like to do when we talk about health with the mind, or the brain, if you will, where the mind is enclosed, in my opinion. And the brain is basically the CEO, the chief executive officer of our body, mind, and spirit. Okay. And the brain is divided into different parts, and the part that we're looking at specifically is the the frontal lobe and specifically the prefrontal.

5:39 This is where in my opinion, the mind is, and this is where our thoughts are, and this is where our conscious behavior, and indeed our unconscious behavior when we're asleep, helps to propel us down one path or another. And my point very simply is that by being knowledgeable about this process, we can have influence in a positive way over this process. So let's briefly talk about the science of sleeping, the science of sleeping. Sleep is an essential part of our overall health.

6:22 And indeed, when you review any type of therapeutic information about health, mental, physical, or spiritual, a part of it will almost invariably include getting good sleep. Something many of us, and I know I have for a number of years, taken for granted. But it is extremely important, and as important, if not more so, it is something that we can control, or certainly have significant influence over. So sleep is vital. Good sleep is vital to our overall daily health. One of the things to keep in mind is that sleep is really quite organized.

7:04 It is not erratic. It is divided into, it has two main purposes. One is to process daily events, or our day's events for that day when we go to sleep at night and I will admit that we in healthcare do not understand 100 percent how that occurs, but we know it does occur that part of the process of sleeping is to sort of shut down the body, so to speak, and allow a number of things to occur that have to do with, with the present day's events. So there's a processing that goes on in terms of the day's events. That help us the succeeding day.

7:45 Today is Friday. So when I go to sleep tonight, my brain will process things that I've done today in a positive way to help me tomorrow on Saturday to move forward. So that's the first purpose of sleeping. it's the first organized process of sleeping. tHe second purpose is restoration of energy. Now this is probably a little easier to understand. Certainly the body is moving very, very fast, and the mind is moving even faster, the brain certainly. And so it only makes sense that there would need to be a rest period, or a recuperation period, or a down period or a maintenance period of the brain, if you will.

8:36 So that we can be more efficient the following day, or as efficient the following day. And one of the things that I find absolutely extraordinary, and I all the way through medical school and to this day, is that everything is organized in the mind. It is not accidental. Things are set up for a particular purpose, and there are millions and billions of things that are set up. And I always like to say that I view the body as sort of the, the most Elegant, most advanced computer in the world, if you can just imagine that. And certainly the brain is a big part of that. So, the two purposes of sleeping, one is to process the present day's events, and the second is restoration of energy.

9:24 Now, the restoration of energy is one of the things that we notice very easily, that if you have not gotten good sleep the night before, you feel tired, or you don't feel 100 percent the succeeding day. So we, we know this, right? So, so we immediately get feedback, immediate feedback if, if we've not gotten quality sleep, because our energy level tends not to be the same. So the other thing about sleep that's important to know is that there are different stages of sleep, that we don't just go to sleep and it goes from light to darkness and then we wake up and then start all over again and then do the same thing.

10:04 No. As with everything that the body and brain do it is organized and it is sophisticated. And so there are basically four different stages of sleep. The first is what we call N1. N1 is the very, very early part as we're preparing to calm ourselves and to relax. But it's the very early stages of that relaxing. We can obviously easily be awakened. And that's called N1. And that occupies a small part of the number of hours that we're asleep, or the time that we're asleep. The largest part is actually N2 which is light sleep, but is deeper than N1.

10:48 nOw normal sleep hours for an average adult is about 7 to 8 hours, normally. And that's certainly what rec that's recommended. Now your sleep may be different. You may sleep probably less than 7 to 8 hours. Some may sleep more, but most of us probably sleep less than that. But N2, which is the second stage of the four stages of the sleep cycle is the largest amount of time that we are asleep. And this is the light sleep part of it, meaning that we can easily be awakened usually that there's no dreaming in this type of sleep but it occupies a significant, over 50%, Of those seven to eight hours that normally one would sleep.

11:35 The third cycle, or the third part, is what we call N3, or night three. And this is what we call deep sleep. So it's not light sleep, it's a little deeper than light sleep. It's called deep sleep. We can be awakened, obviously. But a little more is challenging to wake us up from the deep sleep. Most of the times the deep sleep, again, is not associated with dreaming sleep, although there may be some dreaming, but it's a small amount. And then the fourth and final stage, and arguably the most important stage of sleep, It's what we call REM sleep. R E M sleep.

12:16 REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. And this is so profound because studies have shown that it's really important that we get that deep, deep, deep REM sleep. Why? Because this is where dreaming occurs. And what we know is that if we're able to have that dream or the dreaming part of sleep and that really allows us to get the maximal benefit from what sleep was originally designed to deliver to us. So the REM sleep is very, very important, the rapid eye movement sleep.

12:59 Now sleep is regulated by an internal body clock, believe it or not, that operates on a 24 hour cycle, and we call that the circadian rhythm. Again, remember, I said none of this is accidental. And if you doubt that, if you say, work on a day shift, and all of a sudden your organization decides that you're going to shift to the night shift you will find that it will take a while for your body to adjust to being on a night shift, that you may not feel quite as comfortable you may not feel quite as sharp. Another example would be if you live on the West Coast. of the United States of America, and on a particular day, you have to fly, say, six hours to the East Coast of the United States of America.

13:49 So that first day that you arrive on the East Coast you may not feel 100 percent sharp in terms of activity or your thinking ability, et cetera, et cetera. And the reason is that your circadian rhythm has to adjust. So none of this is accidental in the body. The body is designed for maximal function, mental, physical, and spiritual. And sleep is obviously an extraordinarily important part of that system. And so what we want to do as human beings is to be able to maintain maximum health. And to do that, we need to make sure that we take care of our sleep area the best possible way we can.

14:37 And obviously with that is getting enough sleep. Now the other things that we can do to make sure that we have healthy sleep. we Can reduce the use of the smart phones. And certainly with the increase in technology nowadays. We have all sorts of phones and we, you know, and they buzz or give us notification or ring or et cetera, et cetera. But, but, but we reduce that use. Certainly at night. Now if you have a job where you have to be attached to the phone, certainly one would understand that. But if you don't give yourself permission to have a certain amount of time where maybe you turn the phone off if possible but at least have some regulation of your phone usage.

15:21 Secondly in terms of tip for better sleep is to create a nightly ritual. Have certain things that you do in preparation. For your sleep. And this is a way of sort of preparing you mentally and physically to get ready to rest. It's sort of powering down, if you will. So that you make sure that when you get to that position where you curl up in bed you're, you're ready to get maximum amounts of sleep. A third suggestion for some is to avoid caffeine. at least four to six hours before sleep. Now remember, everybody's a little different, and I know a number of people who said, you know, actually, caffeine helps me to sleep.

16:01 So depending on which one of those sides you fall on, remember having some influence or paying attention to caffeine can affect your ability to get good sleep, depending on which category you fall into. A fourth suggestion is not to eat or drink too much before bedtime because remember, when you eat and drink a lot, your body, your certainly your gastrointestinal tract, your GI tract has to process that. That's a certain pattern that it goes through, and sometimes that may very well interfere with your ability to sleep healthily and deeply.

16:42 And the last tip is to sleep roughly, if possible, at the same time every night. Again, I realize that it may depend on your work schedule, it may depend on the duties that you have at home. But if possible, if you can follow these five tips, Reduce usage of the smartphone, Create a nightly ritual use caffeine to your benefit, Either avoid it, or if it helps you, by all means use it. Don't drink too much or eat too much at bedtime. And, and, and number five, try to sleep basically at the same time every night to get maximum sleep. So, what, what are the sleep hours by age?

17:26 And it is important to recognize that different ages in general require different hours of sleep. And so, and let's, let's start with the very youngest, the newborns. Well, we know this. Newborns require about 14 to 17 hours of sleep, say 0 to 3 months. About 14 to 17 hours of sleep at night. Whereas toddlers, the 1 to 2 year olds, may require 11 to 14 hours of sleep. Newborns require 14 to 17 hours, toddlers, 1 to 2 years of age, require 11 to 14 hours of sleep. Preschoolers, 4 to 5 years of age, require 10 to 13 hours of sleep.

18:12 Children ages 6 to 13 require 9 to 11 hours of sleep. Teenagers 14 to 17 require 8 to 10 hours of sleep. So if you're a teenager sleeping a lot it's not an illness. It's something that their body requires because these are different stages of development of the body and understandably the sleep requirements would vary. And those of us who are 18 years of age and older, on average we require about 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Now probably, I'm going to go out on a limb and say most of you probably get six to seven, six to eight hours of sleep.

18:54 But just remember basically what the body requires. And, and see if you can get that as much as possible. Now this information is from the National Sleep Foundation. And indeed as we do with all of these Podcasts and Masterclass, we encourage you to look up information with your smartphone or your computer in the browser and research additional information yourself specifically from a large healthcare institution that are well respected like the Mayo Clinic, Kaiser, Yale Harvard Medical, et cetera, et cetera. So one of the things to keep in mind is that when all else fails.

19:38 Take a nap. Now, we're not going to go into napping on this podcast. This, this will be the part two. But my point, the point I want to leave you with as we can, as we finish down about sleeping, the health of sleeping is, there is a backup plan if, if we aren't able to do the sleeping the way I've just been talking about for the last few minutes or so. And that backup plan is napping. Okay, but again, we'll, we'll stay, stay tuned for the next podcast, the very next one, and we'll, we'll talk about napping. Finally there are other relaxation techniques, some that you may use.

20:21 To help you even before you're ready to go to sleep and these may be meditation or mindfulness where, where you're present and you're concentrating on where you are and just sort of taking control. of your mind and your thoughts at any given time. So in summary, what we've done is we've gone over the science of sleep. And we've emphasized the importance of sleep particularly in terms of decreasing stress and improving memory. wE've also shown that sleep is a very organized process, regulated by the brain, primarily the prefrontal cortex. And it helps us to do those things that need to be done to make sure that we process what's happened for the particular day and that we're prepared for the subsequent day to be at our absolute best.

21:14 And also that there are relaxation techniques that we can use while we're awake and those techniques are things like medication, meditation and mindfulness. As always, I'd like to conclude with my basic principles. My first principle is God is in charge. God is in charge of my life and as a position of faith. Is responsible for me being as healthy mental and physical and spiritual as I am today. Number two principle, I don't have any bad days. I figured out about 30 years ago that days were good or bad when I said they were. And so I decided that I did not want any more bad days.

21:56 So I either have good days or great days. Principle number three, don't sweat the small stuff and most stuff is small. But I have learned that most times when I am concerned about something, it is really not as big a deal as I think it is. So I've learned to let it go faster. Principle number four. Forgiveness is therapy. When someone does something to you that you perceive as negative, forgive them. Don't worry about the facts or, or who it is. Just forgive them immediately. Forgive frequently and forgive often. And you will be amazed at how therapeutic that will be for you.

22:36 And principle number five. Everything is a relationship. Relationships are based on three things, mutual respect, mutual trust, and good communication. If you like these podcasts, and we've done over 30 of them to date please go to patreon, P A T R O N dot podbean, P O D B E A N dot com. Slash H wwp, that's paton dot pod beam.com/h. Wwp become one of our patons. And we will certainly not only provide you with the podcast, but we'll allow you to also receive a lot of additional information like the PowerPoints that we use to do these podcasts and other very special treats and follow it.

23:31 Be the change that you want to see in the world. Thank you and have a terrific day.