Sleep and Body Repair

Sure, getting a good night’s rest is necessary to stay awake and function during the day but an often overlooked aspect of sleep is its potential for body repair and cell regeneration. While much is still unknown about the purpose and true nature of sleep, it is undeniable that healthy sleep is essential for the body and brain in obvious and sometimes mysterious ways. From the organization of the brain’s memory to the regulation of hormone levels and immune system response, sleep provides us with the necessary reset to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Neuroprotective Function

Much like any other hard-working organism, our brains build up waste. Toxins in the form of cellular waste accumulate in the brain over the course of one’s day. It is helpful to imagine this cellular waste as “cobwebs” that require occasional dusting so as not to disrupt the regular function of the brain.

These cobwebs are disposed of through the brain’s “glymphatic system”, a plumbing-like pathway which, according to one study, benefits from improved function after adequate sleep. It is thought that the cerebrospinal fluid through which the glymphatic system functions and flushes our toxins flows more during the hours of sleep.

This allows for harmful waste such as beta-amyloid, a metabolite that accumulates during the day that is linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, to be disposed of with increased efficiency. While the exact mechanism of this relationship is currently being debated in the literature, the waste-management function of sleep can definitely be said to have both short-term and long-term implications for the brain’s health. Adequate sleep can provide protection and recovery from the build-up of toxins over the course of a given day by regularly brushing away the cobwebs.

Immune Response

Giving your body an adequate amount of sleep has the added bonus of allowing not just your brain, but your body to heal as well. Our immune function has been proven to be directly related to the body’s circadian rhythm. One way of learning how our sleep affects body repair is to look at what can occur when sleep is neglected. Studies have shown that the sleep-wake cycle has a role in regulating certain immune functions and the signals that the nervous system sends to the rest of the body. This can be through neurotransmitters, hormones, and cytokines.

Cytokines are immune cells that regulate blood cell growth and inflammation responses. A significant lack of sleep can lead to a stress response in the body as well as promote the production of cytokines that invoke unnecessary inflammation. These outcomes are considered detrimental to an individual’s health and should be avoided.

Those who suffer from Fibromyalgia know that sleep is pivotal to ameliorating the painful consequences of this condition. Research has proven that sleep swings both ways with Fibromyalgia sufferers: those who are sleep deprived experience greater suffering and vulnerability while those who can get the proper amount of shuteye benefit from body repair which improves their condition.

How You Can Help

Though it may seem like sleep deprivation is a rather inconsequential matter, examinations of cellular activity such as these help us to understand just how intricate our body’s systems are. A factor such as sleep can be crucial in mitigating the dysfunction of our bodies since nearly every one of these systems is directly linked to and regulated by the sleep-wake cycle. So, help your body to help you in any way that you can control. When extra help is needed turn to Zenbev Drink Mix which will work within your body to stimulate natural sleep. Maintaining an adequate sleep regimen can do wonders for the proper function of your body and brain.