Anti-Aging Strategies for Health and Longevity
Sleep On It
By Steven and Rose Novil

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Recent university studies conclude that most adults require a minimum of six hours of sleep per night. Obviously, individuals will vary in their sleep requirements, but few people can function very well on only three to four hours of sleep. New research is finding that teenagers need a minimum of nine and a half hours of sleep, and small children need ten to twelve hours. On the average, most adults do best with from six to eight hours of sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep, your body’s means of regeneration, just as important as food, water, and air. We all know how irritability and low levels of concentration and function result from lack of sleep.

There are four stages of sleep and each stage requires a cycle of about one and one half hours. The first stage is a light sleep which is called the Alpha brain wave stage. The second stage is Beta, which is the next deeper brain wave pattern and indicates a deeper, more relaxed state of consciousness. The third stage is Theta, which is when we begin to dream, and the fourth stage is Delta, the deepest stage of sleep where our dreams are the most vivid. When we do not go through all of these four sleep stages, our bodies do not repair themselves to the fullest. Remember that during sleep is the time we heal from the day’s activities and stresses, both physical and emotional.

Another major aspect of sleep, besides the four stages, and key to releasing stress is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. During REM sleep, your muscles stop moving completely. Your breathing and heart rate become rapid and irregular, your blood pressure is more variable, and your eyes move rapidly in bursts of activity. Your brain waves show a pattern similar to wakefulness. Scientists believe that this indicates that your brain is using this time to sort and organize your memories. Dreaming takes place during this stage, and if you’re awakened during REM sleep, you may recall vivid dreams. You may experience several five to ten minute periods of REM sleep in between the other stages.

How well are you sleeping? Ask yourself these questions to get an idea of your own sleep habits. Your answers may indicate that you could be experiencing some of the negative effects of sleep deprivation.

How easy is it for you to fall asleep?
What time do you go to sleep?
Do you eat anything up to three hours before you go to sleep?
Do you awaken refreshed and rested?
Do you take short naps or cat naps during the day?
Do your limbs twitch during sleep and awaken you?
Do you have a restless sleep?
Do you snore?

Some perspective on how sleep and natural biological rhythms can affect wellness can be better appreciated in the context of the following, based on an article on melatonin which appeared in the January, 2004 issue of Life Extension Magazine.

Melatonin is a natural body hormone which is secreted by the pineal gland, a tiny endocrine gland situated at the center of the brain. The pineal gland’s production of melatonin varies both with the time of day and with age, decreasing noticeably at around age forty. Low levels of melatonin have been associated with the occurrence and development of breast cancer. Women who work predominantly at night and are exposed to light, which inhibits melatonin production and alters the body’s day-night circadian rhythm, have an increased risk of breast cancer development. In contrast, higher melatonin levels have been found in blind and visually impaired people, along with correspondingly lower incidences of cancer when compared to those with normal vision, thus suggesting a role for melatonin in the reduction of cancer incidence.

Exposure to light at night, regardless of duration or intensity, inhibits melatonin secretion and phase-shifts the circadian dock, possibly altering the cell growth rate that is regulated by the circadian rhythm. Disruption of circadian rhythm is commonly observed among cancer patients and contributes to cancer development and tumor progression. Cancer alters neuroendocrine system function in such a way that melatonin levels are lower in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. The circadian rhythm of melatonin is also altered in advanced gastrointestinal malignancies, such as colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers, with respect to healthy humans.

Deregulation of many circadian clock functions in the human body—including blood pressure, temperature, hormones, sleep-wake pattern, immune function, and digestive activity—has been used as an independent predictive factor of survival time and tumor response for patients with certain metastatic cancers. The circadian rhythm alone is a statistically significant predictor of survival time for breast cancer patients.

Several studies have shown that the circadian clock is involved in tumor suppression at the systemic, cellular, and molecular levels, and that cancer should no longer be treated as a local disorder. For instance, the circadian clock regulates the immune response—disruption of circadian rhythms could therefore lead to immunosuppression, which could disrupt cancer cell immunosurveillance and promote tumor development; however, melatonin as a circadian mediator can target the body’s internal clock and has been shown to inhibit immunosuppression.

The phenomenon of ambient light at night regulating melatonin levels may explain the spontaneous tumor regression reported to occur through meditation alone in cancer patients (when the eyes are closed and detect no light). The regular practice of meditation is associated with increased physiological levels of melatonin.

Pharmacological doses of supplemental melatonin can resynchronize individuals who are shown to have disrupted circadian rhythms, such as night-shift workers. Thus, cancer patients with depressed melatonin levels may benefit from both meditation and additional melatonin therapy, to improve quality of life while potentially inhibiting tumor growth and spread.

As an over-the-counter supplement, melatonin has had over twenty years of extensive clinical studies proving its effectiveness in promoting sleep. It is suggested to be taken by those over the age of forty, which is when melatonin levels decrease. Melatonin is available in any pharmacy or health food store in the United States. For a good night’s sleep, take three to nine milligrams about an hour before bedtime.

The importance of sleep in regard to aging is further illustrated by a report from a team of University of Chicago researchers published in the British medical journal The Lancet in October, 1999. This report stated that losing sleep can upset the body’s metabolism and possibly hasten the onset of age-related illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and memory loss.

Previous studies had shown the harm to mental functioning caused by a loss of sleep, but this team of researchers found adverse physical reactions as well—the metabolic and hormonal system changes resulting from a significant sleep debt can mimic many of the hallmarks of aging.

The researchers examined eleven healthy young male subjects for sixteen nights. The first three nights, the subjects were allowed to sleep eight hours, the next six nights they slept just four hours, and the final seven nights they spent twelve hours in bed.

After several nights of sleep debt, the men had heightened levels of blood glucose, and ability to secrete insulin and response to insulin decreased by thirty percent. Their symptoms were similar to those who suffer from diabetes. The study also found, however, that the sleep debt can be made up by spending longer than the average eight hours in bed, returning the body’s chemical balance to normal levels or better.

Fortunately, there is also significant research from other major universities indicating that as little as a ten or twenty minute “super” nap in the late afternoon can help balance the aging factor in a positive way.

How well you sleep, then, is not only important for obvious health reasons, but is also an important factor to consider in the anti-aging equation. Even if you are not experiencing sleep problems at the moment, we would like to talk about natural ways to help sleeping, including these basics as suggested by Dr John Shepard, Jr. of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorder Clinic.

Stick to a schedule, and don’t sleep late on the weekends. Instead, go to bed and get up at about the same time every day. If you sleep late on Saturday and Sunday you will get Sunday night insomnia.

Don’t eat or drink a lot before bedtime. This stimulates the body to direct blood to the digestive organs, and excessive liquids can stimulate the kidneys and bladder, waking you up in the middle of the night.

Soak and sack out. Taking a hot shower or bath helps bring on sleep by relaxing tight muscles.

We would also like to suggest these other natural options to assist with sleeping.

Add Epsom salts (magnesium) to a bath to relax and soothe away sore muscles.

Herbs like St. John's wort and feverfew, used separately or in combination.

Grandma’s favorite remedy, “A nice glass of warm milk before you sleep.” Milk contains tryptophan, a precursor for melatonin. It is also found in varying quantities in turkey, bananas, nuts, almonds, peanuts, tofu, and soy.

Try listening to a CD or tape that includes Delta wave harmonies, playing it as you lie down to sleep.

Meditation increases natural melatonin levels.

Naturally occurring melatonin can be found in tart cherries, oats, rice bran, ginger, and wheat grass juice.

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Steven and Rose Novil are both doctors of nutrition and naturopathy. Steven practices in Chicago and has lectured at international conferences on Anti-Aging as well as locally, and is an advisor to major supplement companies. In addition to her degrees in health, Rose is also a Professor of Library Services, consulting with Steven and researching new developments in the field of Anti-Aging. Their goal is to help people become pro-active and informed partners in creating their own personal anti-aging programs.

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