Getting enough shut eye is important for a number of physiological functions. During sleep, your body is working hard to regulate muscle repair, memory consolidation and hormonal balance among many other processes. Even slight deprivation, or sometimes sleeping too much, can easily have a negative effect on memory, judgement and mood.
In more recent years, osteoporosis has been increasingly linked to poor sleep patterns, with some even dubbing the two as a ‘dual epidemic’.
A study of postmenopausal women found that those that sleep less than five hours a night show a significantly increased risk of lower bone density and osteoporosis, when compared to those getting seven hours.
Furthermore, otherwise healthy people show reduced bone formation after just three weeks of inadequate sleep.
Getting enough shut eye is important for a number of physiological functions. During sleep, your body is working hard to regulate muscle repair, memory consolidation and hormonal balance among many other processes. Even slight deprivation, or sometimes sleeping too much, can easily have a negative effect on memory, judgement and mood.
In more recent years, osteoporosis has been increasingly linked to poor sleep patterns, with some even dubbing the two as a ‘dual epidemic’.
A study of postmenopausal women found that those that sleep less than five hours a night show a significantly increased risk of lower bone density and osteoporosis, when compared to those getting seven hours.
Furthermore, otherwise healthy people show reduced bone formation after just three weeks of inadequate sleep.
Much of our behaviour is shaped by the Earth’s rotation around its axis. We exhibit physical, mental and behavioural changes following a 24-hour cycle in response to light and dark, also known as circadian rhythms.
These circadian rhythms are controlled by a master ‘body clock’ found in the hypothalamus, in a specialised region called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN.
The SCN responds to light via the eyes and uses this information to tell your body when to start feeling more sleepy and when to feel more alert.
Research by NASA found that around half of astronauts rely on sleep medication at some point during their space ventures. They found that implementing LED light bulbs in their space crafts to mimic the light-dark cycle back on Earth was greatly beneficial to regulating their sleep.
The pineal gland, named so because its shape resembles that of a pine cone, is a small endocrine gland located deep in the brain in an area called the epithalamus, where the two halves of the brain join.
The main function of the pineal gland is to release the hormone melatonin in response to night time.
During darkness, the pineal gland receives a signal from the SCN via the hypothalamus, encouraging the production and release of melatonin into the bloodstream, causing sleepiness. Melatonin concentration rises throughout the evening and peaks in the early hours of the morning. As the sun rises and light is sensed, the signal pathway is inhibited, causing the pineal gland to stop producing melatonin.
Acting conversely to melatonin is cortisol. Cortisol reaches its lowest concentrations around midnight and then steadily increases until waking hours, peaking just before you wake up.
Working to a 24-hour rhythm in close association with the sleep-wake cycle, cortisol is thought to play a significant role in sustaining daytime wakefulness.
The synthesis and release of cortisol into the body is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is tightly linked to the central nervous system, acting to regulate the balance of hormones in response to stress; this is why cortisol is often referred to as ‘the stress hormone’.
Due to its role in wakefulness, elevated cortisol levels seen in chronic stress can easily disturb circadian rhythms to sabotage sleep quality and duration.
Artificial light and caffeine are common circadian rhythm disruptors, giving your body false cues of wakefulness and therefore delaying the release of melatonin.
Circadian rhythms can also be disrupted by travel across time zones, leading to jet lag. You’ll likely experience symptoms such as confusion, fatigue, memory lapses and irritability as your body clock readjusts to a new light-dark cycle, with it taking about one day for each hour of time changed to recover.
Several studies have painted a worrying picture for the effect of non-traditional shift work patterns on sleep. Shift workers, which include warehouse workers, police officers, nurses, doctors and more, make up about 14% of the total UK workforce.
So-called ‘shift work disorder’ can strike these people who work overnight or early morning shifts, or people who change their shift pattern regularly. Its symptoms include issues falling and staying asleep, as this kind of work disrupts the body’s normal alignment with their circadian rhythm.
Much of our behaviour is shaped by the Earth’s rotation around its axis. We exhibit physical, mental and behavioural changes following a 24-hour cycle in response to light and dark, also known as circadian rhythms.
These circadian rhythms are controlled by a master ‘body clock’ found in the hypothalamus, in a specialised region called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN.
The SCN responds to light via the eyes and uses this information to tell your body when to start feeling more sleepy and when to feel more alert.
Research by NASA found that around half of astronauts rely on sleep medication at some point during their space ventures. They found that implementing LED light bulbs in their space crafts to mimic the light-dark cycle back on Earth was greatly beneficial to regulating their sleep.
The pineal gland, named so because its shape resembles that of a pine cone, is a small endocrine gland located deep in the brain in an area called the epithalamus, where the two halves of the brain join.
The main function of the pineal gland is to release the hormone melatonin in response to night time.
During darkness, the pineal gland receives a signal from the SCN via the hypothalamus, encouraging the production and release of melatonin into the bloodstream, causing sleepiness. Melatonin concentration rises throughout the evening and peaks in the early hours of the morning. As the sun rises and light is sensed, the signal pathway is inhibited, causing the pineal gland to stop producing melatonin.
Acting conversely to melatonin is cortisol. Cortisol reaches its lowest concentrations around midnight and then steadily increases until waking hours, peaking just before you wake up.
Working to a 24-hour rhythm in close association with the sleep-wake cycle, cortisol is thought to play a significant role in sustaining daytime wakefulness.
The synthesis and release of cortisol into the body is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is tightly linked to the central nervous system, acting to regulate the balance of hormones in response to stress; this is why cortisol is often referred to as ‘the stress hormone’.
Due to its role in wakefulness, elevated cortisol levels seen in chronic stress can easily disturb circadian rhythms to sabotage sleep quality and duration.
Artificial light and caffeine are common circadian rhythm disruptors, giving your body false cues of wakefulness and therefore delaying the release of melatonin.
Circadian rhythms can also be disrupted by travel across time zones, leading to jet lag. You’ll likely experience symptoms such as confusion, fatigue, memory lapses and irritability as your body clock readjusts to a new light-dark cycle, with it taking about one day for each hour of time changed to recover.
Several studies have painted a worrying picture for the effect of non-traditional shift work patterns on sleep. Shift workers, which include warehouse workers, police officers, nurses, doctors and more, make up about 14% of the total UK workforce.
So-called ‘shift work disorder’ can strike these people who work overnight or early morning shifts, or people who change their shift pattern regularly. Its symptoms include issues falling and staying asleep, as this kind of work disrupts the body’s normal alignment with their circadian rhythm.
In addition to its role in regulating sleep, melatonin is thought to play a crucial role in keeping bones healthy. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to increase new bone growth and decrease bone resorption. With sleep patterns disturbed, so is the release of melatonin, leading to bone loss.
Taking melatonin tablets post-fracture has been shown to boost bone healing and regrowth, and has even been suggested as good supplementation for people with osteoporosis.
Bone mass is also significantly decreased in those who have their pineal gland removed, providing more evidence to the role of melatonin in bone health.
Melatonin production also decreases with age. These age-related losses are considered to be critical factors in bone loss and osteoporosis with ageing. Some think that levels of melatonin in the blood could serve as a marker for early detection and prevention of osteoporosis in the elderly.
Poorer sleep quality can also impact calcium. Research suggests that calcium plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle: levels rise in deep sleep, whereas disturbed sleep is related to calcium deficiency. Furthermore, shift workers show lower calcium levels in the blood than those that work traditional working hours.
Calcium is crucial in keeping bones strong and healthy. Without enough calcium, bones can easily weaken.
In addition to its role in regulating sleep, melatonin is thought to play a crucial role in keeping bones healthy. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to increase new bone growth and decrease bone resorption. With sleep patterns disturbed, so is the release of melatonin, leading to bone loss.
Taking melatonin tablets post-fracture has been shown to boost bone healing and regrowth, and has even been suggested as good supplementation for people with osteoporosis.
Bone mass is also significantly decreased in those who have their pineal gland removed, providing more evidence to the role of melatonin in bone health.
Melatonin production also decreases with age. These age-related losses are considered to be critical factors in bone loss and osteoporosis with ageing. Some think that levels of melatonin in the blood could serve as a marker for early detection and prevention of osteoporosis in the elderly.
Poorer sleep quality can also impact calcium. Research suggests that calcium plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle: levels rise in deep sleep, whereas disturbed sleep is related to calcium deficiency. Furthermore, shift workers show lower calcium levels in the blood than those that work traditional working hours.
Calcium is crucial in keeping bones strong and healthy. Without enough calcium, bones can easily weaken.
Some studies suggest that melting into your memory foam for longer than you should can also have a negative effect on bone health.
Mechanical stress, or mechanical load, is important for bone formation. Spending too much time horizontally can reduce the impact of mechanical stress, since you’re not moving around and exerting the force on the skeleton needed to encourage bone cells to grow.
Secondly, a 2020 study found that unhealthy sleep duration can influence oestrogen, which could lead to reduced bone mass.
Some studies suggest that melting into your memory foam for longer than you should can also have a negative effect on bone health.
Mechanical stress, or mechanical load, is important for bone formation. Spending too much time horizontally can reduce the impact of mechanical stress, since you’re not moving around and exerting the force on the skeleton needed to encourage bone cells to grow.
Secondly, a 2020 study found that unhealthy sleep duration can influence oestrogen, which could lead to reduced bone mass.
Adopting a regular sleep routine, where you start winding down, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, is the best way to feel rested and rejuvenated.
Make sure to avoid electronic devices that emit blue light for at least an hour before bed, and try reading, listening to a podcast or meditating instead.
A good sleep environment is key too – keeping your room dark and well ventilated will make it much easier to drift off.
Prioritising sleep quality is not only essential for overall health and wellbeing, but also plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density. By recognising the impact of sleep on bone metabolism and regeneration you can take proactive steps to ensure restful nights and stronger, healthier bones.
Adopting a regular sleep routine, where you start winding down, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, is the best way to feel rested and rejuvenated.
Make sure to avoid electronic devices that emit blue light for at least an hour before bed, and try reading, listening to a podcast or meditating instead.
A good sleep environment is key too – keeping your room dark and well ventilated will make it much easier to drift off.
Prioritising sleep quality is not only essential for overall health and wellbeing, but also plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density. By recognising the impact of sleep on bone metabolism and regeneration you can take proactive steps to ensure restful nights and stronger, healthier bones.
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