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Hi.

Welcome to Healthy and Whole where you can find tips and information supporting the benefits of a balanced life.

Two months ago, in the middle of moving/work/packing, we talked about how nice it would be to sip coffee and look at the new property // Now, we’re finally here, and damn the view is nice ☕️ 🌳 • • • • • • • #
It’s amazing what travel can do for your spirit // It can remind you for all you have to be grateful for - able body, financial stability, clean water. It taps into your inner explorer - no plans, no schedule, just seeing how the day unfolds. M
Explored a new Regional Park in Sonoma County // Mark West Regional Park and Preserve. •• Not only are these spaces accessible to everyone, but parks decrease health care cost and loss of productivity costs by $17.5 million dollars a year i
Quality time is for sure the way to my heart, and the best way for me to feel recharged. Pair that with a kickass adventure, and I pretty much can handle anything the week throws at me // It took me many years, but I’m finally starting to maste
Monday challenge to appreciate your body // How we perceive ourselves - the words we think standing in front of a mirror or while putting on our favorite bikini - reflect outwardly. If we think positively about ourselves and appreciate what our bodie
Fun Fact Friday // The Keto Diet - is it sustainable, how does it work? When my honey wanted to switch things up, these were the first questions that came to my mind. My philosophy is always surrounding wellness, so I did some research to figure out
Three words: Crunchy peanut butter // It goes on anything, but it makes cozy morning oatmeal bowls 10x better • • • • • • • • • • #goodmorning #breakfast #oats #cozy #peanutbutter #fruit #getinmybelly
Chimichurri Sauce. Yes, please! Whipping this up to go with tonite’s dinner // The past few days I’ve been researching a keto based diet due to my honey’s desire to switch things up. I don’t like to jump into things (especiall
Versatile meals are my jam // It’s hard to eat leftovers when it’s the same thing for two or three nights, but having an adaptable meal already cooked makes switching it up super easy! ••••••••&bull
Sleep + Brain Function

Sleep + Brain Function

Victoria Pennacchio
Science, Wellness

          Sleep. Something I definitely took for granted as a child; nap time, hated it. Early bed time, no thanks. Now, if I can get in bed before 9 PM I’m a happy camper. As a culture, we have a hard time creating space for ourselves. Whether it is time to relax, vacation, or sleep. Many of the people I am blessed to know take on many activities to help live fulfilling lives, but to what end? Sleep is not just some six to eight hours of our day that we can skimp out on in order to make a deadline, catch a plane, or work that OT. It is actually a necessary function for our body.

          Sleep is controlled by various areas within our brain that work to regulate our circadian rhythms. The hypothalamus contains an area called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN); this is responsible for receiving light exposure from our surroundings and coordinating the sleep wake cycle. The SCN works with the brainstem to coordinate sleep transitions as well as regulate GABA, one of the main inhibitory neurotransmitters within the brain. The brain-stem is also important for REM sleep and helps relax muscles necessary for posture so we don’t act out what we are dreaming. While this list isn’t exhaustive of all the structures involved, they are the main components that help us reach the first stage of sleep (Brain Basics, 2018).

          In addition to our brain structures, our body has two internal systems that help us regulate sleep: circadian rhythms and sleep-wake homeostasis. Circadian rhythms works by synchronizing with environmental cues (temperature and light) to create sleep wake cycles. Sleep wake homeostasis relies on cues from the body to help regulate sleep; meaning the longer your body goes without sleep, the stronger the homeostatic cue is to go to sleep (Brain Basics, 2018).

          It is recommended for most adults to get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep; however, this number can be affected by genetics. Gene expression can affect how much sleep we need as well as our susceptibility to sleep disorders. Hormones also play an important role in our sleep-wake cycles; chemicals such as cortisol, norepinephrine, serotonin, histamines and acetylcholine work together to coordinate our sleep (Brain Basics, 2018).  Poor sleep is linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, and people are more likely to be overweight. This is because sleep is critical for repairing the cells within our body, especially within the cardiovascular system, as well as regulating hormones that influence eating patterns (Smith, 2016). Sleep is also important for creating new pathways within our brain as well as improving memory and learning, increasing attention and creativity, and influencing decision making. Further, sleep is important for ridding the brain of toxins. Beta amyloid, a protein that forms on the brain in Alzheimer’s, is one example. Cerebrospinal fluid within the brain acts similarly to the lymphatic system within our bodies and helps rid the body of toxins (Smith, 2016).

         It’s time to change our culture and make sleep a priority. One way to do this is avoiding bright lights before bed because these can trigger areas in our brain to think we are awake. Additionally, creating a sleep routine to help cue our brains to relax, whether this is taking a bath, doing yoga, or reading a book, can help calm our minds and allow our body's natural processes to take over (Brain Basics).

References:

Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep


Smith, Y. (2016, March 06). Function of Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Function-of-Sleep.aspx

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Mental Health

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