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Home » About Sleep » Sleep Articles » Is Sleep Our Most Natural Healer?
Is Sleep Our Most Natural Healer?
It has long been known that sleep is an integral part of natural healing processes, however scientific sleep research has a surprisingly brief history.1
 At the end of the 19th century, the Austrian physician Sigmund Freud systematically analysed the dreams of neurotic patients and discovered the existence of the conscious and the unconscious parts of our minds. The analysis of dreams under a rigorous scientific protocol allowed him not only to provide the first scientific theory of how our mind may work, but gave him access to the aetiology of different human psycho-somatic pathologies. Sleep research under scientific rigor was therefore born! 2
Half a century later in 1953, Eugene Aserinsky, a young and curious graduate from The University of Chicago, observed for the first time a relationship between the movement of the eyes during sleep and dreaming. This discovery began a search for greater understanding into the pathophysiology of sleep deprivation and helped us comprehend the physiological importance of healthy sleep. This discovery also meant that Aserinsky and his mentor Kleitman would become regarded as the Fathers of Sleep Research. 3
The flow of knowledge in relation to the importance of sleep as a vital, complex, multifactorial and highly interrelated physiological process started to arrive at the beginning of the 80’s. With the development of sophisticated computer generated technologies, scientists were able to analyse minute but profound morphological, physiological and biochemical changes under different circumstances. They gained a greater understanding of the multiple and often devastating effects of the lack of sufficient, high quality and uninterrupted sleep.
Today we know that a myriad of anabolic processes are required to sustain life and these are intrinsically related to a healthy sleep function. We are also aware that by misdiagnosing or ignoring interrupted or deficient sleep, we are depriving the organism of its healing capacity and facilitating the activation of complex multi-systemic pathological chain reactions.4 Examples of this phenomenon are seen in obstructive sleep apnoea, obesity, insulin resistance, and chronic depression.5
The main systems affected by sleep deprivation are: cardio-vascular6,7, immunological8,9, endocrinological10, neurological/psychological11,12 and general anabolic functions. We are just starting to understand the universe of interrelations and codependences between all of them.
Just in the area of endocrinology and neuro-endocrinology, sleep is found to be closely related with the complex balance of the following systems: Human Growth Hormone13, Prolactin14, Cortisol15, Melatonin16, Insulin17, Noradrenalin18, Serotonin19 and numerous others.
There are over 70 different sleep pathologies known to us today. In western countries each year, billions of dollars are spent as a result of disturbances caused by a restless sleep. Amazingly, it is estimated that only between 10%-20% of all people with sleep disordered breathing problems are actually diagnosed and treated.20 It is now becoming increasingly clear to Health Professionals that there is a need to start to understand sleep in greater detail. It is an opportunity to assist patients to enjoy healthy sleep so that they can positively influence their immune, endocrinological, psychological and homeostatic balance.
In many countries, sleep medicine is on its way to becoming accepted as an independent specialty.21 GP’s, endocrinologists, neurologists and psychiatrists from all over the world are starting to request medical sleep assessments as an integral step in the flow to diagnose and treat pathologies related to their field of expertise. It is also increasingly shown that Health Professionals are improving therapeutic success rates by ensuring that their patients enjoy a healthy sleep and a healthy sleep environment.
It seems to be that finally, wisdom from our ancient ancestors advising that sleep is an essential pillar for our overall health, balance and harmony is pervading the corridors and rooms of traditional medical schools and institutions from all over the world.
At this time, we may not be able to answer with 100% certainty why we sleep but we all agree that the first thing we do when we become ill is to surrender to sleep, our most natural healer.
Therefore, by proactively assisting the general public to reap the healing benefits of a sound and un-interrupted sleep, we can only enhance their ability to heal and thus improve their quality of life.
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Sources
1 Les Chemins d’Esculape. Histoire de la pensée médicale. (1997), M. Tubiana, Flammarion.
2Healing the Mind. (1997), M. H. Stone, Random House.
3 The Oxford Companion to The Mind. (1987) Edited by R. J. Greogory, Oxford Press.
4 Antioxidant defense response to sleep loss and sleep recovery. Everson CA., et al., (2005), Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 288(2):R374-83.
5 Obesity-related cardiovascular disease: implications of obstructive sleep apnoea. Wolk R, Somer VK., (2006), Diabetes Obes. Metab. 8(3):250-60.
6 Idem., 5.
7 Short sleep duration as risk factor for hypertension: Analyses of the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Gangwhish et al., (2006), Hypertension, 47(5):833-9.
8 Systemic bacterial invasion induced by sleep deprivation. Everson, CA., Toth LA., (2000), Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 278(4): R905-16.
9 Antioxidant defends responses to sleep loss and sleep recovery. Everson CA., et al., (2005), Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 288(2):R374-83.
10 Severe hot flashes are associated with chronic insomnia. Ohayon MM., (2006), Arch. Intern. Med. 26:166(12):1262-8.
11 The relationship between memory systems and sleep stages. Rauchs, G. et al., (2005), J. Sleep Res. 14(2):123-4.
12 Excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with depressive disorder. Chellapa SL, Fontenel AJ. (2006), Rev. Bras. Psiquiatr. (28) 2.
13 Effects of sleep and sleep deprivation on Interleukin-6, Growth Hormone, Cortisol and Melatonin Levels in Humans. Redwine L, et al., (2000), J. Clin. Endo. Metabol. 85(109):3597-3603.
14 Sleep, rhythms and womens’s mood. Part II. Menopause. Parry BL, et al., (2006), Sleep Med. Rev.10(3):197-208.
15 Idem., 13.
16 Melatonin. Pandi-Pewrumal SR, et al., (2006), FEBS J. 273(13):2813-38.
17 Idem., 5.
18 Sleep disorders in depression: Suggestions for a therapeutic approach. Zimmermann, C., Pfeiffer, H., (2006), Nervenartz. (07) 11 (Published in German).
19 Idem.,12, 18.
20 The economic cost of sleep disorders. (Australia). Hillman DR. et.al., (2006), Sleep 29(3):299-305.
21 Sleep Disorders and Sleep Depravation: An unmet public health problem. (2005), Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, Board on Health Science Policy USA.
This article is for information only. For health advice specific to you, please consult your Health Professional.
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