Sleeping well

The alternation of light/dark periods activates the orthosympathetic autonomic nervous system during the reactive stage of wakefulness, and consequently counter-regulates the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system during the recovery or resting stage. The presence or absence of a light signal translates into an electrochemical signal sent from the eyes to the pineal gland and from there to the hypothalamus, triggering the release of serotonin in the presence of light, and of melatonin when it gets dark.

A good sleep is in fact judged not by its length, but by how the person wakes. Insomnia consists in the absence of sleep or feeling of insufficient or poor sleep, despite an adequate possibility to sleep.

There are many causes of insomnia which can vary in form, severity and duration. Insomnia has numerous consequences such as a reduced capacity to work and drop in performance; lower productivity at work, poor collaboration and harmony with colleagues, less availability towards ‘superiors’; fewer social contacts; a higher risk of car accidents due to fatigue and the use of sleep-inducing medication; a higher rate of hospitalisation; more frequent falls and bone fractures, especially in the elderly.

Big cities are often lit up with LED lights. They are more economically efficient, however they produce a lot of blue light, which is more harmful to sleep. Light sources need to be designed to minimise the negative consequences on our health. Blue light has a frequency 5 times more effective in inhibiting melatonin with respect to warmer coloured lights. A study conducted at Harvard University on 110,000 women, outdoor lighting was found to be directly linked to a higher probability of developing breast cancer.

Sleeping soundly, rather than resorting to sleeping pills it could be worth considering a more natural and physiological solution. Melatonin and other plant extracts specifically act to promote and improve the quality of sleep, such as Eschscholzia, Red Poppy, Passionflower, Linden, Valerian, and Lemon Balm.