This blog post is based on the article published in Human Neurobiology by Dr. Alexander Borbely, describing a concept of how our sleep and wake our controlled by 2 processes.
Process 1
Sleep pressure is the first process and is defined by the pressure for sleep that mounts from the minute you wake in the morning until your head hits the pillow at night. As you sleep this pressure actually decreases so when you get a good night’s rest you should be starting your day with low sleep pressure. However as some of us know all to well that sometimes doesn’t happen so we accrue, Sleep debt .
Process 2
“Wake Drive” is the second process which all of your brain systems are working together to signal an alert alarm. This means that while you are accruing your sleep pressure your wake drive comes in to level the playing field and keep your body alert and functioning properly. Wake drive is also stimulated by light.
Why Is This Important?
So this is important because these two drives regulate our internal clock, which is essential to our ability to maintain sleep and wakefulness when desired.
However, things like insomnia, traveling to a different time zone or working late disrupt our bodies internal clock and results in throwing off our drives and makes it harder to get a much needed good night’s sleep.
If you are looking for a natural approach to getting some sleep, we can help.
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Dr. Marina Rose has a Chiropractic and Functional Nutrition practice in the San Francisco area and helps both men and women with sleep issues as well as other challenging health conditions to find natural solutions.