You’ve heard about better health through minding your blood pressure, steps, and calories. But what have you done for your Downstate lately? This new buzzword describes what may be the most important aspect of your health to tend, because it ties everything else together, says sleep scientist Dr. Sara Mednick, PhD, author of The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body’s Own Restorative Systems. Every organ, system, and cell in your body has a time for activity, known as an Upstate, and an equal and opposite time for replenishing, restoring, and repairing the damage done in that state. That’s your Downstate.
Why our Downstate is so important
“We’re naturally rhythmic beings,” says Mednick, who is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine. In a nutshell: What goes up must come down. Along with getting enough of the right kind of sleep, you need to access sleep-like replenishing and repairing functions while you’re awake. Spending more time in the Downstate prevents the body from tipping into states of chronic over-arousal that can create cardiovascular, metabolic, and even cognitive damage. Spending too little time in Downstate activities may be the root of aging and disease, she adds. “Everything affects everything else.” Everyday life isn’t always in balance, of course. We rev up with work and childcare, race through to-do lists, gobble fast food on the go, and burn the candle at both ends. Our systems revvvvvvvv up—and we skimp on the corresponding downtime. That’s where being more conscious about restoration comes in.“You’ll only be as good in your Upstate as you are in your Downstate,” Mednick says. It’s also important to time both activity and recovery to when the body is naturally most primed for them. For example, when you eat a late-night snack, Insulin is lower then, so your blood sugar spikes more than if you ate the same snack at noon. Or if you stay up too late, your body misses its circadian syncing for essential slow-wave sleep, even if you still get 8 hours of shuteye. One catch: Your body needs this up-and-down balance every day. For optimal health, you can’t “catch up on sleep” on your days off, be a weekend athlete or eat meals at random hours. There’s a reason they call them health habits. “When you have a dependable pattern in your daily rituals, your brain and body perfectly prepare you for Upstate get-up-and-go actions and Downstate taking-it-down-a-notch calm,” Mednick says.
A day in the Downstate
Morning
Get some bright light. This puts you in sync with the sun and your circadian rhythm, which has a big effect on your psychological well-being all day. Eat breakfast. Skipping a morning meal overloads your later calorie intake when your digestive system is winding down, and is linked to poorer sleep. Do moderate-to-high level exercise. Morning aerobic workouts promote weight loss because your metabolic system is at its peak. Exercising too late in the day may interfere with sleep.
Day
Periodically ask yourself, “How am I feeling?” If you’re stressed, take a break outside. Nature triggers the Downstate. Limit your eating to a set window of daytime, such as 7 am to 7 pm. Stop by 7 or 8 pm to give your digestive system a break until the morning. Choose antioxidant- and anti-inflammatory-rich foods. Berries, greens, other produce, and whole grains help counter daily cell damage.
Night
Take a walk at sunset to absorb red-spectrum light. Put your devices on night settings. Your brain’s sleep-wake control center needs blue light to wake up, so avoid this stimulation now. Turn in by 10 pm to get in slow-wave sleep, the most replenishing kind. This is when the brain clears toxins, repairs muscle, and more. If you miss the circadian window for this, you don’t get the same amount of slow-wave sleep, even if you still get in 8 hours. “Everything you do in the day affects how the night goes,” Mednick explains. Hug a loved one or pet an animal. Touch unwinds an up-tempo day. Or have sex: Sex is the ultimate Upstate rev up, Downstate relax.
Sources
Dr. Sara Mednick, PhD, sleep scientist and author of The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body’s Own Restorative Systems.
