HBOT for Sleep
How can I have better sleep?
It is recommended to have at least 7 hours of sleep per night. However, we should focus more on our sleep quality rather than the duration of our sleep.
Sleep Quality is very important when it comes to our health. People are at a higher risk of diseases and mental health issues if they have a poor sleep quality.
- Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is the deepest stage of sleep. It is the fourth stage of sleep. During this stage, the irises of your eyes move rapidly and your heartbeat is faster and irregular. Your body is largely inactive during this sleep. REM Sleep helps with memory and learning as it restores your brain.
- Deep Sleep is associated with changes in the body rather than the brain. It is non-rapid eye movement sleep, where your heartbeat is regular and your breathing is slow. Deep sleep is crucial as this is when your body heals itself.
How can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) improve sleep?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) immerses individuals in high levels of oxygen which increases the blood’s oxygen-carrying capability. Oxygen levels and pressure in the Cocoon is 40%-50% higher than sea level. In high pressured oxygenated environments, our tissues are flushed with high levels of oxygen and we are able to enjoy benefits such as:
- Higher Energy Levels
- Increased Metabolism
- Reverse Aging
- Helping with Insomnia
- Sports Recovery and more!
According to some studies conducted by neuroscientists, it is said that when an individual is exposed to high levels of oxygen, it encourages their brain to remain in deep, restorative slow-wave sleep. Deep sleep helps our brains and bodies with recovery as well as memory consolidation.
On the other hand, when we are exposed to less oxygen, our brains remain in rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. Oxygen therapy, like the Hyperbaric Oxygen Cocoon® could be used to enhance deep sleep to ensure that individuals who suffer from insomnia can get enough restorative and slow-wave sleep.
Slow-wave sleep is essential for health since the body requires this deep sleep stage to feel adequately rested.
While sleeping, a person’s blood oxygen levels might drop because of decreased breathing. If oxygen intake becomes inadequate, it can have a detrimental effect on slow-wave sleep. With HBOT, it enables the blood to be saturated with oxygen and for complete diffusion of oxygen into the blood plasma.
The Importance of Deep Sleep
Sleep Cycle:
- Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep – stage where most dreams happen. It is essential for cognitive functions.
- Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep
NREM is further divided into 3 stages: Stage 1, Stage 2 & Stage 3 sleep.
Stage 1 NREM sleep: Light sleep
Stage 2 NREM sleep: Deeper sleep
Stage 3 NREM sleep: Slow-wave deep sleep – deepest stage of sleep and the stage required for feeling adequately rested. It is essential for body recovery, growth & other body & cognitive functions.
Note: Stage 1 & 2 are not considered “deep sleep”
What are some symptoms of Insomnia?
Individuals with insomnia may suffer with:
- Memory issues & trouble with thinking and concentration. Sleep helps our brain form connections that help us process and remember new information. Lack of sleep can negatively impact both long and short term memory.
- Mood changes. Lack of sleep can make us moody, irrational, sensitive and quick-tempered.
- Poor balance & Accidents. Not having sufficient rest can affect our reaction speed. Slowed reaction time while driving may lead to higher risks of accidents
- Weakened immunity. Increased risk and severity of long-term diseases or conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart diseas as well as mental health disorders, such as depression, an anxiety disorder or substance abuse
HBOT helps with insomnia as it helps our body to remain in slow-wave sleep for a longer period of time.
Conclusion
Besides the lack of oxygen, there are also other factors that may result in insomnia. Together with the help of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Cocoon®, it is also good to note that other parts of our day-to-day life can affect our quality of sleep.
If you have been struggling with insomnia, why not try cocooning to see if it can help alleviate your sleep struggles?
Featured On
Watch CNA's Host, Shrey experience Solid, Deep Sleep with Hyperbaric Oxygen Cocoon
Featured on CNA Talking Point Bio-Hacking episode, Shrey tried using Hyperbaric Oxygen for a week to enhance his fitness, cognitive abilities and sleep quality.
After resting in the Hyperbaric Cocoon, he experienced solid, deep sleep as measured on his wearable device.
One’s oxygen levels in the blood may be lower during sleep, due to a mildly reduced level of breathing. When a person isn’t getting enough oxygen, all organs of the body can be affected, especially the brain, heart and kidneys. There is evidence that, for people who have low levels of oxygen, supplemental oxygen improves quality of life, exercise tolerance and even survival. Supplemental oxygen can also help relieve symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness and depression. You may be more alert, sleep better and be in a better mood.
References
Brandon E. Hauer et al., Hyperoxia enhances slow-wave forebrain states in urethane-anesthetized and naturally sleeping rats. Journal of Neurophysiology.
Vanita Mehta et al., Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Oxygen Therapy: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine
Raymond Quock et al., Sleep improves when hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) administered before and after methadone dose reduction for adults with opioid use disorder, 2020. Washington State University.
James M. Walker et al., Sleep assessment in a randomized trial of hyperbaric oxygen in U.S. service members with post concussive mild traumatic brain injury compared to normal controls. Journal of Sleep Medicine
Renata L. Riha, Oxygen for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome. Breathe, 15, 3, 2019.
Solan, Matthew, and Howard E. LeWine. “How much sleep do you actually need?” Harvard Health, 30 October 2023, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-sleep-do-you-actually-need-202310302986. Accessed 21 March 2024.
“Difference Between Deep Sleep and REM Sleep.” Chase Dental Sleepcare, https://www.chasedentalsleepcare.com/blog/difference-between-deep-sleep-and-rem-sleep. Accessed 21 March 2024.
“Stages of Sleep: What Happens in a Sleep Cycle.” Sleep Foundation, 8 December 2023, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep. Accessed 8 June 2024.