Five myths about sleep that you believe in and are not true

Five myths about sleep that you believe in and are not true

World sleep day

Are Melatonin Supplements Any Use? Does drinking coffee in the afternoon make you sleep worse?

El dream it is one of the most essential parts of our routine, and we just play it down. And we are talking about the time of day when our body regenerates and regains strength, but also about a few hours that we usually reduce more than we should. Bad rest is the most common. Many people have poor sleep hygiene, suffer from insomnia or have great difficulty sleeping.

The ‘general’ tips for a good night’s sleep are ‘easy’ to apply, although we usually don’t. We talk about all that trying to go to sleep and wake up every day at the same time, avoiding the use of screens before going to sleep

, maintain a good temperature in our room or take a hot bath before going to bed. But, there are also several recommendations that are repeated over and over again, and they are nothing more than myths. Dr. Verena Senn, neuroscientist and sleep expert at Emma – The Sleep Company, debunks these widely held beliefs, and that they are not always the case.

Do natural pills, melatonin, for example, help you sleep better?

There is evidence that taking excessive amounts of melatonin supplements can actually inhibit the body’s own production of melatonin. Melatonin supplements can help with the sleep schedule, for example when we travel and have to deal with jet lag, but when we are in our typical time zone, the impact of melatonin on the quantity or quality of our sleep is quite debatable. On the other hand, when supplements work, there can always be a placebo effect involved – we sleep better because we want to believe in it. Instead of taking melatonin pills, what we should do is improve sleep hygiene and implement some changes in our daily routines.

Does sleeping poorly have a genetic component?

There are several sleep disorders for which some genetic data are available or that show family associations, such as restless legs syndrome or narcolepsy. Insomnia is sometimes also inherited, although more in-depth research is needed to find a genetic association. But it would be very shortsighted to simply blame our genes for some sleep disorders. The reality is much more complicated. For instance, genes and environment can go hand in hand: It may be, for example, that some people react much more strongly to stress for genetic reasons and that this keeps them awake at night triggering sleep problems, without being a gene related to sleep causing it.

Drinking coffee after 15.00:XNUMX p.m. makes you sleep worse

Caffeine can affect sleep on several levels, such as prolonged onset of sleep, reduced total time, and sleep efficiency. However, this does not apply universally to all people. The effect and duration of caffeine varies greatly between individuals and it depends on a variety of exogenous and endogenous factors. While for some, caffeine intake in the afternoon may already interfere with their sleep at night, others may consume caffeine after dinner without experiencing any sleep problems.

Tossing and turning at night means you’re sleeping poorly

Body movements during sleep are not unusual and happen in all age groups, but tossing and turning at night does not necessarily mean that you are getting very little or bad sleep. The frequency or time of move around at night It can vary greatly from person to person, averaging between five and 16 movements per hour. As long as it doesn’t interrupt sleep, it’s not necessarily a cause for concern. However, if pain or discomfort is the cause of concern, action should be taken.

Exercising too close to bedtime adversely affects sleep

It is incorrect to claim that exercise close to bedtime has a negative impact on sleep. Exercising at night can help align our internal clock with our sleep schedule and facilitate sleep due to changes in core body temperature. Again, this cannot be generalized to everyone, so everyone needs to identify their own preferences and see if exercising at night promotes or inhibits your sleep. But rather than demonizing it in general, it’s worth a try, as for many of us this time of day might be optimal for exercising.

What happens to our body when we sleep?

From the Sleep Chair of the University of Granada-LOMONACO, they explain the four main processes that our body goes through during sleep hours:

1. Growth hormone is produced: The body secretes growth hormone during sleep, the production of which increases especially during the deep sleep phase or REM phase. Specifically, growth hormone secretion is regulated in the hypothalamus and peaks approximately 20 minutes after falling asleep. Another hormone produced in the hypothalamus while sleeping is the antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin, the cause of which there is no need to go to the bathroom at night, since its levels decrease at this time, but when getting up the next day.

2. In the heart, the heart rate and blood pressure change: When sleeping, the heart slows down its activity during the night and slows down its functioning. The heart rate and blood pressure change and, as a consequence, the blood that the heart carries to the rest of the body is of ‘better quality’ and richer in protein.

3. Bones and muscles rest at night: The night is the time when the bones and muscles can rest. When sleeping in a horizontal position, the joints do not need to support the weight of the body, so the muscles relax. On the other hand, in the spinal column, the intervertebral discs regenerate and are filled with a fundamental substance to exert their cushioning function. This occurs because, when the load decreases while lying down, the spinal discs are no longer compressed.

4. Eyesight regenerates and the skin expels toxins: Like other parts of the body, the skin and eyesight regenerate throughout the night. In the case of sight, the tear film that protects the cornea is regenerated, which is smoother when waking up. On the other hand, during sleep the body eliminates toxins through the pores of the skin. In all this renewal process that the skin undergoes throughout the night, there is a great loss of water, so the skin becomes more dehydrated at night than during the day.