Lack of sleep makes us feel terrible and can turn our lives into chaos. After all, lack of sleep makes us irritable, makes it difficult to concentrate and be attentive, which, by the way, is why many get into accidents and other incidents. Also, if you don’t get enough sleep, then you reduce the body’s resistance to cold and flu. In the long term, the health consequences are even more dangerous: an increased risk of stroke and heart disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, significant aging of the brain, persistent cognitive problems and deterioration of brain function, bone damage, cancer, and the risk of early death.
But it is important not just to sleep a certain amount of time – only qualitative sleep is a fundamental component of good health. If you always get up at night to use the bathroom or sleep no more than two hours in a row, you are most likely not getting enough sleep.
- Stick to sleep
Everyone’s sleep needs are different. Dr. Nathaniel Watson, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says most people are able to determine how much sleep they need. To do this, go to bed for 2-3 weeks as soon as you feel tired, and wake up on your own in the morning (if you can, in principle, fall asleep to start this experiment). By the end of this period, you will be able to estimate the amount of sleep you need to get enough sleep.
It is important to stick to this schedule, which is difficult in itself, as many people admit. But if you do show consistency, your sleep-wake cycle will be strengthened. If you cannot sleep for 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing, then return to bed when you feel tired.
- Forget the snooze button
How nice it is to hit the snooze button and roll over to catch a few extra minutes of sleep. But there is no benefit from this. Sleep between alarms is of very poor quality. You wake up and want to sleep even more because you interrupt your REM sleep. Instead, set your alarm to a later time – and don’t set it again.
- Count: 4–7–8
This method was discovered by a doctor and scientist from Harvard, Andrew Weil.
Breathe in calmly through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale air through your mouth for the count of eight with a whooshing sound.
Repeat the cycle three more times.
According to Weil, the 4-7-8 method is effective because it provides more oxygen than normal breathing to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is overstimulated during stress.
If you think this is too difficult, try just counting. And don’t forget about the sheep.
- Turn off electronic gadgets
If you are used to playing on your phone or tablet before bed, this may be one of the reasons why you find it difficult to fall asleep. Electronic gadgets – computers, cell phones, tablets, etc. – emit blue light that prevents the production of the “night” hormone melatonin. The pineal gland starts producing melatonin a few hours before bedtime, and blue light prevents this process. If a certain amount of blue light enters the eyes, it causes the pineal gland to stop producing melatonin.
Reading a printed book before bed is good.
Reading a book on a tablet before bed is bad.