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Infallible (and easy) tips to sleep better
World sleep day
Maintaining regular hours, not drinking coffee in the afternoon and avoiding sports at night are essential to have good sleep hygiene
Sleep well for many is the panacea they desperately seek, and that is that a good night’s sleep can be the solution to a large number of our problems. Feel rested and energetic It is essential to face the day to day, and there are times that we can find difficulties not only to fall asleep, but also to maintain it.
Dr. Milagros Merino, member of the scientific committee of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), comments on the negative consequences of a continuous poor rest: “A bad rest affects the cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, immune or neurocognitive system. It also causes less daytime alertness, attention deficit, memory or concentration problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, and behavioral impulsivity, with illogical reasoning and inappropriate decision-making.
In order to have what we call a healthy “sleep hygiene”, it is important to acquire certain habits and routines, since everything we do during the day influences the quality of our sleep. Dr. Carles Gaig, coordinator of the study group on wakefulness and sleep disorders of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) gives us advice to ensure that our sleep is impeccable.
Always sleep the same (and at the same) hours
First of all, the expert talks about the importance of maintaining regular sleep schedules, essential to maintain good sleep hygiene. If we don’t, we are at risk of social jet lag. «We should go to sleep every day around the same time, as well as sleep the same hours every night“Says the expert who says that the ideal would be eight hours, although seven would also be good. “It is not necessary to become obsessive, to go to sleep a day or two later nothing happens, but it cannot be a lack of control,” he says.
He also talks about Naps, remembering that these must be less than 30 minutes. “What falls asleep during the day we will not sleep at night,” he warns.
Is it good to have a glass of milk before sleeping?
Have you ever been told to have a glass of milk to sleep better? This “natural remedy” is widespread, but it does not have to be effective. “There is no problem in having a glass of milk, but whether it helps you or not is something very individualized, it should not be taken as a general recommendation,” explains nutritionist María Eugenia Fernández. Even so, he points out that Hot beverages, in general, if they help us relax and give us a feeling of comfort. The nutritionist Silvia Fernández, from the Hospital La Luz de Quirónsalud, comments that if you want to take it, it is better to opt for an infusion, since it has the same effect but less caloric intake ».
Before we go to sleep, it is important avoid certain intakes, like very copious dinners or alcohol. The latter is essential, says the expert, since although at first it has a sedative effect, then a rebound effect occurs, which worsens the quality of sleep. Likewise, Dr. Gaig warns against the contraindications of doing sports at night: “If we go to the gym at nine o’clock at night, we come home, have dinner and go to sleep, we have a very active body and we cannot fall asleep.”
The expert then recommends, after dinner and before bed, to carry out activities that relax us, nothing related to work and that does not activate us mentally since «To sleep you have to be calm and relaxed». He also explains that it is best that these activities are not carried out in bed, so we should avoid, for example, watching television in the bedroom. “The bed should remain as something that we associate psychologically with sleep.”
The room, at the correct temperature
Temperature is a crucial factor in getting a good night’s sleep. It is essential to maintain a comfortable temperature in our room so as not to wake up during the night. Dr. Oriol Franch, head of the Neurology Unit of the Ruber International Hospital, advises that the room be properly ventilated and sets the optimum temperature for the stay between 18 and 22 degrees.
The expert gives two other simple but very effective tips: limit your coffee consumption and sunbathe daily. “The last coffee of the day should be after eating,” says the expert who also recommends expose ourselves to the sun every day for a while, better at noon, since this is a very powerful stimulus for our internal clock. This is where circadian rhythms come into play. Thanks to these, our watch adapts to sunlight, thus getting us to sleep when there is a lack of clarity and that we sleep better.