Contents
The myths (and truths) that prevent you from sleeping well
Rest
Can we make up for the lack of sleep over the weekend? Does meditation relax us to better fall asleep?
Each filtering bag tips for sleeping well they repeat without rest. That of not looking at the mobile before going to bed, that if doing sports late prevents us from resting well or the importance of the temperature of the room, to give a quick example. But within all the recommendations, many times they end up perpetrating myths that have anything but truth.
According to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), more than four million people in Spain (10% of the total population), and more than 12 million (30%) say they wake up with the feeling of not having had a good night’s sleep or end the day very tired. It is essential then to make sure that we do everything we
is in our hand to increase the quality of our sleep.
The experts from the Gympass platform and the Synctuition sleep therapy app have compiled the most widespread myths in the population about sleep, to be able to disassemble or reaffirm them and thus know some guidelines that we must carry out to improve our rest.
Myths about the dream that we take for the truth
1. We only need to sleep five or six hours a day: Fake. This is a very widespread mistake, since it is directly related to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, among others. In addition, when we sleep little, the brain makes a greater effort to maintain attention, which leads to alterations in mood, such as getting angry easily, depression or anxiety disorders.
2. Guided meditation helps you fall asleep: True. Meditation is a very beneficial practice to alleviate the excitement of the nervous system, promote complete relaxation of the body and mind, help control the stress and anxiety of the day and prepare the body for a well-deserved rest.
3. We can make up for lack of sleep over the weekend: Fake. When we haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep during the week, sleeping late on the weekend seems like an easy solution, but it’s not. It is important that the body has a constant sleep pattern, that is, that we go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
4. You have to sleep in complete darkness: Fake. Each person is different and, as such, each one has his or her sleep preferences. The key is to find the conditions that best suit each one, such as the qualities of the pillow or mattress, or the degree of clarity of the room.
5. Playing sports interferes with sleep: True. Sport is very beneficial for health, and it also facilitates falling asleep, since it promotes the release by the body of endorphins, which are substances that promote a feeling of well-being and relaxation. In addition, post-exercise fatigue leads us to a state of natural muscle and body relaxation, which invites you to rest. However, it is not advisable to exercise late in the day, since sport also raises the levels of cortisones and adrenaline, which are substances that are contrary to the sleep hormone, and can make it difficult to fall asleep.
6. Watching TV in bed relaxes: Fake. Another very widespread myth, then, tends to think that relaxing in bed watching the mobile or television, a few moments before going to sleep, will help us fall asleep. The truth is that, not only will what we see on the screen influence, which can sometimes stimulate us, but it is also that the other problem with television, smartphones and tablets, is that they produce blue light, which can delay production. of melatonin in the body, a natural hormone secreted by the body, which is responsible for sleep.
Three keys to sleep better
To improve rest, it is best to adapt our routine to some simple guidelines that will help us to have good sleep hygiene:
– It is important maintain a suitable temperature in the room. 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 idea is that we are able to go to sleep and wake up always at the same time, adjusted to the pattern of the sun: go to bed a few hours after dark and wake up with the arrival of the first hours of daylight.
– Dr. Celia García Malo, sleep specialist neurologist at the Sleep Institute recommends do some relaxing activity before bed. “It can be reading or listening to some music,” he says and recommends “avoid reviewing things from the next day’s work or the excess of news, since both can make us alert and make it difficult to fall asleep.”