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Do you nod off in transport, yawn at a meeting, and even after the third cup of coffee you have the feeling that you got up in the morning, but forgot to wake up? So you are doing something wrong. Consider eight mistakes that prevent us from getting enough sleep.
You are constantly sleepy. The reason is clear: lack of sleep. You follow all the good advice, that is, no longer allow yourself to fall asleep at the computer, do not drink coffee after dinner, and always turn off the lights at night, but this does not help. And not only is lack of sleep associated with health risks (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression), but it also makes you fat! What’s the matter? Here are eight mistakes that can cause insomnia that not everyone knows about.
Mistake 1. Self-deception
It seems to you that you can do without sleep, like a superman who works in an office during the day and saves the world at night. “The sleep-waiver mindset disrupts the normal sleep-wake cycle, which includes 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and leads to unnecessary stress,” says somnologist Robert Rosenberg, director of the Arizona Sleep Disorders Center. As a result, our biorhythms are changing, associated with the change of day and night, it becomes difficult to return a healthy sleep.”
What to do: stop demanding heroism from yourself. Allow yourself to feel tired and get enough sleep at night.
Mistake 2. The chaos of things in the bedroom
“Our consciousness captures everything that surrounds us. If the last thing you saw before going to bed was garbage and mess, then your thoughts will be chaotic and unpleasant, says Wei-Shin Lai, MD, who owns the patent for the invention of special headphones for falling asleep. “You have to get rid of unnecessary things, and you seem to process all this garbage again in your mind.” So probably roll from side to side and sleep restlessly.”
What to doTips: Clean out your bedroom trash and replace your wastebasket with a vase of lavender blend – the smell of dried flowers, according to Dr. Wei-Shin, calms the unconscious and helps you get a good night’s sleep.
Mistake 3. You fall asleep on an empty stomach
Eating a little before bed will give your body the energy to help you fall into a deep, restful sleep, says Robert Exman, director of the Missouri Sleep Institute. “Carbohydrates are especially beneficial because they increase the amount of insulin in the blood and promote the production of the hormone serotonin, which improves sleep.”
What to do: half an hour before bedtime, eat half a serving of pasta or whole grain porridge, a whole grain bread sandwich with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Evening snack should not exceed 150 kcal.
Mistake 4. You sleep fitfully
The bedroom is the best place to sleep, says Dr. Rosenberg. Taking a nap on the train on the way to work or snatching an hour after dinner on the couch, you disorient your brain: where and when can you go into a state of rest?
What to do: don’t change your bedroom. If drowsiness hits and it’s not time for bed yet, get up and stretch, Rosenberg advises. So you will increase the flow of oxygen to the tissues and improve blood circulation. This will help keep you from biting your nose until you get to the bedroom.
Mistake 5. You hope to catch up
“When it comes to sleep, there’s no catch-up,” says Rosenberg. “There is no way we can make up for the lack of sleep.” Moreover, such attempts can lead to the fact that you will feel even more tired. “If you’ve been sleeping 4-5 hours a week and are hoping to get 9-10 hours or more of sleep over the weekend, give up that hope,” Dr. Rosenberg warns. “You are throwing off your biological clock and preventing your body from establishing a proper sleep-wake cycle.”
What to do: Do your best to go to bed on time every night. If you like to sleep in on weekend mornings, go to bed later the night before so that you don’t change your usual sleep duration.
Mistake 6. You neglect breakfast
What, one wonders, has breakfast to do with what time you go to bed? “By eating breakfast within an hour of waking up, we start our biological clock, which counts down the time until a night’s sleep,” explains Dr. Exman. “It’s kind of like a timer that tells you when it’s time to go to bed.” Breakfast also regulates overall metabolism, says Professor Carl Basil, director of the Columbia Sleep Center at the Neurological Institute of New York. When you skip breakfast, your brain decides your body is in danger of starvation and starts releasing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which can cause insomnia.”
Regular meals during the day – the key to a good night’s sleep
What to do: Eat protein-rich foods in the morning and don’t overload yourself with carbohydrates, Professor Basil advises. A serving of low-calorie yogurt and a glass of skimmed milk will give you about 20 grams of protein, which, the professor believes, will help fuel up before the work day and start the countdown for the evening bedtime.
Mistake 7. Waking up in the morning is your nightmare
You fall asleep with the thought of getting out of bed in the morning, and the thought terrifies you. As a result, the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol are produced in the body. “They keep the body awake, so that even if you sleep, your sleep is not deep,” says Dr. Wei-Shin. Muscles are tense, blood sugar levels are high – all this does not contribute to good sleep.
What to do: focus on the positive events of the coming day, even if you have to get up early in the morning. Think about the pleasures ahead: it could be the first sip of a fragrant latte or a pretty outfit you’ll wear.
Mistake 8. You are a woman
Of course, the word “mistake” does not fit here. Nevertheless, this circumstance should be taken into account, because. Men and women have different sleep needs. “The periods of REM sleep necessary for meaningful rest are reduced during menstruation, premenopause and menopause due to a sharp drop in the level of the hormone progesterone in the blood,” explains Matthew Mingrone, lead physician at EOC California Sleep Centers. “Because of this, thermoregulation worsens, you get hot, and sleep deteriorates.”
What to do: Talk to your doctor about medications to regulate your hormone levels. And take care of your bed. If you have a thick blanket, replace it with a few thin ones to remove or add depending on your body temperature and how you feel. Cotton pajamas that are easily breathable will also help keep you cool.