The most useful thing that a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking. No mindfulness practices or personal growth courses can replace this simple recommendation. The same for insomnia.
But what if you’re unlucky and you’ve never smoked and aren’t even going to start any time soon? How to bring the maximum benefit to your health? I have an answer ready for you. It would be best if you normalized your sleep.
We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. Many people who value their time are greatly outraged by such an aimless waste of it. After all, in a dream, we do not earn money, do not correct confused people on the Internet, do not protect the homeland from the encroachments of external and internal enemies. “Mom, but just a minute,” promises a keen Videogamer. And as a result, he gets up completely sleepy for the first lesson.
However, it turns out that such experiments with your sleep can be expensive for our health. Sleep restriction leads to negative consequences. Our brain and our internal organs, as shown by experiments in which, unfortunately, many puppies and rats died.
The Harm Of Insomnia
It is clear that in a dream, the brain is not exactly resting; it works but in a slightly different model. During sleep, there is a release from unnecessary neural connections that have arisen during the day. Keeping only the most valuable information for us. During sleep, there is a process of purification from the products of the metabolism of neurons. That is why it is believed that in addition to a genetic predisposition. A powerful factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease diseases associated with the accumulation of beta-amyloid in nerve cells is chronic sleep deprivation.
insomnia plays an important role in the development of diseases such as:
- hypertension
- heart failure
- overweight
- decreased sex hormones
Lack of sleep affects immune function. For example, the probability of a cold increases several times if you do not get enough sleep.
From training in a state of lack of sleep, there is also more harm than good due to a decrease in performing complex correlation movements. The probability of getting an orthopedic injury during training increases many times. Yes, and the sense of such training will be a little. Without a full-fledged high-quality sleep, new dynamic stereotypes will not form in the brain. Which you worked out during the training and you will not be able to progress.
Do Not Underestimate Insomnia
I want to say once again that the role of sleep in the body is difficult to overestimate. And if the duration and quality of your sleep leave much to be desired. Then it would be best if you started to normalize it.
On the one hand, of course, everything is individual. And many people try to try on the cocked hat of Napoleon, which is rumored to have slept for 4 hours. Although who will check it now?
On the other hand, we say that a person should sleep at least 7 hours a day. If you need more than nine hours of sleep, you sleep the right amount of time and still don’t get enough sleep. Maybe you should get a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
Go to a therapist to rule out any somatic disease or rule out a mental illness.
Sleep Hygiene
If your sleep duration is less than six hours. Or its quality leaves much to be desired. such as:
- insomnia
- frequent night awakenings
- daytime drowsiness
- or difficulty getting up in the morning
1. Sleep Diary
Before you start stealing your grandmother’s sleeping pills. Get acquainted with such concepts as sleep hygiene. Get yourself a sleep diary and see it for two weeks. in this diary, try to poison your daily routine:
- what you eat
- drink
- what medications do you take
- all the factors that can affect your sleep.
And analyze these factors post factum. What helps you and what, on the contrary, prevents you from getting enough sleep.
2. Mode, to fight Insomnia
Try to go to bed and get up at the same time. Don’t underestimate circadian rhythms and the power of habit. If you get up at 7 am, count the number of hours you need to get a good night’s sleep. For example, 7 am, and add one hour to this number, so you need to go to bed at 11 pm. suddenly, you do not get enough sleep and do not count well in your mind.
3. The bed is a place only for sleeping and Sex
Even if you work on a remote site, lying in bed during the working day with a computer on your stomach is a bad idea. For your brain, the bed should be a place where you sleep and have sex. it is necessary to form the right reflexes. However, do not lie in bed if sleep does not go to you, forcing yourself to fall asleep. the more you force yourself to sleep, the more likely it is that insomnia will occur. The bed will also become associated with insomnia. If you can’t sleep for more than 20 minutes, then get up and do something.
Pillow mattress bedding should be as comfortable and comfortable as possible for you. But we’re not going to sell stuffed mattresses here. Firstly, they did not pay us, and secondly, everything is strictly individual. And the simplest and cheapest mattress will be the most convenient and comfortable for you personally and provide the maximum sleep quality. If you are a light sleeper and your partner is kicking, then sleep on your side of the bed and under your blanket.
In some cases, when your partner is kicking in a dream-like a wild mustang, it is easier to overpower him well, not in the stable, of course, but on a separate bed. Your sleep is the key to your health. Your partner should understand this.
4. Create a comfortable atmosphere in the bedroom
In general, create the most comfortable atmosphere in your bedroom. It’s bad if you hear noise from the street. Achieve maximum noise isolation. If the sound insulation does not give the proper result or the noise source snores near you, use earplugs.
the same requirements apply to lighting:
- curtains
- blinds
- and masks
Dracula should feel safe. Even in your bedroom during the day if it is set to black-out mode. The bedroom should not be hot, but rather cool.
5. Do not drink stimulating drinks before going to bed
Drinking coffee in the afternoon and tea before going to bed is a bad idea. Drinks containing caffeine will interfere with falling asleep. And don’t forget, tea also contains caffeine.
I often hear the recommendation to drink 2 liters of water a day. We will leave out the scientific validity of such recommendations. However, it is not good if you remember this only before going to bed. And decide to hydrate as much as possible with two liters. A full bladder is a very bad idea for a good and high-quality sleep.
6. Do not overeat before going to bed (but do not go to bed hungry)
Do not overeat before going to bed. But the acute feeling of hunger can also affect the process of falling asleep, the depth and quality of sleep.
How do you like these fans of intermittent fasting? A light snack before going to bed, a meal that is usually called healthy. Quite a good strategy.
7. Physical activity is great against Insomnia
Regular physical activity of moderate intensity is a great idea. But try not to set them too late, later than 8 and 9 pm. A late intense workout can affect the process of falling asleep. Before going to bed, it makes sense to relax as much as possible and even take a hot bath. But also one or two hours before bedtime.
8. Do not use gadgets 2 hours before bedtime
There is an opinion that:
- bright evening light indoors
- watching TV
- using gadgets, especially in blue light mode.
It suppresses the synthesis of melatonin and generally acts excitingly on our psyche. So try not to flip through Instagram 2 hours before bedtime. No matter how realistic this recommendation may seem. On the contrary, ritual behavior, such as reading a boring book you once had to read. But there was still no time for half an hour before bedtime. It is the best way to help you fall asleep.
9. Exclude alcohol
For the treatment of all diseases, my friend tries to use alcoholic products. Although we have all seen people who lost consciousness from a large amount of alcohol, this state can not be called a full sleep. The alcoholic’s sleep is briefly disturbed. The worst idea is to try to treat insomnia with alcohol.
The Bottom Line
As I said, physical activity and bright light 2 hours before bedtime can worsen its quality. However, bright daylight and physical activity in the daytime, on the contrary, will contribute to falling asleep and improving the quality of sleep.
If all these recommendations do not help you fall asleep, then contact a specialist somnologist. It will help you finally deal with your problem and exclude other causes of insomnia, such as depression. He will teach Quentin behavioral therapy and prescribe therapy if necessary.
Tell us in the comments your story of fighting healthy sleep.
Useful links: Sleep Disturbances in Depression Effects of playing a computer game using a bright display on presleep physiological variables, sleep latency, slow wave sleep and REM sleep Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans Bathing before sleep in the young and in the elderly