The importance of sleep
The more regular and consistent your sleep is, the longer and better your life will be. One of the most important roles of sleep is to support mental and physical well-being.
Lack of regular sleep causes fatigue and irritation faster than usual, and such stress exhausts the body more than is healthy. Sleep supports the body's resistance to acute and chronic diseases, and if you sleep well, you are less susceptible to viral diseases.
Normal sleep maintains also mental health. One poorly slept night is enough for our concentration and analytical skills to become similar to that of being drunk. During sleep, the body renews itself and restores the reserves that maintain health. Good sleep is of sufficient length and lasts from evening to morning.
An adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Need for sleep can vary from person to person. Middle-aged people notice that they start waking up at night as they get older, and their daytime well-being is significantly more affected by poor night's sleep.
Sleep becomes more fragile as people get older, and the number of nighttime awakenings also increases. As we age, brief and relatively unnoticeable nighttime awakenings occur, which is a normal phenomenon, as sleep becomes more sensitive to various environmental and bodily changes. Consequently, it is wise to make conscious choices in both your home sleeping environment and your daily habits to maintain good sleep. A good night's sleep starts already from waking up in the morning - a steady increase in daytime sleep pressure allows you to fall asleep without difficulty in the evening. A stable wake-up time, regular and smartly chosen meals, sufficient physical activity, finding time for yourself, and a safe and comfortable sleeping environment are the foundations of good sleep. Mental and physical fatigue must be balanced; it is not good to overexert yourself. There are many circumstances that affect sleep. Several factors can be consciously influenced when you make changes in your daily life that make sleep better. The easiest way to improve your sleep is to choose the right bed, mattress, blanket, and pillow.
How to improve your sleep?
The recipe for good sleep is long and varied. Sleep rhythm is one of many rhythms that operate in the body around the clock. Rhythm is very characteristic of the human body. The heart beats in its own rhythm, breathing occurs rhythmically, and what happens in the body is regulated by the biological clock in the genes together with signals from the external environment. The strongest information from the external environment that affects sleep is light. It is wise to be in bright light in the morning. From six to seven in the evening, soft and warmer light (yellow, orange, red) should be preferred. One tool that promotes sleep is light glasses with a certain wavelength, which increase morning alertness and, when used for 10 minutes immediately after waking up during the dark season, promote falling asleep in the evening. We also recommend relaxing in dim light for an hour before sleep. Falling asleep should be a pleasant, gradual relaxation, during which you let go of your daily thoughts, focus on the rhythm of your breathing, and feel a safe and pleasant environment. It is generally considered normal when you fall asleep within 20 minutes. There is no single activity that ensures good sleep - everyone has their own tricks that work. Sleeping pills make you fall asleep quickly, but they can cause an unpleasant feeling and drowsiness during the day. Sleeping pills are also quickly addictive. Everything necessary for sleep is naturally present in the human body. These are signals that must function regularly, because then they are sufficiently effective and well-perceived for falling asleep. Sleep signals can be strengthened with conscious decisions and this helps maintain sleep throughout life.
Bedroom
A good bedroom is like a cave - cool, dark and quiet. In twilight and darkness, the production of the sleep hormone melatonin is triggered, which promotes sleep. A drop in body temperature is important for falling asleep. A drop in body temperature goes hand in hand with an increase in the amount of sleep hormone in the body. It is reasonable to allow yourself a pleasant and not too hot water procedure before going to bed, which has had a sufficient effect of lowering the body temperature by bedtime. A quiet and peaceful room allows the senses to calm down. The best room temperature range for bedtime is 18 to 20 degrees. To ensure good sleep, you must ensure that carbon dioxide does not accumulate in the bedroom – there need to be sufficient fresh air flow and air exchange. Darkness is also an important sleep promoter, as light irritates the vision center in the brain even through closed eyelids. Meditative music is recommended before going to bed and in the first phases of sleep, because it increases the amount of deep sleep. A “sleep machine” is also a good tool to support sleep, which produces sound at a suitable wavelength that helps you fall asleep better. A snoring bedmate and a noisy street disturb sleep, but at the same time it has been found that the steady hum of the city or the passing of a train does not disturb sleep, but rather promotes it. Some people find the constant, quiet ticking of a clock to be sleep-inducing and they pack an alarm clock with a familiar sound when they travel. The sleeping environment can be made more sleep-friendly with suitable scents. Personal preference plays a big role here. In bedrooms, aroma sachets can be used to promote falling asleep with a suitable aroma bouquet (lavender, mint, etc.). Mattresses, pillows, blankets and bed linen are the mainstays of a good night's sleep. Suitable pillows (there could be several of them at home) allow you to maintain a stable head and neck position throughout the night. The pillow needs to be replaced at least every two years. The life of the mattress is longer, but it is recommended to turn it over every few months. Pre-sleep anxiety and restlessness can be relieved by a weight blanket. Those turn out to be especially useful in case of “restless feet” and improving sleep in children with sensitive sleep.
How can food support good sleep?
Food is not a sleeping pill, but certain foods support good sleep. We can increase the feeling of well-being in the body with lunch, dinner or a light meal before sleep. A suitable diet rich in tryptophan will give you a pleasant feeling when falling asleep, while the stomach will not be too full. Also, herbal teas can enhance calmness in the evening. Tea drinking has historically played a meditative role in different cultures. It is not healthy to consume the same tea for more than ten consecutive days. What foods have a beneficial effect on sleep? Evening milk and oatmeal biscuit, familiar from English food culture, are very much sleep-friendly, as dairy and whole grains contain tryptophan. An evening meal containing tryptophan and suitable for sleep should contain enough protein and whole grains. Tryptophan is also found in poultry, certain fish, a selection of dairy products, green vegetables, some fruit and berries. Everyone can create a sleep-friendly menu for themselves, which includes healthy and sleep-beneficial options. Particular attention should be paid to the amount of your evening meal. A hearty dinner with a large calorie intake will disturb sleep. In addition, it is wise not to increase fluid intake for 1.5 hours before falling asleep.
Physical activity
A prerequisite for a good night's sleep is sufficient physical fatigue. A workout lasting 30-60 minutes that increases heart rate must be included in every day. Stronger athletic activity should be done approximately 3-4 hours before sleep time so that the body has time to calm down and "cool down". Before sleep, it is good to do exercises or stretch and straighten the body. The use of the pool is very sleep-friendly, as the water has a calming effect and lowers body temperature. When planning the training time during the day, you must take into account your type of sleep wakefulness. Morning people should plan physical activities before noon, evening people have more flexibility in this regard. Studies have shown that any moderate athletic activity is beneficial, but such a workout, where large muscle groups are affected and heart rate can fluctuate within greater limits (HIIT - high intensity interval training), is beneficial to sleep. If your previous physical activity has been modest, then start with walking for up to an hour a day.
The importance of intimacy and joint activities in maintaining sleep
A sense of security and physical touch are beneficial to good night's sleep in every way, as both trigger wellness hormones and have a relieving effect on insomnia. The awareness to perform skin care rituals in the home bathroom has increased significantly over time, and the soothing evening or stimulating morning effect of those treatments is a conscious step towards improving sleep. A good relationship between partners is good for sleep. Physical touch increases the production of calming agents (for example, oxytocin) in the body.
When you want to fall asleep fast and sleep peacefully, both body and mind must be tired enough. An evening sleep ritual with your partner helps to calm down, relax and get rid of daytime thoughts. An hour before falling asleep, it is necessary to abandon the active use of smart devices in order to avoid light stimulation, which suppresses the formation of the sleep hormone. It also avoids excessive flooding of information, which in turn can generate more thoughts.
In the case of sensitive or disturbed sleep, a joint sleep ritual with a partner, which begins at the same time every night, must be followed. It may include a number of soothing activities: walking, meditative and soothing music, water procedures, relaxing skin care, yoga exercises; pre-sleep light meal, soothing tea.
Sleep disorders
We sleep for one third of our lives. Quality sleep requires regularity and self-discipline in daily activities. By middle age at the latest, most people feel that sleep is no longer as invigorating as it was years ago, and sleep disorders or sleep diseases may occur. The course of sleep disorder is often undulating. Sleepless people have the experience that sleep disorder proceeds chronically and constantly needs attention - even minor changes in daily regimen can amplify insomnia. You can do a lot for yourself with changes to your day-to-day regimen at home. If within three months your sleep disorder does not subside despite environmental and daily changes and there are repeated sleep disturbances from week to week, it is necessary to see a specialist.
Sleep disorders are common globally, both in developed and developing countries. More than 60% of people think that their sleep could be better. In the 40-59 age group, 40% of people complain of too short sleep. Eight out of ten adults want to improve their sleep, up to 60% of them have not sought help from a specialist. The prevalence of sleep disorders is on the rise. There are more than 80 different sleep disorders, a significant part of which is related to the bedroom environment and pre-sleep habits, among other reasons. Reasons for the spread of sleep disorders are considered to be the 24/7 information society, the obesity epidemic, light pollution, the aging of the population in developed countries, etc. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in adults, and of those 10% have chronic insomnia. Up to 21% of women and 34% of men have sleep apnea, which, in addition to disturbances in breathing during sleep, worsens health in general and shortens life expectancy. Sleep disorders are characterized by an unremarkable slow-creeping course, which over the years have detrimental effect on health. The chronic occurrence of sleep disorders is directly associated with the development of the following diseases, as well as their consequences: cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, the presence of chronic inflammations, obesity, diabetes mellitus, impotence, decreased libido, anxiety, depression, shorter life expectancy.