Success in your day largely depends on what you do the night before, I think this is very evident, but it goes beyond simply lying in bed and closing your eyes. As you probably already know, rest and good sleep are a necessary part of a full and healthy life, sleep is as important for your body as food and water.
Therefore, on this Wise Saturday we will explore the topic of how to sleep well, I will give you some practical tips so that you can apply it to your next night of sleep, so first let's explore, what is sleep?
What is the dream?
Sleep is a natural and necessary physiological state for the well-being of our body and mind. During sleep, there is a decrease in motor and sensory activity, allowing the body to rest and recover. In addition, sleep plays a fundamental role in cognitive processes such as memory consolidation and learning.
Sleep is divided into two main phases: non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Each of these phases is made up of different stages, which occur in cycles throughout the night.
Non-REM sleep (NREM):
- Stage 1 (drowsiness): It is the initial and lightest phase of sleep, in which the person is between wakefulness and sleep. During this stage, muscles begin to relax and brain activity slows down. It usually lasts a few minutes.
- Stage 2 (light sleep): At this stage, the person is already asleep, but it is still easy to wake up. Brain activity, heart rate and breathing decrease further, and body temperature drops. This stage represents approximately 50% of the total sleep time in adults.
- Stage 3 (deep sleep): This is the deepest and most restorative stage of sleep. During this phase, brain activity is characterized by slow waves (delta waves), and it is more difficult to wake the person. Deep sleep is essential for tissue repair, strengthening the immune system and releasing growth hormones.
REM Sleep: After completing the stages of NREM sleep, the REM stage begins, which is characterized by rapid eye movement, increased brain activity, and temporary paralysis of the body's muscles. During this phase, most dreams occur and memory consolidation and learning processes take place. The REM stage usually lasts approximately 25% of the total sleep time and repeats in cycles throughout the night.
Throughout the night, sleep goes through several cycles of these stages, each lasting approximately 90 to 120 minutes. Maintaining a good quality of sleep and going through all the stages appropriately is essential to guarantee good rest and proper functioning of the body during the day.
What hormones influence our sleep?
There are several hormones that influence sleep and the regulation of sleep cycles. Knowing them will give us an advantage when designing our routine since we can optimize it to benefit our rest. The most important hormones are the following:
- Melatonin: Melatonin is a hormone produced primarily by the pineal gland in the brain. It is responsible for regulating sleep and wake cycles and is released in response to darkness. Melatonin helps synchronize our internal biological clock with the light and dark cycles of the environment.
- Adenosine: Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that accumulates in the brain throughout the day and causes drowsiness. As adenosine levels increase, the feeling of sleep becomes stronger. During sleep, adenosine levels decrease, allowing us to wake up rested and alert.
- Serotonin: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that influences mood, appetite, and sleep. Serotonin is necessary for the production of melatonin, and also has a role in regulating REM sleep and non-REM sleep.
- Growth hormone: Growth hormone is produced in the pituitary gland and plays a crucial role in growth, cell repair, and metabolism. Most growth hormone is released during the early stages of deep sleep, indicating its importance in the body's recovery and repair during sleep.
These hormones work together to regulate and maintain our sleep patterns, as well as to ensure that we have good quality, restful sleep.
How does sleep influence our lives?
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the benefits of sleeping properly:
- Getting a good night's sleep has multiple positive effects on the mind and body, including weight loss, happiness, and cognitive performance.
- Sleep is healing on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level.
- The quality of sleep is more important than the hours slept.
Also a list of the negative effects of not sleeping properly:
- Sleep deprivation accumulates a sleep debt that you will have to pay off.
- Sleep deprivation has multiple negative effects on your body and mind, including obesity.
- Bad sleep is closely related to mental and physical illnesses.
- Poor sleep affects your ability to build muscle when exercising.
Therefore, I share here a routine that you can follow to ensure your rest at night:
Get ready to sleep
Adequate preparation to sleep well involves many things that you can include in your routine, here are some ideas for you to incorporate into your life.
Go to bed at the same time every day
Try to sleep at the same time every day, even on weekends. This allows the body to establish a healthy circadian rhythm, which in turn improves sleep quality by easing the transition between the sleep stages mentioned above. In addition, when you get used to sleeping and waking up at the same time, the body adapts to this schedule and it is easier to wake up in the morning without feeling tired.
Do not use electronic devices 1 hour before bed
There are scientific studies that indicate that the blue light emitted by electronic devices can interfere with sleep patterns and the body's ability to relax.
This is because seeing light makes us alert and awakens our brain. Which can inhibit the production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep.
Invest in glasses that block blue light from devices for use during the day, especially at night.
Don't consume caffeine after 2 p.m.
Caffeine affects the quality of your sleep in 3 different ways:
- Caffeine blocks adenosine, the molecule that tells us to feel sleepy.
- Also, caffeine suppresses melatonin, the hormone that starts the sleep engine.
- Finally, caffeine affects sleep quality by preventing the entry of deep sleep stages.
Caffeine has a half-life of 6-8 hours, so it is best to stop consuming caffeine around 2 pm. to reduce the risk of it affecting your sleep cycle and making it difficult for you to fall asleep at night.
Don't consume alcohol
Alcohol may induce sleep at first, but often disrupts sleep during the night, causing fragmented, poor-quality sleep. Additionally, alcohol dehydrates the body and can cause sleep apnea and snoring.
According to some scientific studies, alcohol appears to postpone the first episode of REM sleep, and higher doses of alcohol appear to decrease total REM sleep, which will make you get even less rest with the same amount of sleep.
If you are going to consume alcohol, I recommend that for every glass of alcohol you drink a glass of water, this will help you avoid a hangover.
Don't take naps after 3 pm and take naps of only 25 minutes or less.
Napping later in the day or for long periods can make it difficult to fall asleep at night. Limiting naps to 25 minutes or less ensures that you don't fall into deep sleep and don't affect your night's sleep.
Sleep in a dark and cool environment
A dark, cool environment promotes the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and helps you fall asleep more easily. In addition, keeping the room cool prevents sweating and sleep interruptions due to heat.
Use a breathing technique
In order to sleep, your heart rate must be at 60 beats per minute or less, to reduce it you can use the 5-5-5-5 breathing technique, here is a description:
- Close your eyes
- Breathe deeply for 5 seconds
- Hold your breath for 5 seconds
- Exhale for 5 seconds
- Repeat this 5 times You can use this technique not only before bed, but throughout the rest of your day to relax when you need it.
Use a high-quality ergonomic pillow
An ergonomic pillow provides adequate support for the head and neck when lying down, which helps maintain proper posture during sleep. This can prevent neck and back pain when sleeping and improve the quality of your sleep.
If you have to buy one, I recommend that you see it as an investment in your rest instead of an expense.
Use a high-quality sleep mask when there is light in the environment.
Light can disrupt melatonin production and make it difficult to sleep. A sleeping mask blocks light and helps create a dark environment for your eyes, making it easier to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.
Summary
Sleep is divided into two main phases, REM sleep and non-REM sleep, and going through all the stages properly is essential to ensure a good rest.
Some key hormones in sleep regulation include melatonin, adenosine, serotonin and growth hormone, these influence the rest you will get when you sleep.
Getting adequate sleep has numerous benefits on the mind and body, while sleep deprivation can have several negative effects.
To improve your rest, I recommend following a routine that includes:
- Go to bed at the same time every day
- Avoid electronic devices and caffeine before bed
- Do not consume alcohol
- Limit naps
- Sleep in a dark and cool environment
- Use breathing techniques to lower your heart rate
- Use an ergonomic pillow
- If necessary, use a sleep mask.
