Science of a Perfect Night’s Sleep

Making sure you are sleeping well should be one key step to your overall well-being plan. Sometimes when our sleep pattern becomes disrupted, that’s when we realize how important a perfect night’s sleep is. Getting enough sleep every night is a challenge to many at the best times.

The Purpose of Sleep

Sleep is very important for your body and brain. Here are the most important purposes of sleep:        1.       Restoration

The first purpose of sleep is restoration. Your brain accumulates metabolic waste during a normal day’s metabolic activities. According to recent research, perfect sleep plays an important role in elimination of metabolic waste from the brain. This helps boost your long-term physical and mental function by avoiding some mental related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

2.       Memory consolidation

Sleep is actually important for memory consolidation, which is a process of strengthening and maintaining your long-term memories. Little or fragmented sleep can affect both emotional and concrete memories.

3.       Good for metabolic health

According to scientific studies, a lesser amount of sleep, maybe 5 hours instead of 8 per night, can lead to muscle loss and fat gain. Abnormal sleep patterns or insufficient sleep can also lead to metabolic syndrome and insulin insensitivity which increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

What a Perfect Night’s Sleep Means

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), a perfect night’s sleep can be defined by the following four factors:

·         Taking not more than one hour to get to sleep while in your bed

·         You should not wake up more than once per night.

·         In a perfect sleep, you should also be able to get back to sleep quickly after waking up. Approximately within 20 minutes.

·         You should sleep for at least 85 percent of the time you spend in bed

If you regularly meet all the above factors during your sleep, then it means you don’t have problems with your sleep. However, if you regularly fail to meet one of the above factors, then you need to improve your sleep pattern. Scientists have been researching about sleep for several years. Now that you know what exactly a perfect night of sleep is, check out these tips about the science behind a perfect night’s sleep:

1.       Start With a Routine

You should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. By doing this, you are assured of perfect and consistent sleep.

2.       The Right Room

Your bedroom is a place for sleep and sexual pleasure only. You should make sure it is dark, quiet and with no distractions. Consider switching all other external lights to make sure you have a perfect sleep.

3   3.       Exercise Every Morning

Performing physical activities such as hitting the gym every morning has been shown to increase the time of sleep in the following night. Those who exercise every morning experience deeper sleep and spend 75% more time a sleep compared to those who do not. Exercising in the morning usually gives your body enough time to heal and recover. According to science, morning exercise can also boost your long-term physical and mental function.

4   4 .       Skip the Nightcap

It is a common thing for many to have a drink in the evening in an effort to keep their bodies relaxed. However, science says drinking alcohol before you sleep is bad and affects both your amount and quality of sleep.

5   5.       Avoid Screens Before You Sleep

Using computers, laptops, smartphones or tablets right before bed is considered bad for your sleep. This can cause the levels of melatonin to drop, ruining your sleep patterns.

6   6.       Dim The Lights

When it is time to sleep, our bodies are used to darkness. It is therefore important to switch off or dim lights in preparation for your sleep. Dimming or switching off lights increases the levels of melatonin, making you feel sleepier. Due to lights, levels of melatonin can reduce leading to high levels of cortisol and reduced sleep. Reduced sleep led to elevated cortisol levels can keep you alert and awake though the night.

7  7.       Be Realistic

Trying to improve your sleep will not be perfect at the beginning. It is therefore important to recognize and accept the fact that you don’t experience perfect night’s sleep even after making efforts to do so.

When should I go to sleep?

The recommended number of hours to sleep for an adult is 7 to 9 hours a day. If you are recommended 7 hours a day, does it matter when you get it? The answer is YES! The time of the night you sleep makes a big difference in the quality and structure of sleep.

The ration of Rapid Eye movement (REM) to non-REM changes throughout the night with non-REM dominating the sleeping cycle. REM cycle starts closer to sunrise. That means late night sleep could lead to insufficient sleep. It is therefore important to sleep early during the night to reach your recommended time limit.

Daily Habits for Better Sleep

Better sleep can be achieved by harnessing the power of simple daily habits as discussed below:

·         Get outside- get at least a 30 minutes of sun exposure each day

·         Turn off the lights- Dim or turn off the lights before you sleep

·         Avoid caffeine- Caffeine increases cortisol levels which can keep you alert all night

·         Stop using tobacco- Tobacco is linked to health issues which can lead to poor sleep pattern

·         Use time spent in bed for sleep and sex only

·         Quiet bedroom- A quiet bedroom is key for a perfect night’s sleep

·         Exercise regularly

·         Avoid alcohol or nightcaps before bed

The Bottom Line

Cumulative sleep debt can be a great challenge to your day optimal performance. If you want to know how you can have a perfect sleep, you don’t need more than the advice and tips provided in this article.