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
·
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.
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