A good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Research shows that poor sleep has immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, and brain function. It can also cause weight gain and increase disease risk in both adults and children. In contrast, good sleep can help you eat less, exercise better, and be healthier. If you want to optimize your health or lose weight, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do.
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
1. Increase bright light exposure (during the day)
Your body has a natural time-keeping clock known as your circadian rhythm. It affects your brain, body and helping you stay awake and telling your body when it’s time to sleep.
Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime, as well as night time sleep quality and duration. In people with insomnia, daytime bright light exposure improved sleep quality and duration. It also reduced the time it took to fall asleep by 83%.
A similar study in older adults found that 2 hours of bright light exposure during the day increased the amount of sleep by 2 hours and sleep efficiency by 80%.
While most research involves people with severe sleep issues, daily light exposure will most likely help you even if you experience average sleep.
2. Reduce blue light exposure (in the evening)
Exposure to light during the day is beneficial, but nighttime light exposure has the opposite effect. Again, this is due to its effect on your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This reduces hormones like, which help you relax and get deep sleep.
Blue light — which electronic devices like smartphones and computers emit in large amounts is the worst in this regard.
There are several popular methods you can use to reduce nighttime blue light exposure. These include:
• Wear glasses that block blue light.
• Install an app that blocks blue light on your smartphone. These are available for both iPhones and Android models.
• Stop watching TV and turn off any bright lights 2 hours before heading to bed.
3. Don’t consume caffeine late in the day
Caffeine has numerous benefits and is consumed by 90% of the U.S.
A single dose can enhance focus, energy, and sports performance. However, when consumed late in the day, caffeine stimulates your nervous system and may stop your body from naturally relaxing at night.
In one study, consuming caffeine up to 6 hours before bed significantly worsened sleep quality.
Caffeine can stay elevated in your blood for 6–8 hours. Therefore, drinking large amounts of coffee after 3–4 p.m. is not recommended, especially if you’re sensitive to caffeine or have trouble sleeping.
4. Try to sleep and wake at consistent times
Your body’s circadian rhythm functions on a set loop, aligning itself with sunrise and sunset. Being consistent with your sleep and waking times can aid long-term sleep quality.
One study noted that participants who had irregular sleeping patterns and went to bed late on the weekends reported poor sleep. Other studies have highlighted that irregular sleep patterns can alter your circadian rhythm and levels of melatonin, which signal your brain to sleep.
If you struggle with sleep, try to get in the habit of waking up and going to bed at similar times. After several weeks, you may not even need an alarm.
5. Don’t drink alcohol
Having a couple of drinks at night can negatively affect your sleep and hormones.
Alcohol is known to cause or increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns It also alters night time melatonin production, which plays a key role in your body’s circadian rhythm.
Another study found that alcohol consumption at night decreased the natural night time elevations in.
6. Optimize your bedroom environment
Many people believe that the bedroom environment and its setup are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lights, and furniture arrangement.
Numerous studies point out that external noise, often from traffic, can cause poor sleep and long-term health issues. In one study on the bedroom environment of women, around 50% of participants noticed improved sleep quality when noise and light diminished.
To optimize your bedroom environment, try to minimize external noise, light, and artificial lights from devices like alarm clocks. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean, and enjoyable place.
7. Set your bedroom temperature
Body and bedroom temperature can also profoundly affect sleep quality. As you may have experienced during the summer or in hot locations, it can be very hard to get a good night’s sleep when it’s too warm. One study found that bedroom temperature affected sleep quality more than external noise. Other studies reveal that increased body and bedroom temperature can decrease sleep quality and increase wakefulness. Around 70°F (20°C) seems to be a comfortable temperature for most people, although it depends on your preferences and habits.
8. Don’t eat late in the evening
Eating late at night may negatively affect both sleep quality and the natural release of HGH and melatonin. That said, the quality and type of your may play a role as well.
In one study, a high carb meal eaten 4 hours before bed helped people fall asleep faster.
Interestingly, one study discovered that a low carb diet also improved sleep, indicating that carbs aren’t always necessary, especially if you’re used to a low carb diet.
9. Relax
Many people have a pre-sleep routine that helps them relax. Relaxation techniques before bed have been shown to improve sleep quality and are another common technique used to treat insomnia.
In one study, a relaxing massage improved sleep quality in people who were ill.
Strategies include listening to relaxing music, reading a book, taking a hot bath, meditating, deep breathing, and visualization. Try out different methods and find what works best for you.
10. Take a relaxing bath or shower
A relaxing bath or shower is another popular way to sleep better. Studies indicate that they can help improve overall sleep quality and help people — especially older adults — fall asleep faster.
In one study, taking a hot bath 90 minutes before bed improved sleep quality and helped people get more deep sleep. Alternatively, if you don’t want to take a full bath at night, simply bathing your feet in hot water can help you relax and improve sleep.
11. Exercise regularly
Exercise is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep and health. It can enhance all aspects of sleep and has been used to reduce symptoms of insomnia.
One study in older adults determined that nearly halved the amount of time it took to fall asleep and provided 41 more minutes of sleep at night. In people with severe insomnia, exercise offered more benefits than most drugs. Exercise reduced time to fall asleep by 55%, total night wakefulness by 30%, and anxiety by 15% while increasing total sleep time by 18%.
Although daily exercise is key for a good night’s sleep, performing it too late in the day may cause sleep problems. This is due to the stimulatory effect of exercise, which increases alertness and hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline.
12. Don’t drink any liquids before bed
Nocturia is the medical term for excessive urination during the night. It affects sleep quality and daytime energy. Drinking large amounts of liquids before bed can lead to similar symptoms, though some people are more sensitive than others.
Although hydration is vital for your health, it’s wise to reduce your fluid intake in the late evening. Try to not drink any fluids 1–2 hours before going to bed. You should also use the bathroom right before going to bed, as this may decrease your chances of waking in the night.
The bottom line
One large review linked insufficient sleep to an increased risk of obesity by 89% in children and 55% in adults.
Other studies conclude that getting less than 7–8 hours per night increases your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In some people, lack of quality sleep makes them irritable and difficult the next day. Office colleagues suffer because their output is impacted by what you say or do. So, try to get some sleep today!
Reference:
17 Proven tips to sleep better, Rudy Mawer, www.healthline.com
No comments:
Post a Comment