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GOOD HEALTH THROUGH SLEEP
Have you been troubled by insomnia or sleep disruptions? Do you normally tend to neglect them? Would you change your opinion if we tell you that sleep disorders can inflict depression, loss of memory, diabetes, strokes and other heart issues over time?
To raise awareness and to promote the essence of sleep for our health, the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) has initiated the ‘World Sleep Day’ celebrated universally ever since 2008. It takes place on the third Friday of March each year.
The World Sleep Day also gives voice to how important it is to prevent and deal with sleep abnormalities. Philips and the Nielsen Company have recently carried out a survey in India in which 93% of the people admitted having problems with their sleep but only 2% actually sought medical help.
Typically, it is stress and tension at work, responsibilities at home or discrepancies in our relationships that disturb our sleep. We all need to understand that there will always be things we are dissatisfied with. However, we shouldn’t let them prevent us from getting a good night’s rest. The key to avoid or solve your sleep issues is in establishing new lifestyle habits. Here are a few ones to get you started:
Get ready for sleep before 10 pm: You might not be used to going to bed early but it makes a huge difference as good quality sleep takes place before midnight. Try going to bed before 10 pm tonight instead of after 11.
Skip daytime sleep: Most people who don’t get sufficient sleep during the night have daytime naps. While these may give you refreshment, they further disturb nighttime sleep, so you should try to avoid them. If it is really difficult at first, have a 20-minute shut-eye only.
Cut snacking before bedtime: If you go to bed hungry or gorged, you may as well stay up for a long time. The best regime will be to finish your dinner about two hours before bedtime. This will give your digestive tract the necessary time to process food and not to interfere with your sleep.
Reduce caffeine: Caffeine has potent effects on sleep. It is not uncommon for it to keep a person awake for the whole night. Note that not only coffee and tea contain caffeine. Types of food and drink that are rich in this stimulant should be avoided, similarly to spicy and acidic ones (citrus fruit and juice) which may lead to heartburn.
Forget about alcohol before bedtime: Have your alcoholic beverage earlier in the evening. Alcohol seriously upsets the phases of sleep and often accounts for nighttime awakenings.
Drink warm milk: Milk contains tryptophan, a vital amino acid that promotes the secretion of the brain chemical serotonin, which plays a crucial role in inducing sleep.
Take up a sport: Apart from keeping you fit, physical activity will also enable you to get better quality sleep. Those who suffer from sleep problems are often advised to get in touch with a fitness consultant. If you would like to start training, do it in the morning as exercise late in the day can have quite the opposite effects.
Keep your gadgets away: TVs and laptops are often used late at night to put us to sleep. Surprising as it may seem, they can expel rather than invite good sleep. Recently gleaned data indicate that the artificial light streaming from laptop screens and TVs actually inhibits the production of melatonin, another hormone pertinent to sleep.
Let your bedroom tune you into sleep: Make your bedroom a nice place to sleep in by keeping it dark and quiet. If you live in a noisy area, put on some earplugs before you go to bed or try one of those white-noise machines to create a pleasant environment. If bright lights annoy you and easily wake you up, thick curtains can help.
Seek medical advice: Sometimes it is exactly inadequate sleep that helps us recognize psychological issues, such as depression. Talk to a specialist about it so you know how to proceed.
Distract yourself: Those who find it difficult to fall asleep or wake up at night should not keep lying in bed and get frustrated. They can get up and do something they like, such as reading a passage from their favourite book (not turning the TV on, however!), until they feel sleepy again.
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