Improving your sleep
Sleep is a vital part of our day, considering we spend about a third of our day doing it. It has so many health benefits, but is often overlooked, simply because people prioritise other tasks over sleep. Not getting enough sleep can have both short and long term consequences on your health, so this blog post will talk about the importance of sleep and how to improve the quality of sleep you are getting.
Why is sleep important?
Very simply put, you need to sleep to survive. Sleep is when our body has time to recuperate and heal, and also get rid of any toxins in the brain. It is linked to mental and physical wellbeing, and can affect everything from productivity and mental health to weight gain and heart disease. Let’s briefly look at how sleep affects certain parts of our health:
Productivity and concentration - You will often have noticed that it is harder to pay attention at work or school after a bad night's sleep, and this is why. Fatigue interferes in every part of our life, and especially as a student who has to concentrate everyday, this can have an impact on things like your grades. Some studies even show that a lack of sleep can affect brains in a similar way to alcohol intoxication. On the contrary, good amounts of sleep has been proven to increase memory and problem solving skills in both children and adults.
Mental Wellbeing - Lack of sleep has also been linked to mental health issues like depression, but in less severe cases, it contributes to an irritable mood and a lack of energy. Insufficient sleep can hinder you processing emotions properly, and some studies even show that it stops you from reading facial emotions and body language cues in other people, affecting your social abilities.
Physical Health - There is a reason you are told to get plenty of sleep when recovering from a cold or a physical injury - your body spends the most time healing itself when you are asleep. Sleeping boosts the immune system, and even a small loss of sleep has been shown to reduce immune function at a significant level. Sleeping also decreases inflammation and cell damage which helps heal after physical injuries.
It is evident by now that sleep is an important pillar of health and has impacts on every part of our lives. So how do you improve the quality of your sleep?
Well, the very obvious answer is to simply sleep more. If you have built up a sleep deficit over months, the only way to combat that is to simply get more sleep, although this will take a while - you cannot simply do it in one night. Most adults need at least 7-9 hours of sleep, and children and teens need even more. However, if you have a particularly physical job or day, don’t be surprised if you need more sleep. Try and sleep intuitively - sleep when you get tired, but make sure that you have enough time to sleep before you need to wake up. If you always feel tired, this is a sign that you have built up a sleep deficit and need to rest more.
There are other small ways to improve your sleep:
Make a habit - Sleep at the same time every night if possible and do the same routine every night before bed so your brain gets used to it.
A comfortable sleeping arrangement - A new pillow or duvet can make all the difference. Make sure your room is dark and quiet when you sleep and as free of distractions as possible. Also, make sure you have adequate room on your bed - comfort is everything.
Drugs - Things like alcohol, caffeine and nicotine in your system before you sleep can all have an adverse affect on your sleep. Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants and make it hard to fall asleep, and alcohol disrupts the brainwaves that allow you to feel rested in the morning - it may help you fall asleep, but you will soon wake up in the middle of the night, and it is simply not a sustainable pattern to maintain.
Gadgets - Light from the gadgets stimulates the brain making it harder to fall asleep. Many studies have shown that giving up your gadgets even an hour before you go to bed can dramatically improve the quality of sleep you get.
I know that in today’s fast paced world, getting enough sleep is almost an afterthought, but it really has incredible effects on your body. I hope this post has been useful and taught you some things you can incorporate in your nighttime routine to get a more refreshing night's sleep!