The importance of restful sleep and how to sleep well

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Resting well at night is important to regain our strength. But do you really sleep well? Or do you have a hard time falling asleep? Maybe you are a light sleeper? Perhaps you toss and turn around in bed? Or maybe you do not sleep enough hours.

How to recognise that your sleep quality and quantity is improvable

When we do not enjoy a restful sleep, be it in number of hours or in quality, we can notice for example the following effects:

• Feeling of constant tiredness and lack of energy.
• Decrease of ability to pay attention and concentrate.
• Memory lapses.
• Decrease of creativity and the ability to make good decisions.
• Irritability and bad mood.
• Vision impairment or light sensitivity.
• Gastric problems.

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Why is it important to sleep well

Sleep is essential for our organism to recover.

Our immune system regenerates

Lack of restful sleep increases the risk of illness, among them high blood pressure and heart conditions. This is because the presence of stress hormones, blood pressure and heart rate, even cholesterol increase. When we feel more tired we can also crave high-calorie food, rich in carbohydrates, which can lead to weight problems.

During sleep, our immune system regenerates, the cells oxygenate and hormones like melatonin and growth hormones are released. The reduction of the heart rate during sleep allows the heart cells and tissues to repair.

All this allows our body to recover from the day’s efforts. The body fortifies itself against infections and possible diseases, our vision recovers and our skin and heart rest.

Our brain recovers and memory settles

Lack of sleep can adversely affect our memory, ability to concentrate, pay attention and make decisions. With that, our performance decreases and we are more prone to take unnecessary risks or make bad decisions.

When we sleep, the neural connections, which help us learn and remember, strengthen. During the REM sleep, the hippocampus restores itself and transmits short-term memory to long-term memory. A restful sleep helps our brain rest and balance our hormone production. Thus, our memory and imagination work better. That means it helps our ability to solve problems, make decisions and be creative.

We are emotionally stronger

Lack of sleep negatively affects our state of mind. We become more irritable, which may affect our behaviour and thus our relations with others. Chronic sleep deprivation can even increase the probabilities of suffering depression.

During sleep, our body rests and relaxes. Melanin and serotonin are produced then which counteract adrenaline and cortisol, the so-called stress hormones. That means a restful sleep does not only offset the effects of stress but also help us feel emotionally stronger and happier.

#Sleep helps our #body and #mind recover from the daily efforts. How to sleep well Click To Tweet

What does have an impact on sleep quality?

Worries and stress harm our sleep. If we are tense, feel overwhelmed, anxious, worried or overtaken by events, this can affect the quality of sleep. We might be unable to get to sleep, wake up very early or toss and turn.

Light and noises also have an influence, even if we think we are used to them. Daylight and darkness help our organism know when it is time to sleep. That is why electronic devices with screens such as televisions, tablets and smartphones can harm our sleep cycle.

How to rest better

Do you sleep well and enough hours?

A feeling of exhaustion, constant tiredness and sleepiness during the day are signs of lack of sleep, in quantity or quality. Other signs are having a hard time falling asleep or getting up, or the need to catch up on sleep on weekends. Turns out the latter does not work; we cannot make up for sleep. Moreover it will affect our life cycle and circadian rhythm to want to catch up on weekends or days off on the sleep we have deprived our body of the rest of the days.

But do you know how many hours you need to sleep to feel fresh and energised? The number of hours vary from person to person because they depend on genetic factors and circadian rhythms. The WHO and the American National Sleep Foundation point out that an adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep and should not sleep less than six or more than ten hours.

In addition to the main sleep at night, if you have the possibility, it can be beneficial to take a nap of maximum 45 minutes after lunch. Though, check if it helps you feel freshened up or you have a harder time falling asleep at night.

Also take into account that our need for sleep can vary under certain circumstances. If we are ill or go through a phase of intense activity, our body might ask for more sleep.

Find out how many hours of sleep you need

So, the first question is if you sleep enough hours. In order to figure it out and regulate your hours of sleep, Gemma Paech, researcher at South Australia University, recommends the following:

• Go to bed when you feel tired.
• Do not use an alarm clock and let your biological clock wake you up. If you are not used to waking up without the help of an alarm, you may start during your holidays.
• Control the exposure to light, that is getting natural light during the day and ensuring the bedroom is dark at night.
• Keep regular sleep cycles, i.e. sleep the same hours each night.
• Keep a sleep diary. If you need to improve your sleep quality and quantity, Gemma Paech suggests to write down at what time you go to sleep and what time you wake up. Also note down if you wake up during the night and how many times. Lastly, write down how you feel during the day: well rested, exhausted etc.

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How is your sleep environment?

The bedroom should be an environment conducive to rest. Choosing well the mattress and pillow is essential to sleep in the right position for our back and neck. Moreover, the bedroom should be fresh, dark and noise-free.

That is why not having electronic devices like the mobile phone next to bed is advisable. The light our sound of notifications disturbs our sleep even if just subconsciously. Therefore I recommend you do not use your phone as alarm clock. If you cannot go without an alarm and do not have a traditional alarm clock, at least switch on plan mode and turn your phone to silence at night. The alarm will still work but you will avoid the beeps of app notifications.

Review your habits before going to bed

At what time do you have dinner and what do you eat?

About two hours should go by between dinner and going to bed. And I speak from experience. Some day I have come home late from an event and had dinner quickly, hardly an hour before going to bed. The next morning I have woken up with the feeling of having pulled an all-nighter.

Moreover, dinner should be light and high-protein. For example, dairy products are recommended as they contain tryptophan, a natural substance with sleep-inducing effects. Also, you should go without stimulants from late afternoon: energy drinks, coffee, tea with theine, alcohol and nicotine.

Do you watch TV before bedtime

Consider what you watch. To put an example, in Spain in the late evening you can find political debates with show guests discussing, not letting each other talk and almost shouting at times. I am not saying you should not watch this type of programmes if you like them, but maybe you could record them to watch at another time. Because going to bed right after having heard people shouting and arguing does not seem the most relaxing thing, does it? The same can happen with action or terror movies. Consider whether what you watch affects how well you manage to fall asleep.

Do you have an evening ritual?

Do you turn off the TV and go to bed directly? Or even watch TV lying in bed? Maybe you use a tablet or smartphone to play, read something or even check work emails. The hour before going to sleep sets the tone for sleep and rest. But at least the last fifteen minutes you should allow your body and mind to enter a state of calmness.

If your sleep quality is improvable, I suggest you spend the hour before getting to bed with relaxing and offline activities like reading (on paper), handicrafts, stretching, yoga or meditation for example.

Then prepare for bed: put on your pyjamas, wash your face, take off make-up, put on some cream, brush your teeth. Do all this slowly and mindfully in order to prepare your body and mind for a state of relaxation and rest.

The last hour before going to #sleep sets the tone for #rest. Which #habits do you have before going to bed? Click To Tweet

Be grateful

Before getting to bed or lying in bed, I recommend something I have learned with mindfulness and also in a book by Robin Sharma. In your mind, go through the day and say thank you for all the good things that have happened or you have done: the meditation session in the morning, the tasty and healthy breakfast, the sun shining, that important work project you have made progress on, that productive meeting, the laugh you have had with your colleagues, the time spent with a friend, your kid, your partner and a long etcetera.

The majority of us has not been educated to do this exercise but you will see the benefits. This exercise will help you train a more positive mindset as well as sleep more peacefully and get up more relaxed. Besides, the conscious review of your day will also train your memory so that days do not go by in a blur and unnoticed. Start by thinking up at least five good things that have happened. It might be hard at first but little by little you will realise that it helps you appreciate the little details life gives you.

Having a hard time falling #asleep at night? Try the #gratitude exercise to #sleep more peacefully and wake up more #relaxed Click To Tweet

Other habits to rest better

Physical activity is very beneficial for our health and to relieve stress. However, if you have a hard time falling asleep, rather do not do intense activity in the last two hours before sleeping. As mentioned before, relaxing exercises will be more suitable.

If you suffer stress or worries, all these recommendations will not be enough. You will need to include stress-relief techniques into your routine such as mindfulness exercises for example. As well, I suggest that before going to sleep you “unload” your mind. Take paper and pen and write down what worries you and which pending tasks are on your mind. As long as we do not write things down, our mind will try to remind us until we solve them; and that will hinder our rest.

When you go to bed, do you turn #worries and pending tasks over and over in your #mind? Unload your mind before going to #sleep Click To Tweet

Recap

We have seen that sleeping is essential for our health and well-being. We can improve our sleep by taking care of a series of aspects, from the environment we sleep in to the habits and routines before going to bed.

How well do you rest at night? Which habits and tricks do help you sleep better?

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