Sleep is an active process We seem to be sleeping resting and not moving but our brain is very active Sleep is important to remember what we did during the day to plan the next days work and to ensure that our mood is good and that we are not irritable and angry in the morning Good sleep ensures that we dont get sick dont get fat and dont get chronic diseases such as kidney heart problems and strokes
Why Is Sleep Important for Our Health
It is a known and scientifically proven fact that sleep is necessary for the normal functioning of our nervous system Too little sleep makes it difficult to concentrate remember execute actions and calculate If sleep deprivation continues hallucinations and mood swings may occur Scientists say that sleep provides an opportunity for those neurons that we used during the day to turn off and restore normal activity Growth hormone is produced in children and young adults during deep sleep In addition many body cells produce more proteins during sleep so deep sleep can truly be called beauty sleep The parts of the brain that regulate emotions and decision making processes help people maintain normal daytime functioning Moreover new scientific findings show that too long sleep can reduce the chances to live longer because long sleep increases the chances of stroke and in addition risk of death
Shorter Sleep Increases Chances of Death
If you sleep too little you have a greater chance to get sick The study published in the journal of the American Heart Association emphasized that good sleep is very important for human health especially for those people who have heart diseases In 2017 the study was repeated with more than 1600 people who participated in this study in the 90s About 50 percent of the participants had high blood pressure or diabetes the other 14 percent had heart disease The researchers determined that less than 6 hours of sleep doubled the risk of death in participants who had high blood pressure or diabetes For 14 percent of participants the risk of death triples if they sleep less than 6 hours
Is Long Sleep More Dangerous Than Insomnia
If you sleep for a long time not only your face will age faster but also your brain It is estimated that the latter can become obsolete in two years Sleeping too long causes memory and concentration problems In addition oversleeping slows down the metabolism so excess weight accumulates more quickly As we know the older we get the slower the bodys metabolism is In 2020 a study published in the journal Neurology shows that extra sleeping hours are not good for human health A total of 31750 people aged 617 years on average participated in this study All in all people who slept nine or more hours a night had an increased incidence of stroke of 23 in comparison with those who slept seven to eight hours a night According to this scientific research if you sleep over nine hours a night and nap for 90 minutes during the day you increase your chance of stroke risk by 85
How To Sleep Better
Take NMN Supplements
Include daily NMN supplement intake in your diet NMN or Nicotinamide mononucleotide is the precursor of NAD + NAD + is a significant biomarker in the human cell It is a new scientifically proven fact boosting NAD+ helps to sleep better and live longer
Take A Walk Before Bed
Its a good way to clear your mind and tire your body a bit It is especially useful for those who do a lot of mental work
Disconnect From The Outside World
Turn off the computer telephone and TV More than one study confirms that the light emitted by the screens of the devices disturbs the rhythm of sleep and stress before bed certainly does not help
Read
Bill Gates spends at least an hour every night reading books One study found that just 6 minutes of reading reduced stress by 68
In order to feel most rested you need to ensure that youre completing at least 4 5 sleep cycles a night Here are some simple tips to ensure that your sleep is as productive as possible
Avoid caffeine before bedtime Stimulating the brain before sleep can cause insomnia
Avoid antidepressants Some antidepressants can block Rem sleep
Avoid smoking Smokers have a lower rate of REM sleep and often wake up after 3 to 4 hours of sleep due to nicotine withdrawal
Avoid alcohol Consuming an alcoholic beverage before bed keeps sleepers in the lighter stages of sleep
Use your sleep cycle as an alarm clock Since sleep cycles last for 90 minutes set your morning alarm to wake you up after the last completed cycle For example if youre going to bed at 1030 pm and need to wake up at 630 am set your alarm clock to 6 am instead to account for 90 minute sleep cycle intervals Even though you lose 30 minutes of sleep your body will feel more rested having wakened after completing REM sleep
Follow a set bedtime and wake up time If you must wake up at 630 am either start going to bed at 11 pm or 930 pm Follow this schedule and see if your sleep improves
There are also a number of free and paid apps available for your iOS and Android phones that use your bodys sleep cycle to set your morning alarm such as Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Simply search for sleep clock and you will find whatever youre looking for
If youre struggling with getting enough sleep or youre feeling groggy and disorientated in the morning you may have bigger issues than just understanding your sleep cycles The best thing you can do is visit your local sleep specialist If you live in Alaska click on the link below to find a sleep specialist closest to you
