Sleep, a critical pillar of health!
World Sleep Day is on Friday, March 17, 2023, and as Fang Han, MD, Co-Chair of World Sleep Day 2023, puts it, “Just because sleep is a natural behaviour does not mean that sleep should be taken for granted.” and Lourdes DelRosso, MD, PhD, Co-Chair of World Sleep Day 2023“People should think about sleep like they do other important healthy behaviours such as exercise – as something to reflect upon and, when appropriate, improve so that one can feel better and remain healthier over time.”
Healthy sleep is sleep which restores and energizes a person, so he or she feels wide awake, dynamic, and energetic all day long. Research has demonstrated the significance of sleep for physical, mental, and social well-being. It is a critical pillar of health, like nutrition and physical activity. At the risk of sounding a tad repetitive or stating the obvious.... Sleep helps the brain recover from the day's activities (aids in the clearance of waste from the brain), keeps it healthy, and improves its capacity for learning and memory. After all, who wouldn't desire a sharp mind?
Getting a good night's sleep is beneficial to your immune system and helps in the elimination of viruses and bacteria. It's hard to imagine somebody who wouldn't benefit from a strong immune system. The body and our energy levels both benefit from sleep because of its role in cellular renewal and maintenance. Anybody who doesn't desire to feel energised must be tricking!
Three components of excellent quality sleep are as follows: The duration of sleep should be adequate for the sleeper to feel refreshed and alert the next day. Consistency, sleep periods should be continuous and uninterrupted, and depth, sleep should be deep enough to be restorative. Here are some suggestions for getting a good night's sleep:
Keep a consistent sleep routine by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, seven days a week. Regularity is essential for regulating your internal biological clock, helping you to go asleep and sleep well.
When awakening (and assuming you wish to remain awake), aim for 5 minutes of early sunlight exposure, especially light exposure to your eyes, to help regulate your sleep. If the sky is clouded, try for 30 minutes of early light exposure. Repeat in the late afternoon before sunset. Early-morning light viewing is one of the most powerful stimuli for waking and has a significant influence on your ability to fall and remain asleep.
Delaying your first morning coffee for 90-120 minutes after awakening may enhance your biological circadian rhythms and help you avoid the afternoon slump/sleepiness. Caffeine should be avoided 8-10 hours before night.
Alcohol is a sedative that may assist to induce sleep; nevertheless, it can produce more fragmented sleep and nighttime awakenings.
Research also alludes to sleep architecture disruptions, with chronic alcohol use dramatically lowering slow wave sleep time (thought to be the most restorative sleep) and REM sleep time.
If napping is the only way for you to deal with chronic sleep deprivation caused by an inability to get either an adequate amount of sleep due to societal responsibilities or sleep quality due to various external and internal influences that affect sleep function, then the benefits of napping may outweigh the disadvantages. Recent research explored the impact of a month-long, daily 1-hour nap routine on waking performance in a sample of healthy older men and women found that napping improved waking function without impairing nighttime sleep.
Make your sleeping area cold and dark, and pile on blankets that you can remove. Avoid looking at strong lights between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
See your doctor or a naturopath about magnesium supplements or magnesium oil. If you experience restless legs syndrome before going to bed, applying magnesium spray/cream/oil to the calf muscles before sleep on a regular basis for a week may help relieve restless legs and improve your sleep.
Physical activity is regarded as an effective, non-pharmacological method of improving sleep. According to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, teenagers who engage in greater subjective and objective physical exercise are more likely to have decent sleep. Similarly, physical activity as the only intervention was related with better sleep outcomes in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Decades of research have demonstrated the significance of sleep for physical, mental, and social well-being. Thus, the next time you hear the phrase "there will be plenty of time to sleep after I'm dead," reconsider!
