The most common complaint which many people have is a headache.
“Your future depends on your dreams, so go to sleep.” – Mesut Barazany
Sleeping on time and waking up on time definitely adds to a happy and healthy life.
It is said if you sleep well, you benefit in terms of health, wealth and wisdom.
A good night’s sleep is as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Body needs a balanced diet for regular and proper metabolism of the body, it equally needs a sufficient amount of sleep.
Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness.
Sleep is divided into two broad types: NON-RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (non-REM or NREM) sleep and RAPID EYE MOVEMENT(REM) sleep.
In REM sleep mode, the brain is active and a well known feature is dream wherein movements of eyes are visible.
In Non-REM the person goes into deep-sleep. During this stage body temperature and heart rate fall and the brain uses less energy.
Sleep is very important for health as it helps in improvising memory, activates the functioning of the brain and also maintains weight.
As per National Sleep Foundation guidelines, healthy adults need 7-9 hours of sleep, babies, young children and teens need more sleep to enable their growth and development.
Poor sleep has a bad impact on health affecting important functions and systems of the body like immune function, disease resistance and increasing the risk of disorders like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease,diabetes, depression and obesity.
Benefits Of Good Sleep
A good night’s sleep is very important for health, for many important functions in our body.
Sleep helps in removing out the toxins generated in the body that have been accumulated during daytime activities.
Our body produces melatonin naturally, whose levels rise in the evening and help in falling asleep. During deep sleep pituitary gland releases growth hormones that help in the maintenance and repair system of the body.
Good sleep also helps in the secretion of cytokines which boosts immune system of the body. The defensive and protective mechanism improves when a person gets enough and sound sleep.
TIMES OF INDIA published in 2019 about studies conducted on sleep deprivation and said that India was the second most sleep deprived country in the world.
So it is an alarming signal to become alert and focus more on the quality and quantity of sleep.
Lack of sleep affects health in many ways like weight gain, impairs brain functions like affects short and long term memory and weakens immunity system.
It causes trouble in thinking, concentrating and creativity qualities, risk for high blood pressure increases, changes in mood can lead to anxiety and depression. Sleep deprivation badly affects the performance of the athletes, their speed, accuracy, reaction time and mental health.
Not getting enough sleep may lead to stroke, heart diseases and may also lead to diabetes.
Poor sleep triggers inflammatory markers and can cause cell damage, also gives rise to chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel disease.
Lack of sleep can affect control and coordination, making patients more prone to falls and accidents.
In short lack of sleep or getting less amount of sleep leads to many diseases and reduces the quality of life. As air, water and food is important for life, sleep is also equally important for a peaceful and productive life.
Some healthy sleeping habits if incorporated into daily life will bring enormous changes and help in getting a healthy body and healthy mind.
1) Physical workouts like walking, simple exercises lead to sound sleep.
2) Having early dinner, probably before 8.00 pm and in moderate quantity helps in getting good sleep
3) Reducing the bright / blue light before going to bed helps in increasing the hormone Melatonin, which helps in relaxing the mind and getting good sleep.
Exposure to electronic gadgets like mobile phones, laptops / computers, televisions should be discontinued 1/2 – 2 hours before going to bed to get sound / undisturbed sleep.
4) Caffeine is known to boost energy and enhance focus, increase concentration but having it late at night disturbs the sleep cycle. Consumption of caffeine should be avoided as far as possible.
5) Short power naps are beneficial but long or irregular napping during the day can negatively affect sleep.
6) Irregular sleeping patterns alters circadian rhythm and levels of melatonin hormone, so developing the habit of sleeping at a constant time and waking up same time daily improves sleep quality.
7) Important factors affecting sleep are the bedroom environment which includes temperature, light intensity, noise and ambiance.
To get sound sleep, the external sound, light coming from devices like alarm clock has to be minimized. Bedroom is the place where a person gets the time to relax and to get good sleep it should be made noise free, should be quiet and dark. Light and relaxing music can be played which aids in good quality of sleep.
8) A relaxing, warm bath or shower, if possible is another popular way to sleep better. Many times it is observed that a person gets rid of his tiredness by taking a short shower which helps in feeling relaxed and getting good sleep.
To get sound and a good amount of sleep, it is important to incorporate at least a few of the tips discussed above in daily routine life which will definitely help improve the quality of life.
