So, how can we have a healthy sleep? In this article, I will introduce 17 healthy sleep tips to you. There is always one for you!
First, realize the importance of sleep.
Good sleep is as important as regular exercise and healthy eating. Studies have shown that lack of sleep will have a direct negative impact on hormones, sports performance and brain function. It may also lead to weight gain in adults and children and increase the risk of illness. In contrast, a good sleep can help you reduce your diet, exercise and stay healthy.
In the past few decades, the quality and quantity of sleep have been declining. In fact, many people often lack sleep. If you want to optimize your health or lose weight, a good sleep is one of your most important things.
Let me introduce 17 tips for healthy sleep!
1. Increase the glare during the day.
Your body has a natural biological clock called circadian rhythm. It affects your brain, body and hormones, helps you stay awake and tells you when to fall asleep.
Natural sunlight or strong light during the day can help you keep healthy according to your physiological rhythm. This can improve the energy during the day and the quality and duration of sleep at night. For insomniacs, receiving strong light during the day can improve the quality and duration of sleep. It also reduced sleep time by 83%.
A similar study for the elderly found that exposure to two hours of bright light during the day would increase sleep for two hours and improve sleep efficiency by 80%.
So you can try to get more sunshine every day, or buy artificial glare equipment or light bulbs.
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Exposure during the day is beneficial, but exposure at night is counterproductive. Similarly, this is because it affects your circadian rhythm and makes your brain mistakenly think that it is still daytime. This can reduce hormones such as melatonin and help you relax and sleep deeply.
In this regard, blue light (smart phones, computers and other electronic devices will emit a lot) is the worst.
There are several popular ways to reduce the exposure time to blue light at night. These include:
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Caffeine has many benefits, and 90% of the population in the United States drinks caffeine. One dose can enhance attention, energy and sports performance. However, when caffeine is consumed later in the day, it will stimulate your nervous system and may prevent your body from relaxing naturally at night.
In one study, taking caffeine six hours before going to bed seriously reduced the quality of sleep. Caffeine can stay in your blood for 6-8 hours. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink a lot of coffee after 3-4 pm, especially when you are sensitive to caffeine or have difficulty sleeping.
If you really want to have a cup of coffee in the afternoon or evening, please stick to decaffeinated coffee.
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Although a short nap is beneficial, a long or irregular nap during the day will have a negative impact on your sleep. Sleeping during the day may disturb your biological clock, which means you may have difficulty falling asleep at night.
In fact, in one study, participants became more sleepy after taking a nap during the day. Another study pointed out that taking a nap for 30 minutes or less can enhance the brain function during the day, but taking a nap for too long will damage health and sleep quality.
If you take a nap every day, but you can sleep well at night, don't worry. The effect of a nap varies from person to person.
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Your body's circadian rhythm works in a fixed cycle to keep yourself in line with sunrise and sunset. Keeping in line with your sleep and waking hours can help you maintain the quality of sleep for a long time.
A study pointed out that if participants sleep irregularly and stay up late on weekends, their sleep will be worse. Other studies have emphasized that irregular sleep patterns will change your circadian rhythm and melatonin levels, thus prompting your brain to go to sleep.
If you don't get enough sleep, try to get into the habit of waking up at a time close to your sleep time. In a few weeks, you may not even need an alarm clock!
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Melatonin is a key sleep hormone, which can tell your brain when to relax and go to bed. Melatonin supplement is a very popular sleep aid. Melatonin is usually used to treat insomnia, which may be one of the easiest and faster ways to fall asleep.
In one study, taking 2 mg of melatonin before going to bed can improve the quality and energy of sleep the next day and help people fall asleep faster. In another study, half of people fell asleep faster after using melatonin, and their sleep quality improved 15%.
Melatonin is also useful when traveling and adapting to a new time zone, because it helps the body's circadian rhythm return to normal. Take about 1-5mg 30-60 minutes before going to bed.
Evaluate your tolerance from a low dose, and then gradually increase your tolerance as needed. Because melatonin may change the chemical properties of the brain, it is recommended that you consult a medical staff before using it.
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Several supplements can relax the body and help sleep, including:
Although they are not a panacea for sleep problems, they may be useful when combined with other natural sleep strategies.
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Drinking a few drinks at night will have a negative effect on your sleep and hormones. As we all know, alcohol can cause or aggravate the symptoms of sleep apnea and sleep interruption. It also changes the production of melatonin at night, which plays a key role in your body's circadian rhythm.
Another study found that drinking alcohol at night can reduce the natural increase of human growth hormone (HGH) at night. HGH plays a role in your circadian rhythm and has many other key functions.
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Many people think that the bedroom environment and its setting are the key factors to get a good sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lighting and furniture layout.
A large number of studies have pointed out that external noise from traffic often leads to lack of sleep and long-term health problems. In a study on women's bedroom environment, about 50% participants noticed that when the noise and light weakened, the quality of sleep would improve.
In order to optimize your bedroom environment, please minimize external noise, light and artificial light generated by alarm clock and other equipment. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean and pleasant place.
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The temperature of the body and bedroom will also seriously affect the quality of sleep. As you may have experienced in summer or hot places, it is difficult to have a good sleep when the weather is too hot.
A study found that the influence of bedroom temperature on sleep quality is far greater than external noise. Other studies show that excessive body temperature and bedroom temperature will reduce the quality of sleep and increase alertness.
Although it depends on your preferences and habits, the temperature around 20℃ seems to be a comfortable temperature for most people.
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Eating at night may have a negative impact on the quality of sleep and the natural release of HGH and melatonin. In other words, the quality and variety of supper may also play a role.
In one study, eating high-carbohydrate foods four hours before going to bed helped people fall asleep faster. Interestingly, a study found that a low-carbohydrate diet can also improve sleep, which shows that carbohydrates are not always needed, especially if you are used to a low-carbohydrate diet.
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Many people have some small habits before going to bed, which can help them relax. Relaxation technology before going to bed has been proved to improve the quality of sleep, and it is another commonly used technology to treat insomnia.
In one study, relaxing massage improved patients' sleep quality. Strategies include listening to relaxing music, reading, taking a hot bath, meditation and deep breathing.
Try different methods and find the one that suits you best.
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A relaxing bathtub or shower is another better way to sleep.
Studies have shown that they can help improve the overall quality of sleep and help people (especially the elderly) fall asleep faster. In a study, taking a hot bath 90 minutes before going to bed can improve the quality of sleep and help people get a deeper sleep.
In addition, if you don't want to take a bath at night, just washing your feet with hot water can help you relax and improve your sleep.
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The underlying health condition may be the cause of your sleep problems.
A common problem is sleep apnea, which may lead to inconsistent and interrupted breathing. People with this disease will repeatedly stop breathing when they sleep. This situation may be more common than you think. According to a review, 24% of men and 9% of women suffer from sleep apnea.
If you have been struggling with sleep, you'd better consult a health care doctor.
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Some people want to know why they always sleep better in hotels. In addition to the relaxed environment, the quality of the bed will also affect sleep.
A study investigated the benefits of a new mattress and found that it can reduce back pain by 57%, shoulder pain by 60% and back stiffness by 59%. It also improved the quality of sleep by 60%. Other studies have pointed out that new bedding can enhance sleep. In addition, poor bedding can lead to aggravated back pain.
The best mattresses and bedding are very subjective. If you want to upgrade your bedding, please choose according to your personal preference.
It is recommended that you upgrade your bedding at least once every 5-8 years.
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Exercise is one of the best scientific methods to improve sleep and health.
It can enhance all aspects of sleep and has been used to relieve insomnia symptoms. A study on the elderly shows that exercise almost reduces the time to sleep by half, and increases the time to sleep at night by 465,438+0 minutes.
For people with severe insomnia, exercise is more beneficial than most drugs. Exercise can reduce sleep time by 55%, total waking time at night by 30%, anxiety disorder by 15% and total sleep time by 18%.
Although exercising every day is the key to a good sleep, exercising too late in the day may cause sleep problems. This is due to the stimulation of exercise, which improves alertness and adrenaline, adrenaline and other hormones.
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Nocturnal enuresis is a medical term that refers to excessive urination at night. It will affect the quality and energy of sleep during the day. Although some people are more sensitive than others, drinking a lot of liquids before going to bed can also cause similar symptoms.
Although hydrating is essential to health, it is wise to reduce water intake at night. Don't drink any liquid 1-2 hours before going to bed. You should also use the bathroom before going to bed, because it may reduce your chances of waking up at night.
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Sleep is vital to your health. Studies have shown that lack of sleep will increase the risk of obesity in children by 89% and that in adults by 55%. Other studies have concluded that less than 7-8 hours a night will increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
I hope you can find something that suits you from my 17 tips, and try it to get a good sleep quality!