The Underrated Role of Sleep in Wellbeing, and Tips To Sleep Better

When you go to sleep, your brain starts to slow down. It begins a process of recovery so that your body and mind can perform better the next day. This is because the mind and body need time to relax completely.

When you do not get enough sleep, the body's recovery process gets short-circuited. Poor sleep over a long period can lead to physical problems such as body pain, hypertension, and increased weight gain. Repeated nights of disturbed sleep can also contribute to mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

Studies have shown that people who get less than six hours of undisturbed sleep feel more stressed, depressed, and anxious over time. All this goes to show that sleep has a big impact on our health.

Workplace Stress and Depression

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

For adults, a healthy range of sleep is an undisturbed 7-9 hours every night. The word undisturbed is important here. Broken sleep patterns reduce the quality of rest that your body gets. Thus, it can affect your physical and mental health in the long run.

There is another misconception about sleep. Have you ever heard that taking a nap during the day can refresh you or help you catch up on your missed sleep at night? Studies have shown that excessive sleeping during the day can lower productivity, and disrupt one’s natural sleep cycle. It can also reduce concentration and lead to insomnia.

Check out this article that addresses common Queries about Sleep Disorders

Tips To Improve Sleep Quality and Quantity

There are a few ways to start sleeping better and improving sleep quality. The steps you can take are:

1. Practise Yoga Regularly

Yoga slows down the movements within the body while breathing deeply increases blood flow. This helps the body to relax and reduces tension in the muscles.

Doing yoga daily helps to improve sleep quality and reduces disturbances over time. Studies have shown that people who do yoga daily can fall asleep in less time and feel well-rested. Along with improving sleep quality, yoga can reduce stress levels and impact your mood positively.

Check out simple and Effective Yoga Poses You Can Do at Your Desk

2. Avoid Eating Late-Night Meals

When you eat a meal too close to bedtime, it can harm your quality of sleep. This is because your body needs time to digest the meal. Nutritionists state that a 3-hour period works best for digestion before sleep.

Eating also prompts the body to release insulin which is a hormone that the body needs for converting food into energy. This can keep the brain in a wakeful state and interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

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3. Put Your Gadgets Aside

When you wake up in the morning, your body produces a hormone called cortisol that makes you feel awake and alert. The impact of this hormone is reduced at night when the body produces melatonin to make you feel sleepy. Electronic devices such as phones and computers have a blue light that delays the body’s production of melatonin. When your body is in a wakeful state, it can be harder to fall asleep and reduce your quality of sleep in the long run.

Getting good sleep regularly can impact your life in a huge way. It is important to start caring for your sleep cycle and improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.