Wednesday 2 May 2018

Effective Ways to Improve Sleep and Why It Matters

From goodmenproject.com

Most people understand the basic principle regarding the role of sleep in our lives; if we don’t sleep, we don’t have the energy to function throughout the day. However, numerous individuals are unaware of just how much their sleep patterns can impact their health both mentally and physically.
Below are some helpful tips on ways to improve sleep as well as interesting facts about why sleep is so important:

How to Improve Sleep

If one is experiencing difficulty falling or staying asleep, he or she may require treatment for insomnia. This condition can be dealt with in several ways, from making simple changes to one’s environment to using doctor-recommended medications.

Making Environmental Changes

A person’s environment can have a significant effect on his or her sleeping patterns. Starting with the mattress, it’s a good idea to swap yours out after about five years or so. If currently suffering from poor sleep patterns, choose a different type of mattress from your existing one. For example, if currently sleeping on an innerspring, consider a therapeutic mattress instead. Moving onto the room itself, attempting to drift off in a cluttered, disorganized bedroom is very distracting and can interfere with a person’s ability to sleep soundly. Eliminating messy surroundings and keeping bedroom decor to a minimum are simple changes that often have very positive results.

Getting Technology Out of the Bedroom

Among other ways to improve sleep is removing televisions and computers from the bedroom. These items have a stimulating effect that can greatly interfere with a person’s ability to fall asleep. Bedrooms should be dark and quiet, and all light– whether natural or artificial– should be blocked from the room.

Temperature

It is always wise to refrain from overheating a bedroom or allowing it to get too cold, as natural changes in body temperature must occur for a person to fall asleep. Surroundings which are too hot or too cold can interfere with this process.

When to Seek Medical Advice

If making the suggested environmental changes fails to help one acquire proper sleep, he or she may need to seek treatment from a healthcare professional. Sleep studies are available to determine the exact cause of a person’s insomnia, and over-the-counter or prescription medications may be recommended as well. Anyone suffering from chronic insomnia should make an appointment with a medical professional to discuss the problem.

The Importance of Sleep

Physical Health

Obviously, getting a good night’s sleep does not prevent all diseases. However, multiple studies have found links between insufficient sleep and serious health problems, such as diabetes, heart attack, and cardiovascular disease. These problems usually occur after long-term sleep deprivation, but in some studies, pre-diabetic sugar readings were apparent after only several weeks of sleep deprivation.

Additionally, research has shown that those who acquire eight hours of sleep per night are three times less likely to get sick as those who slept for only seven hours or less.

Moodiness

Been overtired often leads to a bad temperament or mood swings. Most people are far more likely to snap at others or lose their patience if they do not get good sleep on a consistent basis.

Obesity

Getting proper rest can help individuals to maintain a healthy weight, but lack of sleep increases a person’s chance of obesity. Hormones such as cortisol and leptin regulate appetite, and during periods of sleep deprivation, these levels become imbalanced. This results in food cravings, a sluggish metabolism, and the increased storage of fat.

Mental Ability

Many people who have poor quality sleep or do not obtain enough sleep on a regular basis feel easily confused and experience what is commonly referred to as “mental fog.” Sleep loss can also result in forgetfulness, as the human brain processes and consolidates memories from the day while one is sleeping. For this reason, being deprived of sleep may result in certain memories not been correctly stored.

https://goodmenproject.com/health/effective-ways-to-improve-sleep-and-why-it-matters/

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