Above all, how to have a good night's sleep to recharge your energy is important - Photo: Florida Dental Sleep Disorders
Sleep is a concept that is very familiar to us. However, there is more to sleep than what people often think. Above all, how to have a good night's sleep to recharge your energy is important.
Everyone has had trouble sleeping.
According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine , Americans spend up to $90 billion each year on sleep-related health care costs. As many as 84 million adults in the United States do not sleep well and 70 million have sleep disorders.
By 2022, Gallup found that the economy will suffer an annual loss of $44.6 billion due to lost productivity related to sleep. It is estimated that 1 in 3 American adults do not get enough sleep.
Any of us have had nights of restless sleep, poor sleep, even insomnia.
Experts say that improving sleep benefits almost every aspect of life. Conversely, not getting enough sleep can have far-reaching effects, including work, daily activities, and relationships with others.
“Sleep is a key pillar of health,” says Kelly Baron, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine program at University of Utah Health. “Mental health and sleep need to be integrated with diet and physical activity.”
People often think of sleep as a choice, not an essential part of health. As a result, many people don’t get enough sleep. They stay up late to play, work, and go to bed when they want to.
Dr. Vishesh Kapur, professor of medicine at the University of Washington
In fact, sleep is a complex and active process that plays an important role in overall health and well-being. During sleep, memories are consolidated, learning is established, and cognitive function is enhanced.
Sleep also plays a role in important functions such as recovery, emotional processing, growth and development in adolescents, immune function, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. Too little sleep leads to low productivity, errors, and accidents, including traffic accidents.
How to sleep better?
According to a 2021 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine , key sleep criteria include sleep quality, sleep quantity, appropriate sleep timing, sleep regularity, and control of sleep disorders.
The human body and brain work hard as they cycle through the five stages of sleep multiple times each night. According to the Sleep Foundation, the majority of time is spent in non-REM sleep, which includes both deep and light stages.
REM begins about 90 minutes after falling asleep, and your heart and breathing speed up. Most dreams occur then. During REM, your brain processes your emotions, processes what you learned that day, and decides what to store in your memory. Anything your brain deems unimportant, which often includes your dreams, is discarded.
Here are some ways to improve your sleep.
• Make sure your sleeping environment is comfortable, quiet and dark. Use your bedroom for sleeping only, and avoid placing a TV or desk there.
• Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol late in the day.
• Exposure to light is bad for sleep, including phone screens.
• Room temperature is suitable, avoid being too hot or too cold.
• Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up routine. Some activities you can do before bed include reading, taking a bath, or practicing relaxation techniques.
• Try yoga or meditation. Gentle poses before bed not only relax the body but also calm the mind. Stretching relieves tension, deep breathing calms anxiety, and meditation helps put you in a state of relaxation.
• Check your mattress and bedding. Studies show that a medium-firm mattress is best for people with sleep problems related to back pain.
"Women tend to experience poorer sleep quality" than men
Overall, regardless of age and other factors, "women tend to experience poorer sleep quality" than men, says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, director of the Center for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia Irving Medical Center.
Additionally, hormonal changes can make sleep deprivation worse. Studies have shown that sleeping just six hours instead of the recommended seven to nine hours increases insulin resistance and the risk of diabetes in healthy women.
In addition, women who lack sleep are also susceptible to almost all diseases, from heart disease to depression. For women who have gone through menopause, sleeping an hour and a half late but still waking up on time the next morning will lead to high blood pressure.
Nowadays, technology devices have become one of the causes of late sleeping. In addition to being absorbed in surfing the phone, many people have difficulty falling asleep due to the influence of blue light from the screen.
Lack of sleep is also detrimental to physical and mental health, and causes skin to age quickly.
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