Tag: need for sleep

Bursting myths about sleep Deprivation

Sleeping brain has been a mystery for a very long time. Psychologists, Neuroscientists or even physiologists haven’t been able to fully unravel this mystery. This makes room for confusion and myths. Fortunately, scientists are able to understand some of sleep’s critical functions, and the reasons we need it for optimal health and wellbeing.

Let’s decode some myths about Sleep :

  • Sleep is a time when the mind and body shut down.

But this is not the case; sleep is an active period in which a lot of important processing, restoration, and strengthening occurs. This is one of the major reasons why maintaining your sleep schedule is so vital. 

  • One only needs 6 hours of sleep to function.

This isn’t true. To operate optimally, you need seven to eight hours of sleep. 

  • One can catch up on sleep on the weekends.

Those who are not able to have a healthy sleep schedule on weekdays tend to catch up on sleep on the weekends.This is partially true, but if you’ve had chronic partial sleep deprivation, it could take days to weeks to recover.

  • One can sleep too much.

The truth is you can’t sleep too much. You probably overslept because your body needs that rest. But if you do feel worse when you’re sleeping more, it’s probably because you’re recognizing your true sleep needs. 

  • If I wake up at night, I will play on my phone or watch my tv to help me relax.

We fall for the unhealthy habit of using our phone or watching tv to help us relax. What we don’t realise is that the bright light from our devices activates our brain, and also can shift our melatonin release, shifting our circadian rhythm which eventually ends up disturbing our sleep furthermore.

  • Alcohol helps me sleep.

Isn’t that a common statement? Well, it’s true that alcohol does help people relax. But the loophole is that once it’s cleared from the body, it fragments the sleep making it a poor quality. 

Here are some tips that can help improve your Sleep:

It is very crucial to maintain a regular sleep-wake pattern to establish a stable circadian rhythm which eventually helps in improving the quality of your sleep. 

Get the amount of sleep you need during the week, and avoid sleeping in on weekends, as doing so will disrupt your sleep rhythm. Even if you sleep poorly or not at all one night, try to maintain your regular schedule the next. 

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, avoid napping if possible. Evening naps should be especially avoided because they will make you less sleepy when you go to bed.

 A few changes in our sleep schedule can do wonders for our health.

We spend one third of our lives sleeping, so it’s very essential for us to have as many good night sleeps as possible. The best sleep habits are consistent, healthy routines that allow all of us, regardless of our age, to meet our sleep needs every night, and keep on top of life’s challenges every day.

How Important Is Your Sleep?

Our lives are fast. Time does not wait for us and we do not wait for the time. Neither can catch up to each other. There are days when you have so much work and tasks to do that sleep feels like an impossible reality. You have to submit the report to your boss in the office, you have to pick up groceries from the market on your way home, you have to read a bedtime story to your kid and see that they complete their homework. There isn’t enough time left and you end up going to bed late and getting up early. And then there are days when you are determined to get your eight hours of sleep at any cost. You don’t mess around with unnecessary work and end up getting a good night’s sleep.

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Sometimes sleep seems like a perfectly fine waste of time. Why should you spend close to one-third of your life sleeping when instead you could gear up and do something more useful? You could, after all, achieve great success in those lost hours. Not sleeping should be the thing responsible for your body, right?

This is the part where your brain tricks you. Sleep is essential for forming memories. It is responsible for your brain’s physiological maintenance. When your body is asleep, your brain is still awake acting like a mental janitor by clearing out all of the junk that has accumulated as a result of your daily thinking.

Here are a few reasons why should you make sleep a priority

  1. Fatigue: Sleep deprivation results in fatigue, low energy throughout the day, and poor concentration. You have an irritable mood and are inattentive.
  2. Immunity: Your immune system is more likely to break down when you have burned the candle at both ends. It can cause abnormal thyroid function and growth hormone secretion.
  3. Prediabetes: Sleep deprivation causes impaired glucose tolerance, or higher than normal blood sugar levels.
  4. Stress: Not having enough sleep causes elevated levels of cortisol (stress hormone). You are likely to have neurological disturbances including visual illusions, hallucinations, blurred vision, memory lapses, and droopy eyes.

sleepSo the next question automatically becomes how to make sleep a priority? Here are a few suggestions you could practice:

  1. Enticing bed routine: Our brain loves patterns. Save appropriate activities until the minutes leading up to bedtime. This signals your brain that sleep is on the horizons and your brain treats it as a reward.
  2. Streamlined and peaceful bedroom: By re-purposing your sleeping space you are tricking your brain, making it difficult to go to bed. Leave your gadgets, snacks, and work stuff out of the room for a blissful sleep.
  3. Consistent bedtime: Although easier said than done but try to maintain a consistent routine. Research shows that the most beneficial hormone secretions and bodily recovery occur between the hours of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
  4. Sleep is an investment: The busier you are during the day, the less time you have to sleep. Re-prioritize your schedule and invest some hours in your sleep. A little extra sleep is instrumental in health and work benefits too.

Image Courtesy: GOOGLE