Sleep is a basic need for living beings; sleep regulates rest, learning new knowledge, and many bodily functions, among others.
Getting adequate sleep is an important part of our general health People who suffer from insomnia are more likely to suffer from depression. Many studies show that not getting enough sleep or having poor quality sleep increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease and other diseases.
At this point it is mandatory to talk about the Cardiac rhtyms but what are they?
The sleep-wake cycle lasts approximately 24 hours, but there are other processes in the body such as body temperature, hormonal secretion, gastric secretion and renal acid secretion that have a similar duration and are closely linked to sleep. The fact that they are cyclical and last approximately 1 day gives them the name circadian rhythms; if sleep is disturbed, it can have repercussions on them as well.
These days of lockdown It is normal for these rhythms to fluctuate. Have you noticed that you sleep worse now? Do you have more nightmares than before? I’m going to give you some suggestions to make your sleep more pleasant:
The first thing is to establish routines of sleep, that is, going to bed (or trying to) at the same time, so our brain knows what time to go to sleep is. Brushing your teeth or putting on your pajamas right before going to bed also helps.
Have a light dinner so that digestion is not heavy, as this would lead to a bad rest.
Avoid alcohol and stimulants in the middle of the afternoon/night, as this produces activation in our nervous system.
Do not do intense physical exercise late in the afternoon, since we activate the body a lot and then it will be more difficult for us to relax.
Look for the optimal temperature For your rest, neither too many nor too few blankets, just enough for you to sleep well.
The room where you sleep should be ventilated and clean. As well as the bedding.
Use comfortable clothes for sleeping. What you feel comfortable with.
Use the bed to sleep and for sex. If we get our body used to lying in bed to read or watch TV, our brain will not associate bed with sleeping, and it will be more difficult for us to fall asleep.
Do some activity relaxing before going to sleep, such as reading or listening to calm music.
Avoid exposure to screens such as mobile or the computer since that activates our brain, keeps it alert and prevents it from relaxing.
Nap yes or no? If you want you can make one short nap maximum 30 minutes, but if you make it longer it will be difficult for you to sleep much more at night.
What happens if I can’t fall asleep? If more than 20 minutes have passed and you can’t sleep, it’s best to get up and do some relaxing activity (it’s not worth looking at your phone). When you feel tired again, go back to bed, the ideal is to return after 15/20 minutes.
If I can’t sleep I raid the refrigerator. MISTAKE. Do not eat in the middle of the night since your body and brain will associate food with rest, due to this reason there are syndromes such as nocturnal eating, which is considered a sleep disorder.
I dedicate time enough for sleep?
According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation of the United States, adults under 65 years of age should sleep between 7 and 9 hours to fully perform their daily activities.
Disorders of the dream
Sleep disorders can be classified into four large groups:
a) disorders with excessive daytime sleepiness (narcolepsy, sleep apnea syndrome and idiopathic hypersomnia).
b) disorders with difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep or insomnia. c) disorders with abnormal behavior during sleep or parasomnias (sleepwalking, night terrors, nightmares).
c) disorders with abnormal behavior during sleep or parasomnias (somnambulism, night terrors, nightmares).
d) sleep-wake rhythm disorders.
The most common of all of them is the insomnia
If you have been suffering from a sleep disorder for some time, I recommend that you seek help. professional Schedule an appointment with me and I will help you.
Websites of interest:
http://worldsleepsociety.org/ (Official website of the World Sleep Society).
https://wasmonline.org/ (Official website of the World Association of Sleep Medicine).
