Healthy sleep is physiologically necessary for a person and is an important condition for physical and mental health. A person spends about a third of his life in a dream, therefore, this part of our life must be given close attention and care to ensure that sleep is healthy and correct. The quality of our wakefulness depends on the quality of sleep, that is, how our body rests at night depends on how it will function during the day. Proper sleep is the source of great mood, well-being and, of course, our beauty.
In addition, the hormone melatonin is produced at night. A small pineal gland (also called the pineal gland) located in the center of the brain is responsible for its production. Despite the fact that it weighs only one gram, it regulates many processes in our body. For example, during the day it is responsible for the production of seratonin, the hormone of happiness, and at night, respectively, for the production of melatonin.
The hormone melatonin is responsible for the restoration of the psyche, cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as with its help, rejuvenating processes take place in the body. The most active production of melatonin occurs between 24:00 pm and 02:00 am.
For its normal production, you need to sleep in absolute darkness, so it is impossible to make up for the lack of this hormone with a daytime sleep. The largest amount of melatonin is produced in infants and, unfortunately, decreases with age.
What can be done to affect melatonin production?
- Live in harmony with your biological rhythms - sleep at night and stay awake during the day.
- Day in the sun - active production of serotonin during the day, contributes to the normal production of melatonin at night
- Eat less alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and medications.
- Cover windows with blackout curtains.
- Add to your diet more foods containing tryptophan - an amino acid that is the "building block" for melatonin and seratonin.
Large amounts of this amino acid are found in rice, tomatoes, corn, oats, lean meats, chicken eggs, hard cheeses, pumpkin seeds, nuts and beans.
Everyone who is losing weight also needs to know that growth hormone is produced during sleep, which affects fat burning and muscle strengthening. If a person sleeps a little, growth hormone is produced in insufficient quantities, the muscles become flabby and excess weight appears.
Sleep functions
- Rest of the body.
- Protection and restoration of organs and body systems for normal life.
- Processing, consolidation and storage of information.
- Adaptation to changing illumination (day-night).
- Maintaining a normal psycho-emotional state of a person.
✓ Restoration of the body's immunity.
Healthy sleep rules
There are a number of rules that can be followed to make sleep extremely beneficial to your health. These rules help the body to perform its functions correctly during sleep, which will certainly have a beneficial effect on the wellbeing and mood of a person during wakefulness.
✓ Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, regardless of the day of the week.
✓ It is best to go to bed before 23 o'clock. It is at this time that the organisms of most people are in the mood for
relaxation.
✓ Do not eat food before going to bed. A couple of hours before bedtime, you can have a light meal, such as vegetables, fruits, or dairy products.
✓ Do not consume alcohol and drinks containing caffeine (cocoa, coffee, tea) before bed. Chamomile tea, mint tea or warm milk with honey, drunk before bed, will benefit the body and help you fall asleep faster and easier.
✓ A walk in the fresh air before bedtime will help you fall asleep quickly.
✓ Before going to bed, you should not think about problems and worries, you will have time to think about them during the day. And in the evening, it is best to relax and help the body to fully rest and recover during a night's sleep. Relax your muscles if possible and think about something enjoyable.
✓ Do not take a cold shower before going to bed, leave this procedure in the morning. It is best to take a warm bath or shower in the evening.
✓ To quickly and calmly fall asleep, you can read calm literature or turn on quietly slow music, sounds of nature, lullabies, etc.
✓ Do not forget to ventilate the sleeping area before going to bed.
✓ Turn off the lights in the sleeping area, otherwise sleep is likely to be superficial, which will prevent your body from fully resting and recovering.
✓ Scientists recommend sleeping with your head to the north or east.
✓ It is best to sleep more naked, and in case of freezing, cover yourself with an additional blanket, and not put on warm clothes.
✓ To rest the body, it is enough to sleep four complete sleep cycles, consisting of slow and REM sleep and described above.
✓ The sleeping area should be flat, not too soft or too hard.
✓ It is necessary to sleep in a horizontal position, preferably alternately - either on the right or on the left side. Experts do not recommend sleeping on the stomach.
✓ In order to start a good mood in the morning, do not lie in bed for a long time, immediately after waking up stretch, smile and get up. Do it slowly and with pleasure.
Why is lack of sleep dangerous?
- Deterioration of memory, attention, coordination and speech. According to statistics, one in five road accidents occurs due to lack of sleep.
- Weakening of immunity. During sleep, the immune system synthesizes proteins called cytokines.
- Overeating. With a lack of sleep, ghrelin, the hormone of hunger, is produced.
- Lack of adequate sleep is a catalyst for the formation of bad habits: a person is looking for external stimulants (caffeine, nicotine).
- Development of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes mellitus.
It is worth adding that a sleepy person looks corny badly - the complexion suffers, bruises form under the eyes.
Is naps good for you?
The stereotype that naps are exclusively for young children is not true. A short rest from 1 pm to 4 pm improves memory (transfers information from short-term to long-term), stimulates creativity and learning ability, helps the body withstand stress and cheers up.
Ideally, doze for 10-20 minutes (you will go through two stages of slow wave sleep and feel refreshed). After 30-60 minutes of naps, you will feel overwhelmed. But 90 minutes is a full cycle, it will help you wake up easily and experience a surge of energy.
Sleep should be in moderation, because everyone needs rest, and rest during sleep is the best relaxation for both our body and brain. I wish you all good dreams!
List of used literature:
1. Irina Raduntsova, Healthy sleep. Tips & Tricks
2. Good sleep is a prerequisite for a healthy lifestyle