What is Sleep and What are its Benefits?
What is sleep?
Sleep is when a person's brain and body rest to recover from daily activities. Sleep also gives the brain time to process memories, learn new skills and make connections between other brain areas. The human body needs approximately eight hours of sleep to carry out these functions efficiently. Sleep helps regulate hormones, regulates immune function, strengthens heart muscles, improves memory formation and coordination, and keeps our minds sharp. In addition to helping the body rest, it also helps calm nervous system activity so that people can feel more relaxed.
The Common Causes of Poor Sleep & How to Overcome Them
The common causes of poor sleep are:
-Worrying too much about the day-to-day events in your life.
-Worrying about future events and worrying about what might happen if you don't prepare for them
-Anxiety
-Too much screen time (e.g. computer, TV, mobile)
-Excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption
-Hormones (such as stress)It can be difficult to overcome the causes of poor sleep if you are struggling with it for a long period of time. Here are some tips that will help you get better.
Practical Strategies to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
-Eliminate exposure to blue light from electronics before bedtime (i.e. smartphones, computer screens)
-Wear dark clothing to bed (darker colours will help your body sense when it's time to sleep)
-Stop watching TV or using other electronics 30 minutes before bedtime
-Get in a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
-Get outside and expose your body to sunlight during the day
-Exercise regularly throughout the day
-Meditate daily.
Natural Remedies & Supplements that Help You Improve Your Sleeping Patterns
With a busy and hectic lifestyle, people find it difficult to sleep on time. However, some natural remedies can help you improve your sleeping patterns. Some of the natural remedies include supplements and deep breathing exercises.
Natural Remedies:
-Cherries: Cherries contain melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the circadian rhythm and how much sleep you need. A study found that cherries can increase the amount of melatonin in your body compared to other fruits like oranges or bananas.
-Lemon Balm: It is known to be a natural sleep aid for people with anxiety and insomnia. It is also claimed to increase the amount of melatonin in the body.
-Valerian root: Valerian root can help you to relax and sleep better by stimulating relaxation or sedative effects in your body. The herb is also known as calming down, having a good night's sleep, or helping you eliminate insomnia.
Supplements
- Melatonin supplements
Many supplements contain melatonin, including tablets, powder, liquid drops, sublingual drops and transdermal patches.
- Valerian root capsules:
- Tea made from valerian root can benefit those struggling with insomnia or heavy-duty sleep problems. The herb is known for its calming effects. A few cups of tea a day may provide enough benefits to help you fall asleep at night and prevent stress during the day.
- Valerian root extract: This is an extract made from valerian root that contains the herb's active ingredients.
- Valeric acid: The primary active ingredient in valerian root, which makes it effective as a sedative or a remedy for insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Sleep Technology
The Future of Restful Nights keywords: sleep technology; smart beds; biometric monitors; wearable technology; U.S.In an address at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's annual meeting in August 2018, Dr. Lauren Sloan, a neuroscientist from the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, delivered a speech titled "Sleep to Dream: The Future of Restful Nights" that called for greater investment in sleep technology to improve sleep quality and promote the health benefits associated with better-quality sleep. Professor Sloan pointed out that current methods for measuring and monitoring sleep are not current with what is available today. Therefore, it should be replaced with technologies such as biometric monitors and wearable technology that can measure sleep quality in real time.