In recent years, it has become clear that sleep, especially deep sleep, is of great importance for our life and well-being, for example for the production of the hormones that ensure the development and maintenance of our body and brain. Sleep improves the immune system, strengthens memory and creativity, and helps prevent stress, anxiety, and depression. A good night’s sleep contributes to a good life. A good night sleep is therefore just as crucial for us to thrive and feel good as healthy diet and exercise. Nevertheless, studies show that within the last 20 years we have started to sleep less.
Transient and long-term insomnia
Sleep is crucial for our health and well-being. At night the brains waste products are cleaned out, the nervous system is repaired, the body secretes hormones that regulate blood sugar and appetite, and the days impressions are processed. That is why long-term sleeping problems can have serious consequences.
There are many both physical and psychological consequences of insomnia. Some of the consequences can be experienced relatively short term, while other consequences develop over longer periods of insomnia. Some of the consequences with both transient and long-term insomnia are listed below:
- Greater risk of getting sick
- Poorer concentration and learning ability
- Greater risk of mental illnesses such as stress and depression
- Poorer responsiveness
- More frequent mood swings
- Greater cravings for sugar and sweets and lack of motivation to exercise, which increases the likelihood of being overweight
- Poorer recovery and physical performance
Sleep problems are so widespread that virtually all people will experience sleep problems several times during their lives due to stress conditions, changes in the environment, noise, or other reasons.
According to ZiboCare the facts are that:
- Between 10-20% are bothered by chronic sleep difficulties
- Approximately every 10th adult often uses sleeping pills at night
- Difficulty sleeping becomes more common with age, and women have it more often than men
- Sleep problems can start as early as childhood and sometimes continue into adulthood
The cause of transient or short-term insomnia are often well know and are due to external causes such as stress, speculation, emotional conditions, private problems, or acute illness. In children and young adults, this is often due to the use of screens, because you don’t want to miss too much, which causes the mobile phone to disturb the brain almost 24/7. This often leads to fatigue during the day, concentration and memory problems, sadness and depressive thoughts, headaches, mood swings, as well as poor well-being.
Top 8 tips for a good night’s sleep
1. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Set aside enough time for your sleep, even if you are busy or there is a good movie on the tv screen. Sleep strengthens both your body and your mind because the growth hormones increase during deep sleep and the amount of stress hormones decreases.
2. Try to make sleep something you look forward to. Sleep takes up one third of your life and matters a lot for the other two thirds. Your sleep is not something that you just have to get over.
3. Ensure a good sleeping environment. A good mattress, a dark, quiet, and cool bedroom. Use earplugs and a sleeping mask or put up blackout curtains if you are bothered by sounds or light. The bedroom and the bed are only for sleep and sex. So, the bedroom must not make you think about everything else and should therefore preferable not also be a tv- or a study room.
4. Give yourself time to relax for at least an hour before going to bed. Relax with something pleasant and soothing, like quiet music, reading, a warm bath, or some meditation. Dimming the lighting at the end of the evening can also help.
5. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, cola, or energy drinks after 4 p.m. Avoid alcohol and smoking, as this can also disrupt sleep.
6. Maintain a regular circadian rhythm. Get up at a fixed time, as well as going to bed at a fixed time. You can quickly develop a delayed circadian rhythm by getting up later and going to bed later, and then it becomes harder and harder to get back to normal sleeping times.
7. Go to bed neither hungry nor uncomfortable full. A stable blood sugar helps to provide calm, undisturbed sleep.
8. Avoid bringing worries to bed. Set aside time in the evening to write down worries and suggestions for solutions in a diary, if you are often troubled by thoughts and restlessness when you go to sleep. It can also help to learn a technique for relaxation and to calm yourself down. You could try mindfulness or breathing exercises.
Sources:
- ZiboCare
- National Institutes of Health
- Better Health Channel
- Femina