How good are you feeling? Does fatigue bother you? Do you feel "down"? What's going on with your rest, and in particular with your sleep?
Find inner answers to these questions:
How long does your sleep last at night?
Do you feel fresh when you wake up in the morning?
What time do you go to bed?
What do you do when you wake up in the middle of the night and find that you can't sleep?
How long does it take you to fall asleep?
Are you taking sleeping pills?
What is in your bedroom: computer, exercise equipment....?
Sleep is one of life's wonderful gifts. And it must be treated very responsibly and consciously. Normal sleep is the key to health and beauty.
What happens in our body during sleep? These are precious hours for self-healing. All systems and organs are restored and prepared for a new working day. There is a cleansing of debris (old obsolete cells0) and their replacement with new healthy cells. The brain relaxes, which leads to the preservation of mental and mental health.
What would happen if we didn't have this powerful and enjoyable recovery mechanism? It's hard to even imagine. We are accustomed to treating sleep as something we should take for granted, because good sleep costs us absolutely nothing. But poor sleep can cost us quite dearly, physically and financially.
The meaning of sleep for a person
1. During sleep, important hormones are released. You've probably heard the expression that children grow in their sleep. This is not fiction and does not motivate children to sleep. The fact is that during sleep, growth hormone - somatotropin - is released. Thanks to it, children actually grow, and in adults, muscle mass is regulated and fat deposits are controlled.
If sleep is disturbed, the function of this hormone is disrupted. Take note of this if you want to lose weight.
So sleep and weight loss are interconnected things. In addition to somatotropin, the hormone leptin is released during sleep, which directly affects appetite and regulates fat deposits. It is thanks to this hormone that we feel when we need to stop eating. With its deficiency, appetite increases.
2. Normal sleep is the key to youth, beauty and health. During sleep, the aging process slows down. This is an excellent means of preventing wrinkles. Life expectancy in general often depends on its quality.
3. Why do sick people often sleep? The answer is simple - sleep strengthens the immune system. People who sleep nine hours a day have increased activity of immune cells - “killer cells”. They destroy viruses, bacteria and cancer cells.
4. Do you remember yourself after a sleepless night? How did you feel? The fact is that even a short-term lack of sleep can reduce brain activity, the ability to concentrate, and the ability to perceive information. Sleep is also needed to assimilate the information accumulated during the day. Adequate sleep even helps you learn some physical skills. Numerous studies have shown that sleep helps strengthen procedural memory. What you do during the day, your brain continues to absorb while you sleep.
5. During sleep, the hormone corisol decreases in the blood. This is a stress hormone. With excessive accumulation of this hormone in the blood. irritability, anxiety, and a tendency to depression occur.
Therefore, sleep is one of the main points important for health. By depriving the body of sleep, people unknowingly destroy their own health.
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Everyone knows that early sleep and at the same time early rise have a positive effect on a person’s health and general condition. It has been scientifically proven that the positions in which we sleep and our sleep patterns affect the lives of each of us. We all love to sleep, but how many of you spend enough time on it and try to make your sleep comfortable?
It is absolutely certain that few people have the opportunity to enjoy quality sleep every day. You may think that you are now of working age, and it is absolutely normal if you miss several hours of sleep and spend them at work. But let me assure you that this is not normal at all. You need to sleep for complete recovery. Remember that the main thing here is quality, not quantity. To this day, not everyone understands the importance of sleep. Many people believe that work is more important, and this is completely wrong. We must not forget that the time we spend sleeping is extremely important for our health.
How many hours of sleep do you need on average according to your age?
Newborns up to 2 months 12-18 hours
From 3 months to 1 year 14-15 hours
From 1 to 3 years 12-14 hours
From 3 to 5 years 11-13 hours
From 5 to 12 years 10-11 hours
From 12 to 18 years old 8.5-10 hours
Adults (over 18 years old) 7.5-9 hours
1. Brain activity
Sleep not only gives you the opportunity to relax and recharge, but it also increases brain activity, improves memory and alertness. Yes, that's the main reason it's so important. We all want us and our children to be healthy. At the same time, it has been scientifically proven that brain activity increases significantly if we pay due attention not only to the quantity, but also to the quality of sleep every day. Fueling the brain is also undoubtedly important in this process, but proper sleep must be a mandatory addition to it. It improves memory and concentration, which increases your productivity. In addition, good sleep reduces the chances of getting mental disorders, depression, etc., which are extremely harmful to our psyche. Among other things, .
2. Lifespan
We all dream of being immortal, like the vampires from popular fairy tales and films. But this is impossible. And yet, why do we ourselves shorten our lifespan by refusing sleep? Its deficiency reduces our life expectancy. Perhaps this fact can convince you that sleep is extremely important in our lives. Many studies show that if we do not sleep as much as our body requires, we are likely to live shorter than those people who listen to their bodies. So remember: by reducing your sleep time, you are shortening your life. Therefore, think before choosing work over sleep, otherwise you may pay dearly for it.
3. Immunity
The strength of our body lies in the fact that it protects itself with the help of its immune system. We don't get runny nose, cough, etc. if our immune system is working properly, but everyone knows that it suffers if we don't get proper sleep. Yes, yes, according to research, this is exactly so. The immune system acts as a kind of fighter in our body. It expels all viruses and diseases from the human body. Consequently, if we don't get enough sleep, we become more susceptible to illness. So get more sleep if you want to boost your immunity.
4. Recovery
Daily recuperation is extremely important, because this is the only way we can replenish our physical and mental activity, which significantly increases performance. As noted earlier, the morning can only be truly refreshing after a good night's sleep. In addition, it is recovery that helps a person feel cheerful and enthusiastic. During sleep, your entire body, from head to toe, relaxes. During the day you spend all your energy on work, and at night your activity is restored. Thus, provide your body with proper sleep and stay full of energy.
5. Good morning
Each of us wants to feel attractive and full of energy in the morning, but, unfortunately, we are usually lucky only on weekends and holidays. But now you can make every morning really good! Getting good sleep can certainly make waking up less painful. If you get enough sleep every night, your body performs all biological processes. For example, at this time the kidneys begin to effectively perform their functions, which ultimately activates the work of the entire digestive system. Moreover, when you wake up, you feel both physically and mentally rested for this, which ultimately gives your morning a positive attitude.
6. Performance
We all work hard and can stay up all night to earn a living. Of course, you can give up sleep and work even more, but rest assured that this will lead to serious problems in the future. Lack of sleep can seriously affect your performance. Short sleep leads to even greater fatigue and inability to perform duties, even with great desire. Therefore, many companies today set up special rooms where employees can rest when the need arises. Thus, sleep is extremely important for maintaining a person’s performance at the original level.
7. Mood
Have you ever observed your mood after being awake all night, or after your sleep was interrupted at the wrong time? Surely you are angry with those around you and are starting to get excited. Have you ever wondered what is behind this? Yes, we are talking again about the importance of good sleep. Its deficiency can lead to excessive irritability, lack of tolerance, increased stress and lack of mood. So stop thinking it's just mood swings and focus more on getting quality sleep every day if you want to stay positive at all times.
8. Beauty
It's no secret that each of us wants to always remain beautiful and attractive. If you do too, then remember that sleep plays a huge role in maintaining our beauty. Then you will never have to use all the harmful cosmetics that promise incredible results to look good. All you need is good daily sleep. Let's look at how it works from the point of view of its effect on the human body. When you sleep 6 to 8 hours a day, your body heals and repairs itself. During the deep sleep phase, our cells are renewed. Lack of sleep leads to the formation of dark circles under the eyes, which are clearly unattractive to your appearance, and also does not give your skin the opportunity to recover and glow, as it does when you get enough sleep. Hence, try to maintain your beauty every night.
9. Health problems
Obviously, no one likes getting vaccinated, undergoing surgery, or taking bitter medicine. In order for this to happen as rarely as possible, it is necessary to prevent unpleasant procedures. Millions of people face serious health problems due to lack of sleep. This includes various types of cardiovascular diseases. Regularly disrupted sleep patterns can also lead to hypertension and increased levels of stress hormones in the body. Thus, it is clear that sleep-deprived people are more likely to suffer from stress than those who get enough sleep. In addition, problems associated with arrhythmia may occur. Remember that proper sleep can save you from serious health problems.
10. Completeness
Today, obesity is becoming increasingly common throughout the world. Each of us wants to be in shape. You can easily lose weight just by getting enough sleep every day. You're probably confused right now because you don't understand how weight gain and sleep can be related, right? Let's get acquainted with a number of scientific facts regarding this phenomenon. There are two hormones in our body that are responsible for this process: ghrelin And leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite. When you don't get enough sleep, the level of ghrelin in our body increases. Leptin, in turn, also decreases during periods of sleep deprivation. Thus, yours, and you begin to consume more food, due to which weight gain occurs. Hence, you sleep well and eat less.
Even after a few days of constant sleep deprivation, a person will be able to understand why sleep is so important to him. In addition to obvious signs, such as irritability and deterioration in the ability to concentrate, all this can “come out sideways” even in such a way that not everyone will guess the real reason. Frequent lack of sound healthy sleep over time can affect the deterioration of immunity, the appearance of excess weight, persistent depression and even the development of cancer.
Adequate healthy sleep can help get rid of many ailments and prevent the development of various diseases (cardiovascular, obesity, neuroses, depression, stress). If a person fails to get a good night's sleep, he puts his health at risk.
Most adults need 7-8 full hours of sleep a night to feel rested. The relationship between sleep and health is very deep and not yet fully understood. Lack of sleep can lead to severe depression, irritability, decreased concentration, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, loss of energy, headaches, stomach pain, memory loss and other ailments.
Maintaining normal body weight
The underestimated importance of sleep for human health also applies to maintaining normal weight. Good sleep is a lever for weight management and protection against the health risks associated with obesity. If a person does not sleep the required 7-8 hours every night, metabolic processes in the body slow down. Lack of sleep can dramatically worsen your appetite and increase levels of a hormone associated with hunger, leading to weight gain.
Impact on mental health
The importance of sleep for the health of the nervous system is also difficult to overestimate. Long sleep throughout the day improves memory and ability to concentrate. Its deficiency negatively affects emotional health, causing irritability and deep depression. The negative impact of lack of sleep is most easily noticed in a child who becomes very restless. But this also affects adults in a similar way, only they are already accustomed to restraining and controlling their emotions.
Function of organ systems
Every human body must sleep in order to function well. Without good sleep, the body experiences stress, which leads to certain health risks.
As you know, lack of sleep, especially long-term, can cause inflammation of internal organs and increased stress, so the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and heart disease, cannot be excluded.
Poor sleep leads to a compromised immune system, increasing the risk of colds, flu and other viral or bacterial infections.
There is also evidence of the occurrence of cancer due to lack of quality sleep. Some recent studies have shown that persistent nightmares, lack of a full 8 hours of sleep, working at night, waking up in the middle of the night, and sleeping with the lights on increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including breast and colorectal cancer.
The quality of sleep affects dental health. Japanese scientists have discovered that people who don't get enough daily rest for months or, even worse, years experience rapid progression of gum disease, as well as cardiovascular disease. In those who had good sleep, such diseases were very rare.
During sleep, it is important to maintain the correct body position, so find out which position is the least useful.
The process of sleep is no less important for a person than, for example, regular nutrition. And yet, how many times have we sacrificed sleep due to lack of time! What consequences can this lead to and how can you improve your sleep quality? AnySports asked experts.
No other type of rest, except sleep, will allow us to relieve tension and fatigue, get rid of heavy and obsessive thoughts, and gain strength. Moreover, how many important processes occur in the body at night! The body undergoes a process of synthesis and decay: skin and hair cells are actively dividing, various hormones are formed, etc. And he “sleeps only with half an eye” - during his sleep he needs to sort out a lot of information.
How many hours do you need to sleep to get enough sleep?
The genius Einstein slept 4 hours a day, and this did not stop him from leaving a noticeable mark on science. But how many people are able to withstand such a rhythm? It turns out that only 1%. By the way, according to WHO recommendations, the average person needs to sleep about 7-8 hours. During this time, in 95% of people, the body is completely restored.
“How many hours a person needs to sleep to get enough sleep is an individual indicator,” says Yuri Poteshkin, Ph.D., endocrinologist. – This largely depends on the characteristics of the central nervous system, a person’s reaction to external stimuli, on the method of analyzing information entering the brain, on the comfort of the sleeping place, etc. On average, the time range is from 6 to 10 hours. Sleeping for more than 10 hours is simply useless; sleeping less than 6 hours is fraught with lack of sleep.”
There is an opinion that with proper organization of sleep, you can “get enough sleep” in one and a half to two hours. This is true, but with a small caveat. “To partially recover, a person only needs one sleep cycle, which is 80-90 minutes, which includes one phase of REM sleep and one phase of slow sleep,” says Olga Jacob, professor, doctor of medical sciences, general practitioner. – This kind of rest will not be enough for a long time, but you can provide yourself with 3-4 hours of vigor. However, if you go to bed at two and wake up vigorously at six, this technique will not help.”
Remember that if you don't get enough sleep, then:
- Get fit and eat more. Short-term sleep disorder leads to abuse of high-calorie foods high in carbohydrates;
- Your chances of getting into an accident are high. One sleepless night can negatively affect hand-eye coordination, which is particularly important when driving;
- You don't look your best. “In one study, participants who lacked sleep appeared more depressed and less attractive,” says Olga Jacob. – Over time, the problem only gets worse! Thus, researchers at the Royal Karolinska Institute of Sweden associate accelerated skin aging with chronic lack of sleep”;
- You risk catching a cold. At night, the body produces proteins - cytokines, which are needed to regulate stress and for the synthesis of antibodies that fight infections;
- Become more . With a lack of healthy sleep, the brain centers responsible for emotions become 60% more sensitive. The brain reverts to a more primitive pattern of activity when it cannot relate emotions to a situation.
Rules for healthy sleep
Human biorhythms are sufficiently regulated by the change of day and night. For a long time we lived in harmony with both nature and our own body: we got up at dawn and went to bed at sunset. But the modern lifestyle, with its ability to stay awake as long as you like, throws off our circadian rhythms. The duration and quality of sleep is decreasing, and this trend has only been gaining momentum recently. What do you need to consider to have truly sound and healthy sleep?
— . It is better to plan all important matters before 17:00. After this time, do only routine. Otherwise, the stress hormone cortisol, which should decrease during the day, will jump in the evening, and this will make it difficult for you to fall asleep;
— Have dinner. At night, your body needs nutrients to make skin cells and hormones. So lean meat or fish with a salad of non-starchy vegetables - a couple of hours before bedtime.
Is alcohol appropriate before bed? “Alcohol causes a sharp jump in blood sugar,” says Olga Jacob. “And this, in turn, increases insulin production, which contributes to decreased sleep quality.”
— Follow the regime. There is an opinion that if you want to get enough sleep, you need to go to bed before 12 o'clock at night. How true is it? “I have not seen any recommendations in the scientific literature on when it is better to go to bed in order to get enough sleep,” comments Yuri Poteshkin. — When going to bed late, as a rule, the wake-up time remains the same. Therefore, a person does not get the required amount of sleep.”
On this topic:
But there is another opinion: for the period from 12 at night to 4 in the morning, there is an active synthesis of the hormone melatonin - a powerful antioxidant that takes an active part in the processes of restoration of the body, in the synthesis of a number of hormones and in the breakdown of fats. It is also responsible for the quality of sleep. With a lack of melatonin, many people begin to sleep intermittently and anxiously or even suffer from insomnia.
- Take it away. Working appliances make our sleep interrupted and disturbing. When light from the screens hits closed eyes, it signals the beginning of awakening. As a result, various organ systems are activated: nervous, endocrine, digestive. And the synthesis of valuable melatonin stops.
— Organize your sleeping area correctly. Silence, darkness, room temperature of about 18-20 degrees, a comfortable mattress and pillow, fresh bed linen - this is what you need for a healthy and sound sleep.
- Don’t try to force yourself to fall asleep. If you don't feel like sleeping 10-15 minutes after you lie down, don't torture yourself. Get up and do some simple household chores. After 20-30 minutes, try to fall asleep again.
How to calculate the time and wake up refreshed in the morning
Let’s make a reservation right away: it is impossible to compensate for lack of sleep in any way! “If for you 8 is the number of hours you need to sleep to recover, and you sleep for 6 hours, in order to feel rested you need to compensate for the missing hours next time,” explains Yuri Poteshkin . – Therefore, next night you must sleep 10 hours. If you don't get 36 hours of sleep, you need to sleep 4 hours more than your normal amount over the course of 9 days. Agree, few people can afford such a regime. Essentially, we can sleep an hour longer, so those 36 hours will be compensated for longer than a month. If you are chronically sleep-deprived, you are setting yourself up for a long recovery period.”
But even if you sleep as normal, in the morning you can feel, to put it mildly, uncomfortable. What will help you cheer up?
— Rising to the desired sleep phase. Normal sleep consists of two phases: slow and fast, the duration of the first is about 70 minutes, the second – 10-15. “The body rests and gains strength during the first phase. The maximum feeling of vigor is achieved if you wake up during the REM sleep phase, when the brain is activated,” comments Olga Jacob.
How to catch the onset of REM sleep? Either special applications for mobile phones or trackers that are worn on your arm will help you with this and will wake you up at the right time and in the right phase of sleep. The accuracy of such devices is usually much higher, because they judge the beginning of the fast phase based on your physiological indicators, and not on the movements of the bed, as apps do.
You can also try changing your wake-up time by 15-20 minutes up or down. If after waking up you feel sleepy and rested, it means you woke up in the right phase of sleep and you will know approximately how much sleep you need.
— Smart alarm clock. A gadget that simulates a dawn will help you wake up more smoothly and without unnecessary stress. When light rays hit closed eyes, they gradually move the body from the slow-wave sleep phase to the fast-wave sleep phase.
— The right drinks. Regular or green tea in the morning can be much more effective than a cup of coffee. Theoretically, coffee will also help you cheer up, but not always. “If you are a “coffee addict,” then sensitivity to caffeine decreases over time, after about 3 weeks of regular use,” says Olga Jacob. – Consequently, coffee as a stimulant may not always work. But the effect of herbal preparations such as ginseng, eleutherococcus or Chinese lemongrass is similar to caffeine.”
- How long should I sleep?
- Pay your debt and keep up
The modern world is moving forward very quickly. New difficulties appear in our lives faster and faster. How we cope with certain difficulties depends not only on our experience, but also on our well-being and healthy lifestyle. There are many components to our health, and one of the most important of them is rest.
Most of us don't place much importance on sleep. We are too busy to find time to sleep. We need to work late, we have a flight to catch, or we find other reasons to stay up. And this is completely wrong. Once you start getting the required amount of sleep, everything in your life will stabilize. After all, if you're tired, you're less likely to exercise or go for a walk. You may also be more likely to go out for fast food and buy drinks with lots of caffeine and sugar to get the energy you need, but that won't help.
Before we answer the most common questions about sleep, let's define sleep, since it's not just the time when your brain switches off. During sleep, the brain performs several actions. If you don't have time for your brain to do all these tasks, the result will be identical to if you deleted temporary files from your computer: your body will slow down for a while!
Sleep is not a choice you make. Sleep is necessary to maintain the physical condition and emotional balance of the body.
How long should I sleep?
Scientists' data is disappointing - more than half of people suffer from sleep disorders, but they are completely unaware of it.
Some people say that a couple of hours of sleep is enough, but the conventional wisdom that eight hours is needed turns out to be correct if you want to stay energized throughout the day. In fact, it is not the number of hours that matters, but the quality of sleep. It happens that you sleep too much, which also adversely affects your day.
How do I know if I'm not getting enough sleep?
If you don't get enough sleep, you'll have a harder time concentrating, you'll be less confident, and you'll struggle to make decisions. You probably yawn often while working, especially if the room is warm.
In addition to all of the above, your brain will work slower, you will have less patience for things that happen, and you may lose your sense of humor. You'll want to take a nap during the day, and on the way home you'll find yourself falling asleep on the train. You can also fall asleep in a chair watching TV.
If we continue this list of consequences of lack of sleep, we can add that the negative impact extends beyond daytime sleepiness. Lack of sleep affects your judgment, coordination and timing, not to mention your libido. A sleep-deprived person experiences sensations akin to a hangover.
The consequences of a lack of adequate sleep will be mood swings, decreased immunity, problems with concentration, and maybe even obesity, and decreased sex drive.
Pay your debt and keep up
If you cannot give your body and brain the rest it needs, you will be your own debtor, just like when you take out a loan from a bank. The difference is that loans can be repaid in the future, but sleep needs to be obtained now and today! To check if you are in debt, go to bed half an hour earlier than usual. If you fall asleep easily, then you are in debt. Repeat this every day until you reach your sleep norm.
Of course, sleeping longer on the weekend will help you recuperate for the work week and help you get out of the rut. But it's better to sleep a little longer each day than to try to pay off debt over the weekend.
Simple tips to note:
- The most important thing is to follow the regime. As often as possible, try to go to bed and get up at the same time.
- Don't watch TV for at least an hour before going to bed. Turn it off. Spend this hour in bed!
- Don't drink alcohol or smoke before bed. As with TV, alcohol and smoking prevent the body from relaxing.
- It is quite beneficial to take a nap during the day. Many world leaders' business schedules include time for naps. Take no more than twenty minutes to rest. If you don't get up, you will fall asleep for a long time, and after waking up you will not be alert.
- Don't forget to exercise so that your body feels tired and wants to rest.
- If you have trouble sleeping, be sure to read these articles: “ How to deal with insomnia at home», « How to fall asleep quickly».
What happens when we sleep?
The secret to a refreshing morning is to analyze all the phases of activity that the brain goes through during sleep, after which you can choose the duration and interval of your sleep.
The brain works according to certain cycles. During waking hours, these cycles are called gamma or beta waves; gamma is responsible for stronger stimulation (stress), and beta is normal brain stimulation. When you sleep, beta waves turn into alpha waves.
But the movement doesn't stop there. Continue to sleep and your brain will automatically move from alpha waves to beta and delta waves, returning back to alpha. Each cycle takes approximately 90 minutes and repeats throughout your sleep. After six hours, the brain remains in the alpha cycle for two hours.
Why is this so important? Because what cycle you were in when you woke up will determine your entire day. It is easiest to wake up from less brain stimulation (less deep sleep). If you wake up during phases - deep sleep (delta) or deep rest (beta), then the day will not work out.
If you do not interfere with the brain doing its work in a cycle, then the body itself will wake up being in the alpha stage, which immediately follows the beta stage. And thus, you will wake up refreshed.
Now you know: you should always set your alarm for the time when your brain is in the alpha stage. In other words, if you can't sleep eight hours, it's better to sleep four and a half or six hours than five and a half.
If you're on a plane, it's better to sleep for three hours than four. Always count 90 minutes as one cycle.
By the way, you don't need an alarm clock at all. Your subconscious mind will help you quite well - just tell yourself when you need to wake up, and you will wake up.
The most important thing is to pay as much attention to sleep as to other important aspects of life. Many of us forget about this. There seem to be many other, more important needs, but just as nutrition and exercise are essential to a healthy lifestyle, the quality of your sleep directly affects your mental alertness, including your responsiveness, emotional balance, creative thinking, physical mobility, and even your weight. No other activity compares to sleep in terms of impact on your life.
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