Wake up to the truths about sleeping

All of us have experienced sleep but most of us don’t know what happens while we sleep. The dictionary defines sleep as "to slumber; to be motionless, inactive, dormant; to take rest by surrendering consciousness." One thing is sure: sleep is connected with the circadian rhythm present in all living creatures. This rhythm is caused by the day and night cycle that the earth undergoes as it rotates around its axis while revolving around the sun.

Although there seems to be physical inactivity during sleep, many important functions and processes occur. Cells are regenerated, infections are healed, organs continue to perform their vital bodily functions, food and chemical wastes are eliminated into the post-digestive tract for expulsion, memories and other data are filed by the brain, and dreams occur especially during the rapid eye movement (REM) state of sleep. There are nerve cells in the brain that are five to ten times more active during sleep than during waking hours. Furthermore, the release of growth hormones in growing children has been found to be sleep related. So sleep is hardly a state of inactivity as we commonly believe it to be.

A good sleep usually brings good rest and since people always seem to look better when rested, sleep is considered one of the ultimate beauty secrets. Furthermore, experts believe that in the somewhat incongruous images we remember of our dreams lie the answers given by our subconscious to our everyday questions and deepest emotional problems. In fact, the double helix, spiral staircase-like shape of the DNA, was dreamt of in 1953 by one of the scientists who discovered it (James Watson and Francis Crick), and believe it or not, Paul McCartney first heard the melody of the now classic Beatles song Yesterday in a dream!

I tend to agree with New Age philosophers who claim that man needs sleep because it is during this time that the soul goes on its astral travels, when the soul flies out to connect to the Great Spirit world beyond. This explains why we sometimes have dreams of flying and falling, or having a "rough landing" as our souls re-enter the physical plane. Kind of far-fetched but an enchanting possibility!

Sleep Your Way To A Better Life

We are all aware that proper nutrition, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle are important in maintaining good health and wellbeing. But many of us underestimate the value of sleep. Good sleep is essential to good health as it is vital to feeling and looking your best. Sleep refreshes and re-energizes you to perform dynamically for the day ahead. When you don’t get enough sleep, you become more stressful, lethargic and less productive.

People have varying sleep requirements. Babies and growing children need more sleep compared to adults. Older people require an average of seven to eight hours of sleep to get them up rested and energized. Too little sleep makes you feel tired and irritable; too much makes you feel fuzzy and sluggish. Figure out your optimal sleep needs by observing how you feel after varying sleeping hours.

What can one do to have better sleep? Here are some valuable tips for a good night’s rest:

Sleep Do’s

1. Eat healthy. Eat the right foods in the right amounts and supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. Drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated.

2. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress but take care not to exercise too close to bedtime as you may experience difficulty falling asleep.

3. Give yourself "permission" to go to sleep. Make sleep a priority. It is essential for your overall health and wellbeing. Discipline yourself to develop proper sleep habits.

4. End the day and unwind early in the evening. Slow down your activities as you approach sleep time and try not to deal with worries and distractions before bedtime. Listen to soothing music, read a pleasant book or do relaxation exercises.

5. Develop a sleep ritual. Do the same things (brush your teeth, wash your face, etc.) nightly before bed to signal and prepare your body to settle down for the night.

6. Establish a sleeping routine. Set your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time daily (even on weekends!) until you establish the routine that suits you perfectly.

7. Use sunlight to set your biological clock. When you get up in the morning, go outside and turn your face to the sun for a few minutes. This will help adjust your biological sleep clock to the circadian rhythm. The vitamin D you get from sunlight is a plus!

8. Take only a light snack before going to sleep. An empty stomach or a heavy meal before bedtime can interfere with good sleep. A warm glass of milk is usually recommended because dairy products contain tryptophan, a natural sleep inducer.

9. Take naps. Compensate for missed sleep by taking a 20-minute mid-afternoon nap; if not, go to bed 15 minutes earlier the following night. But don’t overdo it; excessive napping can rob you of a good night’s sleep.

10. Stretch and yawn. Stretching relieves muscles of built-up tension while yawning is nature’s way of paying off oxygen debt to your lungs.

Sleep Don’ts

1. Don’t smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night. Nicotine, a stimulant, interferes with your ability to fall asleep.

2. Don’t take caffeine before bedtime. Consuming caffeine (present in coffee, tea, cola, cocoa, chocolates and other prescription drugs) can also make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.

3. Don’t drink alcohol. Although drinking alcohol before bedtime may seem to slow down brain activity and help you sleep, studies show that it actually interrupts and fragments the sleep process.

4. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime. Exercising close to bedtime will charge your body up. Falling asleep after a vigorous exercise may take longer.

5. Don’t take a hot shower close to retiring. The cooling down of the body is part of the sleeping process. Heating up the body keeps you awake. Take a hot shower at least 90 minutes before sleeping.

6. Don’t use your bed for other purposes other than sleep. Refrain from studying, reading newspapers, sorting bills or watching TV in bed. These are best done seated so you won’t develop a stiff neck and bad back. (Napping and making love are the only exceptions to this.)

7. Don’t drive when sleepy! Never, ever drive or perform potentially dangerous work when tired and sleepy. If you are drowsy on the road, pull over to a safe area and doze off until you feel awake and fit to drive again.

Your Bedroom

1. Create a restful place to sleep. Sleep in a cool room that is free from noise and bright lights that may disturb your sleep. Block out extraneous noise with earplugs and dim bright lights with blinds, "black out" curtains or use eye shades. Freshen up the scent of your room with eucalyptus leaves or aromatic candles.

2. Sleep on a comfortable bed. Your body appreciates a comfortable bed with a good, supportive mattress. It should provide gentle support to all points of your body especially the natural curve of your spine, and provide good space for two if you have a bedmate. Choose soft bed sheets and pillowcases in relaxing colors and designs.

3. Adjust the temperature of your room. The ideal bedroom temperature is 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 18 degrees Celsius). A room that’s too warm or too cold can disrupt comfortable sleep.

Insomnia & Sleep Disorders

People who have trouble falling or staying asleep are said to suffer from insomnia, a common sleep disorder that afflicts most adults. Stress, tension, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol and caffeine, undesirable sleeping conditions, etc., can all lead to insomnia. What can one do to battle this sleep disorder?

1. Count. Counting is one of the best known methods to calm and induce a person to sleep. Counting your breath is better than counting imagined objects (like the usual "sheep jumping over the fence" practice) because your breaths are real. Count an inhale as one, an exhale as two, and so on, and when you reach five, go back to one.

2. The body sweep. This is an effective relaxation technique. Start from your toes; flex and relax them. Then flex and relax your feet, and slowly go to your ankles, legs, knees, thighs, etc., up to your shoulders, neck and head. Flex each muscle group and release the tension that has built up in them. Imagine your body getting heavier and sinking into your bed.

3. Temple and eye area gentle massage. Using both middle fingers, press gently below the eyebrows starting from the bridge of the nose out to the temples. You may apply a menthol vapor rub (sparingly so as not to sting!) on these areas to cool and relax them. Repeat the process until your eyes feel soft, floating in their sockets as you drift to sleep.

4. Keep your eyes still. There is a direct relationship between a restless mind and restless eyes. Keeping your eyes still and relaxed can help quiet your restless mind. Quieting the mind can induce peaceful sleep.

5. Sleeping pills. Consult your doctor before taking a sleeping pill or sleep-inducing medicine. Drugs that are not prescribed may be habit forming or have harmful side effects.

6. Don’t worry that you can’t fall asleep. Worrying will just compound your problem and keep you awake even more. Just relax and doze off.

Snoring And Other Sleep Disorders

Snoring has no serious medical consequences but is a problem when it is bothersome and disrupts the sleep of others. To prevent snoring, sleep on your side. If someone near you snores, push him to a different position until the snoring stops.

For other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome (RLS), somnambulism (sleep walking), etc., consult a medical specialist in that field.

Having a good night means having a better day. By improving the quality of your sleep, you can greatly improve the quality of your life. Bon nuit and sweet dreams!

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