Improve Your Sleep
Sleep is such an important part of our lives, yet many of us don’t pay much attention to it. It is usually when we start having a problem with sleep that we start noticing it and try to understand it. Sleep is essential to humans; we are wired and programed to sleep as a restorative purpose both psychological and physiological. Research suggests that delta sleep stage 3 & 4 are mostly involved in restoring the body physical energy, while REM sleep is most important for restoring mental functions such as memory and concentration. Having a good night sleep also benefits repairing injuries or illnesses, growth, improve mood, improve work performance and getting along with other people.
People’s sleep differ on how much sleep they need. While the average sleep duration for an adult is 6-8 hours per night, some function well with less and some with more. It is important to understand that lack of sleep causes problems with concentration, low mood, irritability, poor attention, slower physical coordination, less quality of life, increase worry thoughts and chronic sleep issues can even cause psychosis.
About 50 -70 % of people in the US struggle with Insomnia and 1 out of 4 women and 1 out of 5 men struggle with Insomnia. Insomnia is a persistent dissatisfying problem with the quality or quantity of sleep lasting for more than 1-month. This includes difficulties falling asleep (onset of insomnia) waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep and not being able to stay asleep (middle insomnia). There are other types of sleep problems like excessive daytime sleepiness, nightmares and sleepwalking. There are many reasons to the cause of insomnia, like restless leg syndrome, pain, side effects of medication, alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, severe anxiety or depression, stressful live events, daytime napping, or dependency on sleep medication. So, what can we do to improve our sleep? First, start by developing a healthy sleep cycle. Having a set routine can help you prepare and condition your brain to initiate sleep hormones. Researchers have gone into developing a set of guidelines and tips which were designed to enhance good sleep. Secondly, what you eat is important. I cant say that enough. Researchers have stated that having a healthy diet can improve your sleep. Lastly, exercising or keeping your body active daily can also improve your sleep. Research shows that exercise like walking, playing a sport, high intensity intervals, running, swimming, yoga, or other types of physical activities will not only improve sleep, but can improve self-esteem, your physical and mental health.
Below you will find tips to help you improve your sleep provided by new harbinger publications, 2015
Sleep Tips
#1 Before you go to bed, practice the same relaxing ritual.
The brain is very sensitive to patterns, and if you get into the habit of repeating the same steps before bed ( for example, drinking a cup of tea, washing your face, brushing your teeth, and putting on your pajamas) you'll train your brain to anticipate that sleep coming. This will make much easier.
#2 Eliminate light stimulation for at least one hour before bed
Avoid watching television or using computers or other electronic devices that shine light into your eyes (including cell phone) before going to bed. Your brain can interpret the artificial light as daylight, making it more difficult for your brain to prepare for sleep.
#3 Exercise during the day
Vigorous exercise in not necessary; any type of daily exercise can help promote sleep. Just try not to schedule your exercise later in the evening, when it can be counterproductive if it's too stimulating
#4 Establish a consistent bedtime and waking time.
Keeping a regular sleep schedule will help set your brain's clock and establishing a practice that becomes a pattern of responding. It is very difficult for the brain to adjust to sleeping on a schedule that's constantly fluctuating.
#5 Avoid napping
Any nap more than about twenty minutes long can potentially interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night, and even twenty-minutes naps later in the day can be detrimental.
#6 If you have trouble falling asleep replace activating thought with relaxing ones.
Focusing your thoughts on something relaxing is much more effective than trying to clear your mind. Music is helpful for some people, but others find that it doesn't prevent anxiety-igniting thoughts and therefore they need to avoid listening to music . The left hemisphere often needs to hear words to keep it from generating anxiety-igniting thoughts. Get in bed, and if you don't fall asleep quickly, read a book or listen to a podcast. You can listen to television or a video on the computer, as long as you dont watch the lighted screen in order to focus your thoughts on less activating topics. There are also many recording on Youtube consisting of meditative exercises, relaxing nature sounds, and repetitive mantras that are ideal for this purpose. When you begin to feel that you can fall sleep, immediately turn off any lights, close your eyes, and allow yourself to sleep.
#7 If worries haunt you at bedtime. Schedule a worry time during the day (make time for your worries)
If you start worrying as soon as you get in bed, set aside at least 15 minutes early each day for worry time. During that time, write down a list of all your worries. For each worry, write down either the best solution that you have, a note that you'll take more time to consider the solution and decide later, the name of someone you can ask for help with the situation , or that you'll live without a solution for the time being. Then fold the piece of paper and put it next to your bed to remind you that you've already worried at the appropriate time and need not do so at night.
#8 Ensure that your sleeping environment in conducive to sleep
Your room should be dark and quite, your bed and pillow should be comfortable, and the temperature should be agreeable. If your environment is noisy, a fan or other white noise may be helpful.
#9 Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods in the late afternoon and evening.
All of these substances can interfere with falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping soundly. Even though alcohol is relaxing and can help you fall asleep, it interferes with entering the later stages of sleep, including REM sleep.
#10 Use relaxing breathing techniques to prepare for sleep
When you get into bed, slow your breathing down and breathe more deeply. Focus on relaxing your muscles and breathing out any tension
#11 If you can't fall asleep after thirty minutes in bed, get up and do something relaxing.
Don't remain in bed very long without falling asleep. Get up an do something calm and non-stimulating for a while, being sure to avoid computers, and other light-producing screens, including cell phones. When you feel relaxed or sleepy, get back in bed. Using your bed primary for sleep trains your brain to associate it with falling asleep.
#12 Avoid sing prescription sleep aids.
Many medications that promote sleep are addictive and lose their effectiveness after a relatively short period of time. They also can cause unpleasant side effects and even abnormal behaviors such as sleepwalking or eating while sleeping! When it comes to sleep difficulties, approaches that don't rely on medication are preferable and much more helpful in the long run
Need to know:
Sleep benefits the cortex as well as the amygdala, but the amygdala is especially sensitive to sleep deprivation. If you could use functional magnetic resonance imaging to see the increase level of activation in your amygdala after a night with limited sleep, you'd be amazed (Yoo et al. 2007). If you reflect on how you've felt after nights of reduced sleep, you can probably recall being more edgy or irritable. Your amygdala was likely contributing to this emotional reaction. Changing your sleep habits to ensure sufficient sleep can be very effective at reducing of the amygdala and decrease your anxiety as a result.
