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Basic lifestyle habits [that lead to lifestyle change]
1. 8+ hours of sleep per day It's hard to be in top mental shape if you're sleep deprived. We feel a lack of sleep with a heavy head, stinging eyes, and an inability to...
WHY SLEEP IS ESSENTIAL FOR BEING HEALTHY
Sleep is one of the basic human needs, essential for our survival. Sleep regenerates our entire body and refreshes our mind so that we can be ready for the challenges of everyday life. When talking about a healthy lifestyle, sleep is usually not our first association, but rather physical activity or a healthy diet. In fact, for a truly healthy life, we must first look at our sleep.
In today's modern world, getting enough quality sleep is often not high on the list of priorities in life. We always have something to do, we always have something to read, finish a project, write a report, watch the 15th episode of a series, etc. In short, it often happens that we squeeze in only 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. If this happens to us every now and then, the consequences are not so serious - we may just be a little more irritable and confused the next day. However, if such a schedule represents most of our nights, we need to start realizing that this can seriously endanger our health in the future.
SCIENCE OF SLEEP
Have you ever wondered why we get sleepy in the first place?
Our body operates on its own "internal clock", also known as the circadian rhythm. After waking up in the morning, refreshed and rested, we become increasingly tired throughout the day until we go to bed at night.
This sleep-wake cycle is largely regulated by our hormonal system. Adenosine is an organic substance produced in the brain, and throughout the day, the amount of adenosine increases until we go to sleep, when our body begins to break it down.
Light also affects our circadian rhythm. A special center in our brain processes light signals, both natural and artificial. This is how the body knows what time of day it is and which hormones to produce.
Towards evening, as natural light begins to decline, the body begins to produce the hormone melatonin, which makes us tired and sleepy. As the sun begins to rise, the hormone cortisol, often called the stress hormone, increases, making us alert and alert.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENOUGH AND QUALITY SLEEP
For most adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is essential for optimal cognitive and physical function. In recent years, the number of studies examining the effects of sleep deprivation on the body has increased significantly, so we can now say that chronic sleep deprivation is associated with a number of serious diseases and health problems.
The risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, many mental illnesses (depression and anxiety), chronic pain, a tendency to injury, and overall life expectancy is shortened.
Interestingly, most people who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation are not even aware of it. People can develop a so-called tolerance to sleep deprivation, which means they can function relatively well even if they don't get their full needs met.
WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP?
As we mentioned earlier, many people don't even realize they're not getting enough sleep, so the first step is to take a moment to think about your sleep habits. If you regularly sleep less than 7 hours a night, you're probably chronically sleep deprived.
Now you're going to say: "But I can't fall asleep at 11pm, and then I stare at the ceiling until 1am!" Which we can completely understand, our body is of course a creature of habit and if you've been sleeping like this for the last 5, 10, 15 years, you're going to have to put in some effort to establish a new habit.
We have prepared some tips that you can implement into your everyday life, or rather every evening, to make it easier for you to fall asleep at the right time.
1. Make a consistent sleep schedule: try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
2. Keep your bedroom cool - ideally around 18 degrees Celsius, dark and quiet. If you can't completely darken your bedroom, use an eye mask and earplugs to block out noise. Even when we're asleep, our brains are constantly sensing these kinds of stimuli, which can reduce the quality of our sleep.
3. Limit your caffeine intake in the afternoon: Caffeinated drinks are designed to keep you awake. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, the same compound we mentioned earlier that makes you sleepy. It can take up to 10 hours for caffeine to fully break down, so it's a good idea to consider when you'll have your last cup of coffee.
4. Limit blue light for half an hour to 1 hour before bed: blue light coming from the screens of our smartphones, televisions, tablets, etc. Blue light inhibits the secretion of melatonin - the hormone we need to fall asleep.
5. Create a bedtime routine: a warm shower right before bed, reading in dim light, listening to calm music, light stretching, relaxation exercises, ... there is something for everyone. When our body gets used to this routine, it will automatically become sleepy earlier, as it will immediately associate the routine with sleep.
6. Make sure you only use your bedroom for sleep and sex: the more activity you do in your bedroom, the less your brain will associate it with sleep and therefore it may be harder for you to fall asleep.
7. Be physically active during the day: Physical activity helps reduce evening fatigue. Just be careful not to engage in intense physical activity right before bed, as exercise releases the hormone cortisol, which has the effect of keeping us awake.
8. If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes in bed, don't toss and turn in bed, but instead go out of the room and repeat one of your bedtime routines in dim light. Again, the logic here is that we don't want to associate bed/bedtime with sleep problems.
We hope that we have at least given you a little insight into the importance of sleep for our health and that if you have trouble falling asleep on time, you will try one of the tips listed above. The importance of quality sleep is increasingly emphasized, as the devastating consequences of chronic sleep deprivation are also increasingly known. Although many people think that they can eliminate these negative effects with a green smoothie and an afternoon run, unfortunately this is not the case.
Don't resist lying in bed - sleep is the law!
In today's modern world, getting enough quality sleep is often not high on the list of priorities in life. We always have something to do, we always have something to read, finish a project, write a report, watch the 15th episode of a series, etc. In short, it often happens that we squeeze in only 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. If this happens to us every now and then, the consequences are not so serious - we may just be a little more irritable and confused the next day. However, if such a schedule represents most of our nights, we need to start realizing that this can seriously endanger our health in the future.
SCIENCE OF SLEEP
Have you ever wondered why we get sleepy in the first place?
Our body operates on its own "internal clock", also known as the circadian rhythm. After waking up in the morning, refreshed and rested, we become increasingly tired throughout the day until we go to bed at night.
This sleep-wake cycle is largely regulated by our hormonal system. Adenosine is an organic substance produced in the brain, and throughout the day, the amount of adenosine increases until we go to sleep, when our body begins to break it down.
Light also affects our circadian rhythm. A special center in our brain processes light signals, both natural and artificial. This is how the body knows what time of day it is and which hormones to produce.
Towards evening, as natural light begins to decline, the body begins to produce the hormone melatonin, which makes us tired and sleepy. As the sun begins to rise, the hormone cortisol, often called the stress hormone, increases, making us alert and alert.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENOUGH AND QUALITY SLEEP
For most adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is essential for optimal cognitive and physical function. In recent years, the number of studies examining the effects of sleep deprivation on the body has increased significantly, so we can now say that chronic sleep deprivation is associated with a number of serious diseases and health problems.
The risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, many mental illnesses (depression and anxiety), chronic pain, a tendency to injury, and overall life expectancy is shortened.
Interestingly, most people who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation are not even aware of it. People can develop a so-called tolerance to sleep deprivation, which means they can function relatively well even if they don't get their full needs met.
WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP?
As we mentioned earlier, many people don't even realize they're not getting enough sleep, so the first step is to take a moment to think about your sleep habits. If you regularly sleep less than 7 hours a night, you're probably chronically sleep deprived.
Now you're going to say: "But I can't fall asleep at 11pm, and then I stare at the ceiling until 1am!" Which we can completely understand, our body is of course a creature of habit and if you've been sleeping like this for the last 5, 10, 15 years, you're going to have to put in some effort to establish a new habit.
We have prepared some tips that you can implement into your everyday life, or rather every evening, to make it easier for you to fall asleep at the right time.
1. Make a consistent sleep schedule: try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
2. Keep your bedroom cool - ideally around 18 degrees Celsius, dark and quiet. If you can't completely darken your bedroom, use an eye mask and earplugs to block out noise. Even when we're asleep, our brains are constantly sensing these kinds of stimuli, which can reduce the quality of our sleep.
3. Limit your caffeine intake in the afternoon: Caffeinated drinks are designed to keep you awake. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, the same compound we mentioned earlier that makes you sleepy. It can take up to 10 hours for caffeine to fully break down, so it's a good idea to consider when you'll have your last cup of coffee.
4. Limit blue light for half an hour to 1 hour before bed: blue light coming from the screens of our smartphones, televisions, tablets, etc. Blue light inhibits the secretion of melatonin - the hormone we need to fall asleep.
5. Create a bedtime routine: a warm shower right before bed, reading in dim light, listening to calm music, light stretching, relaxation exercises, ... there is something for everyone. When our body gets used to this routine, it will automatically become sleepy earlier, as it will immediately associate the routine with sleep.
6. Make sure you only use your bedroom for sleep and sex: the more activity you do in your bedroom, the less your brain will associate it with sleep and therefore it may be harder for you to fall asleep.
7. Be physically active during the day: Physical activity helps reduce evening fatigue. Just be careful not to engage in intense physical activity right before bed, as exercise releases the hormone cortisol, which has the effect of keeping us awake.
8. If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes in bed, don't toss and turn in bed, but instead go out of the room and repeat one of your bedtime routines in dim light. Again, the logic here is that we don't want to associate bed/bedtime with sleep problems.
We hope that we have at least given you a little insight into the importance of sleep for our health and that if you have trouble falling asleep on time, you will try one of the tips listed above. The importance of quality sleep is increasingly emphasized, as the devastating consequences of chronic sleep deprivation are also increasingly known. Although many people think that they can eliminate these negative effects with a green smoothie and an afternoon run, unfortunately this is not the case.
Don't resist lying in bed - sleep is the law!
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