Efficiency, activity, productivity, mobility, aggressiveness - these are the qualities that the crazy whirlwind of modern life requires from us. We are many-sided, many-armed, quick-footed, we are trying to succeed in everything, we are tireless and inexhaustible. Where does the strength come from for a crazy race?
A modern socially active person rests only in his sleep, therefore, well-being provides us with exceptionally he althy sleep. How many hours are we supposed to sleep? What should sleep be like in order to fully restore our strength, and in the morning we were ready to rush into the victorious battle again with countless hordes of worries and problems?
Why does a person need to sleep
Why do we need he althy sleep? How many hours do you need for a good rest? The thing is that our brain regulates literally all the processes in our body.
He is a generator of intellect, which means a source of new ideas, correct decisions that lead to success. He is responsible for the development of reflexes, and therefore, for the clarity of reactions and muscular, and psychological, and social.
The emotional sphere, enthusiasm and positivemood. It regulates hormonal levels, determines libido, that is, it practically determines personal life.
The metabolism depends on it. For example, how many hours of he althy sleep do you need to avoid getting fat? After all, American studies have proven that sleep deprived people quickly gain weight.
Intensive and multifaceted work exhausts the brain by the end of the day. He needs restoration, and it is possible only in a dream. How long should he althy sleep last for the brain to fully recover? What happens to us in a dream?
What happens in a dream
During sleep, complex, intense neurophysiological processes take place in the human brain. Everyone has heard about REM and non-REM sleep. Who knows for sure what this means for each of us?
The phases of sleep, fast and slow, alternate and create cycles. The cycles flow one after the other and are clearly, it is proven, limited in time to approximately a hundred minutes.
REM sleep is characterized by a pronounced blood flow to the area of the brain responsible for memory and emotions, that is, it plays an important role in the formation of memories. In this phase, with the complete external passivity of the sleeping person, the activity of the cortical layer of the brain remains almost half, alpha rhythms are recorded on the EEG. That is, while we sleep, the brain analyzes the information received during the day.
In addition, in this phase there is an intense release of adrenal hormones into the blood, intensification of cerebral blood flow, fluctuations in blood pressure and pulse,erection. Waking up in REM sleep guarantees great well-being.
In the phase of non-REM sleep, alpha rhythms gradually fade away, but visceral connections are activated. Laboratory studies of the last 5 years have proven that in the phase of slow sleep, the regulation of the functions of visceral, that is, internal organs, occurs. Since the cerebral cortex is inactive at this moment, waking up in the non-REM sleep phase will have an extremely negative effect on well-being.
To avoid waking up in the slow phase, you should try to program the duration of sleep to the number of hours that is a multiple of 1.5. It is essential not only how long he althy sleep lasts, but also the multiplicity of its duration by 1.5.
How to organize your sleep? How to exclude everything that can interfere with a date with Morpheus? How can you ensure that you get enough rest for the hours you need for he althy sleep?
Keep the physiological clock
You should go to bed before 22.00. Somnologists insist: the correct time for sleep is from 22.00 to 07.00. You yourself have noticed that, being late to go to bed, then you cannot fall asleep for a long time. This is because you are tired and overexcited, and arousal is nothing but the initial stage of fatigue. And your temporary revival towards the night is a symptom of growing fatigue.
Therefore, it is important not only how many hours a he althy sleep lasts, but also when you sleep. The sleep period should fall on the physiologically appropriate hours. It has been proven that the quality of sleep is much higher if it starts before 22.00. The most effective sleep for a good rest is before midnight.
Stay he althy
Thus, we found out that sleep is not a trifle and not a whim that can sometimes be neglected. Stick to the established routine once and for all. It should become mandatory for you, in the end - familiar.
What does "habitual" mean for a person in the neurophysiological sense? This means that you have successfully coped with the development of a conditioned reflex. A persistent reflex has formed - to fall asleep at a certain time.
It doesn't matter if you get 6, 7 or 8 hours of sleep. How many hours a he althy sleep of a person lasts does not matter, first of all it must be timely. Do not deviate from the daily routine either on weekends or on holidays. In this case, violation is tantamount to destruction, and all efforts made earlier can go down the drain. Stability should be the watchword for he althy sleep.
Don't overeat or starve
Don't go to bed with a full stomach. There is a rule - do not eat heavily in the last four hours before bedtime. Eat just enough for he althy sleep.
For dinner, you should not plan meat, spicy, s alty, fatty and fried dishes, they will not give you rest in a dream and leave their mark on your face in the morning. Give preference to vegetable and fish dishes, stews and boiled. Carbohydrate foods promote sleep: cereals, casseroles, pureed vegetable soups with cereals.
Don't drink coffee in the evening and includecaffeine drinks. Cocoa, chocolate, alcohol also do not contribute to he althy sleep. Their tonic effect reaches its peak three hours after consumption, just in time for sleep.
Don't go to bed hungry. Hunger is not only “not an aunt”, he is not at all a friend of the celestial Morpheus. It is impossible to endure the pangs of hunger for as long as the number of hours a he althy sleep of a person lasts. You should not toss and turn under the rumbling of an empty stomach, make him fall silent with a glass of curdled milk or yogurt. A wonderful, centuries-old remedy is a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey. A glass of warm oatmeal jelly with juice from sweet berries and fruits will also provide comfort to your stomach and make it easier to fall asleep.
Don't forget the prelude to sleep
Tune in to sleep in advance. Force yourself to disconnect from everyday worries and problems. An hour, half an hour before going to bed, take a shower or bath, have an aroma session or do relaxing exercises. Turn off the TV, computer, better read or tie. The prelude to sleep should relax you, put you in a relaxing state.
The choice of methods for the prelude to sleep is completely individual. Choose the best option for yourself by testing, select its optimal duration. It is not so important whether it will last 10 or 40 minutes, whether it will be a warm bath or herbal tea, it is important that it evokes positive emotions in you. The ritual should gradually become a habit, you should develop a conditioned reflex - fall asleep after the prelude to sleep.
Make yourself comfortable
In a dream, a person completely relaxes, and nothing should prevent him from doing this. The bed should be optimally comfortable. It is necessary to choose a moderately elastic mattress that can provide the necessary support to the curves of the spine. Of particular importance is the selection of a pillow, because it is it that provides relaxation of the neck muscles during sleep. The blanket should be light and warm, large enough. Bed linen is preferable to choose from cotton or linen fabric. The same, from natural fabrics, should be underwear nightwear. It should fit freely around you, without squeezing or disturbing your he althy sleep. How many hours can you feel comfortable in tight underwear without adjusting it during the day? Why put yourself in the grip of corseted shirts or tight boxers all night long?
Remove external distractions
It is known that people who rarely change their posture during the night wake up easily and feel a surge of vigor from early morning. Those who sleep restlessly, toss and turn a lot, wake up in the morning feeling overwhelmed.
It turns out that in a dream we still react to external stimuli. Sharp sounds, flashes of light, drafts, awkward touches of a husband, a child, a cat lying nearby in the bed make us react with involuntary movements. This disrupts the alternation of sleep phases, destroys its cyclicality, and sharply reduces its quality. The next morning after a restless night, a person feels overwhelmed.
Therefore, try to ensure yourself complete peace onthroughout the night. Shade your windows to block out the flash of advertising and the headlights of passing cars. Fasten the window sashes so that the flapping window does not interfere. Teach your pet to do without you at night. Encourage your child to sleep in your crib. Get a bigger bed so that you and your husband do not interfere with each other.
Combat hypoxia
During sleep, your body must be adequately oxygenated. Before going to bed, the room must be ventilated, you can leave the window open at night. It is impossible to ensure he althy sleep in a stuffy room. How many hours in stuffiness can you survive without harm while awake? And don't deprive yourself of fresh air while sleeping.
But do not supercool the air in the room, its optimum temperature should be between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius.
Did you get a good sleep? Have you achieved what you wanted? Waking up in the morning, get up immediately, do not lie too long, even if it's still early. Your brain is already involved in vigorous activity, provide the necessary field for it. Use early awakening as a trigger for a bouncy day. After all, forcing yourself to fall asleep again, you violate the correct alternation of phases and sleep cycles, completely leveling the sleep efficiency achieved with such difficulty. This can turn into lethargy the next time you wake up. Don't let your efforts be in vain. Sleep tight and stay he althy!
