What rules should be followed to make going to bed an easy and natural event? How to put a child to bed without screams and tears? How to switch from daytime activity to serene nighttime peace? All these questions will be answered by the corresponding section of medicine - sleep hygiene.
Term Definition
What is sleep hygiene? This is an area of medicine responsible for developing measures to normalize sleep, as well as studying the impact of the environment on well-being and natural human biorhythms. Problems associated with difficult evening falling asleep, sudden nocturnal awakenings, heavy lifting in the morning, maintaining vigor and freshness during the day, belong to this section of medicine. Sleep hygiene studies a person's habits, his morning and evening rituals, any actions that help him fall asleep deeply and calmly, that is, all the factors that affect the process of a normal night's rest.
There are four main components that affect the quality of sleep:
- Age.
- Circadian rhythm.
- Stress-formingfactors.
- Reactive and social substances (nicotine, caffeine, alcohol).
Age
Age plays a big role in matters of sleep. Usually in the fifth decade, frequent nighttime awakenings become commonplace, because over the years sleep becomes more superficial. The more often a person’s nighttime sleep is interrupted, the more likely it is that in the morning he will get out of bed lethargic and tired. The frequency of sudden awakenings is also affected by other factors that cause excitation of the nervous system. For example, drinking alcoholic beverages just before falling asleep can cause a hangover late at night. Over the years, sleep hygiene has become increasingly important for a person.
Circadian rhythm
All our life activity is subject to a twenty-four-hour cycle. It matters what time of day a person is in the arms of Morpheus. The more measured and stable its daily rhythm, the deeper and more peaceful sleep. The natural biorhythm of a person can be disturbed by a number of reasons: daytime naps, a change in the usual time for going to bed at night, physical exercise, exposure to light. This parameter is also associated with crossing time zones while traveling, long daylight hours and waking up at the computer just before falling asleep.
Stressors
Stress can come from a variety of sources. For example, due dates for reports and projects, problems at work, family troubles, exams. All theseeveryday problems can disturb peace and sleep. To distract from such difficulties, of course, it takes time - there is simply no other way. If a person is used to working until late at night or has a habit of thinking about the events of the past day just before falling asleep, he simply will not be able to immediately go to a good rest.
Sleep hygiene involves the development of a sleep ritual, individual for each person. This is a certain sequence of actions that switches the body from active wakefulness to a state of relaxation and rest. It helps someone to make a list of the negative accumulated during the day and ways to work with it. For someone - a warm bath or half an hour reading an interesting book, for someone - listening to their favorite musical compositions. There is no one size fits all solution. One tip: when performing the ritual of going to bed, a person should not keep track of time. It will be annoying and unnerving. It is better to temporarily disconnect from pressing worries and give yourself a few minutes of serene calm.
Restoring power substances
Substances that are socially acceptable, such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, can have more of an effect on a person than they think. For example, nicotine lingers in the body for about fourteen hours, reduces sleep duration and increases the likelihood of nighttime awakenings. Caffeine has a similar effect on the body, but in small doses it calms the nervous system, and in large doses it excites. From alcohol firsttime can make you sleepy, but later it can provide too vivid dreams, increased sweating and headache. All this will affect the quality and duration of a night's rest.
Sleep, its meaning
Sleep hygiene is important for everyone's life. Due to the poor quality or insufficient amount of sleep, you can get serious he alth problems, both short-term and long-term. Inadequate rest can adversely affect alertness and productivity.
It is worth reducing the normal duration of sleep by an hour and a half - and the level of attention of a person will fall by about a third. Chronic drowsiness significantly impairs memory, the ability to think and make decisions, and increases the likelihood of injury at work. Long-term lack of sleep due to sleep apnea (stopping breathing) often leads to serious he alth problems: strokes, heart attacks, hypertension.
Sleep hygiene rules
- Eating, watching television and showing off relationships should not take place in bed. Otherwise, the body will no longer associate the bed with a place to relax and sleep.
- A place for a night's rest should be as convenient and comfortable as possible. The air temperature in the room should not exceed 24 °C and be below 13 °C. Extra light and night noise should be kept to a minimum.
- It is necessary to exclude drinking after eight o'clock in the evening if possible. A heavy dinner just before falling asleep can ruin yoursleep, while a light snack, on the contrary, will increase the likelihood of a good night's rest. To satisfy hunger before going to bed, it is better to consume dairy or carbohydrate-containing products. Milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which promotes easy falling asleep. Sleep hygiene prescribes the following: if a person cannot fall asleep on an empty stomach, he should drink a glass of milk with low-fat crackers.
- People who experience a sharp surge of energy after exercise are not recommended to perform them before bedtime. Long workouts are best scheduled in the morning or afternoon. Regular physical activity, especially running, aerobics and walking, improves the quality of sleep.
- Staying pets in bed can cause frequent awakenings at odd hours. If possible, it is worth providing your beloved animals with a separate, no less warm and cozy place to sleep.
Children's dream
All of the above rules apply equally to children and adults. However, the sleep hygiene of children has some peculiarities. The correct ratio of sleep and wakefulness in the child's regimen determines his physical and mental development, the formation of speech skills and, ultimately, a full preparation for school.
In childhood, it is very important to get enough sleep. Babies of three to six months are shown a seventeen-hour sleep. Over time, the duration of nighttime sleep, as well as the frequency of daytime sleep, gradually decrease. Children three to four years old are given a night's rest 10-10.5hours, daytime - 2 hours. For preschoolers five to six years old, daytime sleep is reduced to 1.5 hours, the duration of nighttime sleep remains unchanged. The children quickly develop conditioned reflexes to fall asleep. This means that creating a bedtime ritual is especially important in childhood. A certain sequence of actions: washing and brushing your teeth, reading an interesting book, mother's kiss at night will make the transition from active wakefulness to rest easy and natural for the child. Sleep hygiene for preschool children requires a separate bed, spacious enough and comfortable for overnight stay. The posture during sleep also matters - a long stay in the same position (for example, only on the right side) can lead to deformation of the spine, chest and skull. It is necessary to monitor the quality of bedding. Pillows should be small (30x30cm) made of soft feathers or down. The most hygienic mattress fillers are hair and seagrass.
Conclusion
Thus, the hygiene of sleep and wakefulness is one of the key points underlying the well-being and good he alth of a person. By following the above rules, you will feel a surge of strength and performance. Any recommendations need to be approached selectively, so listen to your body more often and choose what is right for you.
