Our sleep is often influenced by our mood and our way of life. That is why people who live stressful lives or who go through difficult times usually find it hard to fall asleep and can spend hours turning around in their beds. If you are in this category, here are some tips from Dr. Henri, general practitioner and sleep specialist, to help you fall asleep faster and avoid the negative effects of sleep deprivation on your health.
Having a good restful night's sleep of at least 7 hours is essential to maintaining the health of your body and brain. Indeed, a deep and sufficient sleep makes it possible to release the body of the tensions accumulated during the day and to recharge its batteries for the following day. Moreover, it is by sleeping that the brain detoxifies itself by eliminating its metabolic waste, and that the memory is consolidated. Sleep also helps strengthen the defenses of the immune system and promote the secretion of hormones, especially growth hormone, essential for the proper development of children.
So How To Have a Good Night's Sleep
To help you fall asleep and enjoy a good restful sleep, here are some tips to follow daily:
Light evening meals:
To digest a meal, our body needs energy, which causes it to burn a few calories, thus increasing its temperature. Now, to prepare ourselves for sleep, our organism reduces its temperature by a few degrees. So if you eat too much fat or too spicy, digestion will be slower and the warming effect of food will prevent the temperature drop, and therefore sleep. To avoid all this, be sure to eat light in the evening, and leave an interval of about two hours between the time of the meal and that of going to bed. Above all, do not skip your dinner to avoid being hungry in the middle of the night. You can also help your body relax by drinking relaxing herbal teas, such as verbena, chamomile or orange blossom.
Take a warm bath
Many of us think that taking a hot bath allows us to relax and therefore fall asleep easily. This belief is only half true. For it to be completely, the temperature of the bath or shower must be lukewarm, and it must be as close as possible to that of the body. Thus, the body will have less difficulty in lowering its temperature to prepare for sleep. Moreover, it is also advisable to keep an ambient temperature around 20 ° C, while keeping the feet warm in socks. In addition to improving blood circulation, wearing comfortable socks at night helps to stabilize body temperature and prevent hot flushes and cold feet sensation.
Adapting your bedroom
The ease of falling asleep and the quality of your sleep depends in large part on the ambience of your bedroom, going from the color of the walls to the activities taking place there. So, for your room to be your haven of peace, care must be taken to choose light and pastel colors that have a soothing effect on the mind and favor the state of drowsiness, unlike warm colors too energetic. It is also advisable to choose dim lights and avoid exposure to blue light from various electronic devices, and that has an inhibitory effect on melatonin, sleep hormone.
Practice Yoga or Meditation
Because of the current pace of life, a large part of the world's population suffers from a high level of stress. To reduce it and release your body from the tensions accumulated during the day, it is recommended to exercise moderate physical activity, such as yoga, which will help you to eliminate negative energy and benefit from a feeling of calm and well- be. You can also do meditation, to learn how to better control your thoughts and thus eliminate your anguish and anxiety.
Hunting Negative Thoughts
In case you can not fall asleep, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, avoid watching the clock on your alarm clock or counting the hours you have left to sleep. This exercise will only help you increase your stress level and prevent you from sleeping more. Try instead to think about things that you like and that calm you, or get out of your bed altogether. Take a few steps in your home to relax or take your favorite novel to browse, a few lines before trying to fall asleep again.