Are you aware that sleep is beneficial to your well-being? Do you get enough sleep? Did you know that everyone’s sleep needs may vary?
Best Sleeping Tips
***Good News ***
Do you treat your body like a (lean-green working machine)? Do you take time to rest? Do you make the choice to get enough sleep?
1. Coronasomnia
Have you heard of Coronasomnia? According to columbiapsychiatry.org., the increase in insomnia and related sleep problems related to stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been labeled Caronasomnia. They further added that spending more time at home and changes to daily routine can also impact sleep patterns by limiting light-based cues for wakefulness that help keep your circadian rhythm on schedule. I remember during the pandemic with just my husband and myself in our household I wonder how did we make it, but by the grace of God we had no problems. I know I mentioned to him we saved a lot of money because we were not going anywhere during the first month of the lockdown. We definitely saved on gas for the car. We both were busy on our cellphones and computer. We were stocked up on food for that month. We had no sleep problems, but I did, however, become more comfortable with online ordering.
2. Sleep Deprivation
What is sleep deprivation? Do you need a sleep aide? Nhibi.nih.gov describes sleep deprivation as sleeping at the wrong time of day, not sleeping well or getting all the different types of sleep your body needs, or possibly you have a sleep disorder that prevents you from getting enough sleep or causes poor-quality. They further add that nearly 40% of adults report falling asleep during the day without meaning to at least once a month and that an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic, or ongoing, sleep disorders.
3. 5 Stages of Sleep Deprivation
Are you aware of the 5 stages of Sleep Deprivation?
Stage 1:
After 24 hours it may not cause major health problems, but you might expect to feel tired off and on.
Stage 2:
After 36 hours you may experience an overwhelming urge to sleep and experience symptoms such as impaired memory, behavioral changes, slow reaction time and extreme fatigue.
Stage 3:
After 48 hours it is even harder to stay awake and you may hallucinate. You may experience extreme fatigue and anxiety.
Stage 4:
After 72 hours (3 days) without sleep you may experience longer micro-sleeps, your hallucinations may become more extreme and disorder thinking.
Stage 5:
After 96 hours (4 days) without sleep your perception of reality will be severely distorted and you may be unable to interpret reality. You can however possibly recover within days or weeks after getting 7-8 hours of sleep. This is all outlined at healthline.com.
4. Body Repair
Did you know that your body repairs itself while you are sleeping? This is a natural sleep aide. That is another reason that sleep is vital to you. Urbannatural.com talks about your body repairing muscle and bone tissue while asleep. They further add that when you are asleep your immune system is hard at work fighting infection.
5. Best Sleeping Tips
According to Mayoclinc.org., you can stick to a sleep schedule, pay attention to what you eat and drink, create a restful environment, limit daytime naps, include physical activity in your daily routine, and manage your worries for better sleep. I learned the hard way about the importance of watching what you eat or drink before going to sleep. I recall several people at work were drinking Mountain Dew most of the day. One evening I came home from work and decided to try a Mountain Dew drink. It was about 5 pm in the evening. I was not able to go to sleep until around 6 am. the next morning and that was about time for me to get up for work. I did not do that again. I then look up the ingredients of Mountain Dew and discovered that it has about 54 milligrams of Caffeine in it.
So often I hear of those complaining they have trouble sleep through the night. There are a few more things that you can do to help you sleep through the night.
6. Cellphone
I love my cellphone and it is so convenient when at home or when away from home. Your cellphone can prevent you from sleeping well. Did you know that the blue light emitted by your cell phone screen restrains the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle (aka circadian rhythm)? This makes it even more difficult to fall asleep and wake up the next day. Intermountainhealcare.org talks about this.
7. Exercise
Exercise is a natural sleep aide and is so beneficial for better sleep. I cannot emphasize this enough. Exercise raises your body temperature and after about 30-90 minutes the core body temperature starts to fall. The decline helps to facilitate sleepiness according to hopkinsmedicine.org.
8. Deep-Breathing
I have discovered that taking at least 10 deep breaths before bedtime also helps to relax the muscles in your body and can aide in better sleep. Deep breathing is important because in your day to day routines you may not even realize there may be times that you are rushing. There may be times you are watching television and you become so excited while watching your pictures that you just do not breath properly.
9. The Food You Eat
I love oatmeal before bedtime. This is one whole-grain food that is excellent for sleep. When I eat oatmeal it seemingly relaxes every bone in my body. Sleepdoctor.com talks about the fact that oatmeal contains Melatonin a sleep-inducing hormone, they are high in fiber, B- vitamins, and contain lots of minerals.
So what tips do you have for better sleep?
Sources:
How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health
What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency?
The 5 Stages of Sleep Deprivation
What Are the Best Sleeping Positions for injuries and Pain?
Sleep Tips: 6 Steps to Better Sleep
Why Is It Time to Ditch the Phone Before Bed?
Foods That are High in Melatonin
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Hi Betty ... I've never had Mountain Dew but I'm pretty sure my reaction to it would be exactly the same as yours! My main problem with sleep is that I wake up and toss around a lot. I'm going to try the deep-breathing exercise that you suggested ... maybe that will help. :-)
ReplyDeleteNever knew about oatmeal before bedtime. I may have to give this a try
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your links with us at #285 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.
Great tips! I always think about how our bodies heal and restore themselves when we sleep. It's really miraculous. Didn't know about oatmeal--that's a good tip, too. Thank you for sharing this post at the Will Blog for Comments #13 linkup.
ReplyDeleteLois thanks for stopping by. I hope this works for you. Have a good day.
ReplyDeleteSlabs I hope this works for you. Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteJennifer thanks for stopping by. I learned about oatmeal not too long ago. Funny thing is that growing up I was always encouraged to eat oatmeal for breakfast. As a teenager I did not even eat breakfast. I did not care for it, but I now see the importance of breakfast and the importance of what we put into our body.
ReplyDeleteBetty, this is so timely. I've had insomnia since my mid 20's. And I take prescription medication for sleep. I have several chronic illnesses and I can be so tired get into bed and still toss and turn for 2 hours even with my medication. Don't get me wrong, some nights I fall asleep quickly and on occasion I've still been tossing and turning until daybreak. It's really frustrating. For the most part it's normally around an hour that I'm falling asleep, I'm okay with that though. I've had sleep tests and all. My problem isn't staying asleep it falling asleep. Thanks so much for your information this is going to help a lot.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
You are most welcome Paula. I have discovered the hard way that God has given me everything that I need. I want to share this with others.
ReplyDelete