It’s time for a bed, you turned the lights off and got ready for a long-awaited rest. But, once again you are finding yourself wrapped in a blanket with a bunch of sheep around you that you need to count. Sound familiar? Healthy sleep is the key to well-being, good mood and productive work. Therefore, it is so important that nothing interferes with it.
We know that we shouldn’t drink coffee before sleep, or that we shouldn’t use our gadgets, but there are a few non-obvious reasons that can keep us awake or disrupt our sleep. Take a look at some of them:
You are too hungry
Maybe you are fond of diets and you are not eating after 6 p.m. or you just don’t want to load the body with food at night. Of course, overeating will not contribute to good sleep, but hunger in this matter is not good either. Going to sleep on an empty stomach will cause problems with sleeping (even if you don’t dream about cakes). Therefore, a small snack 1 hour before bedtime (about 150 calories) is a great idea. It will provide the body with energy that will help you to fall asleep, no matter how unlogical it may sound. Increasing the amount of insulin in the blood promotes the production of the hormone serotonin, which also improves sleep quality. The best evening snacks are nuts, a slice of turkey or unsweetened fruits.
Sweets before bedtime
We’ve already found out that snacking shortly before bed is not a bad solution, but only if you choose the right snack. You want a good night’s sleep you should avoid sweets. Sugar is food for the brain, and you don’t want excessive brain activity at night.
You skip breakfast
You will ask what does breakfast have to do with night sleep? Breakfast works like a biological clock. Having received energy within an hour after waking up, the body begins to count down the time until night’s sleep. In addition, breakfast regulates metabolism. When you take long pauses between meals or skip breakfast, the brain decides that the body is threatened by hunger. Therefore, the body starts to produce stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can trigger insomnia.
Wrong pillow
You should consciously approach this topic and choose a pillow that will not tire the neck and evenly distribute the load. It should keep your spine in a natural position during sleep. And in case you suffer from an allergy, it should be hypoallergenic and resistant to dust.
You are exposed to noise
Sleeping with constant background noise may seem harmless, but there are definitely negative consequences, even if you don’t wake up during the night. Our brain captures noise, and this ultimately manifests itself as fatigue, anxiety, and heart palpitations during the day. Depending on the volume, the noise affects are: 30 dB (whispering, ticking the clock) — does not disturb sleep; 35–40 dB (normal conversation) — affects the quality of sleep and can cause headaches; 45-50 dB (lively conversation, laughter, snoring) — may cause nervous breakdowns; over 50 dB — increases the risk of stroke.
You sleep too much on weekends
Sleeping a few hours more on weekend mornings is not such a good idea as it may seem. Scientists believe that in order to feel good every morning, you should get up and go to sleep at the same time. Otherwise, your body is constantly under stress.
Clean bedroom
Even if you think that a mess around you doesn’t bother you, your brain doesn’t think so. Cluttered space affects the subconscious. It is believed that our consciousness captures everything that surrounds us, and if the last thing we saw before going to bed was chaos and disorder, then the dream would also be chaotic. So, your sleep area must be clean. Try not to keep unnecessary things, souvenirs or decorations in the bedroom. Good down quilts and pretty sheets can make your bedroom perfect.
Conclusion
In order to function properly and be energised, the body needs to get enough sleep. To do this, you need to choose a sleep mode for yourself, go to bed and wake up every day at the same time and in no case resist sleep when you feel tired. Listen to yourself, observe the correct daily routine, take warm relaxing baths before bedtime, ventilate the room and you will always have a great mood and health.
Good luck and sleep tight!
