16-03-2023 | Tips for better sleep
Sleep is an essential part of overall health and well-being, and quality of sleep is especially important for young adults. Adequate sleep is essential for physical and mental health, and it helps to improve memory, learning, and cognitive function. However, many young adults struggle with sleep, and poor sleep can lead to a range of problems, including fatigue, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. One of the most important factors that affect sleep quality is sleep habits. Many young adults struggle with maintaining regular sleep schedules, and this can lead to problems with insomnia and other sleep disorders.
How to improve sleep quality?
To improve sleep quality, it is essential to establish regular sleep patterns, including going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Another important factor that affects sleep quality is the environment. The bedroom should be dark, cool, and quiet, and it should be free from distractions such as electronic devices. Using earplugs or a white noise machine can help to block out noise and make it easier to fall asleep. There are also a number of techniques that can be used to improve sleep quality, including relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation. Exercise is also an effective way to improve sleep, as it helps to reduce stress and improve overall health. However, it is important to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as it can make it harder to fall asleep.
How long should I sleep?
The recommended amount of sleep for young adults is 7-9 hours per night. However, the specific sleep needs can vary depending on the individual. Factors such as age, sex, activity level, and overall health can all affect the amount of sleep needed to feel rested and refreshed.
What is the role of time management?
Time management is another important factor that can affect sleep quality. Many young adults struggle to balance school, work, and social obligations, and this can lead to stress and fatigue. To organize your time better, it is important to prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, and avoid procrastination. It is also important to schedule in time for relaxation and leisure activities, as these can help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
In conclusion, sleep is an essential part of overall health and well-being, and quality of sleep is especially important for young adults. To improve sleep quality, it is essential to establish regular sleep patterns, create a conducive environment, use relaxation techniques and exercise, and manage time effectively. It is also important to prioritize self care and leisure activities, as these can help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. However, it is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional if you have any sleep problems or concerns.
Ile Kuzmanoski, MD
16-03-2023 | Tips for better sleep
The quality of sleep is closely linked to overall health and well-being, and two key factors that can affect sleep quality are nutrition and exercise. A healthy diet and regular physical activity can both have a positive impact on sleep, and incorporating certain foods and exercises into your daily routine can help to improve the quality of sleep.
A healthy diet is essential for good sleep. Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can help to improve sleep quality. It is also important to limit processed foods and foods high in sugar, as these can have a negative impact on sleep.Some specific foods that have been shown to improve sleep include:
- Cherries: These are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleep.
- Milk and dairy products: These are high in calcium, which has been shown to help improve sleep.
- Fish: Fish such as salmon and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to improved sleep.
- Nuts and seeds: These are rich in magnesium, which has been shown to help improve sleep.
Regular exercise is also essential for good sleep. Exercise helps to reduce stress and improve overall health, which can have a positive impact on sleep. However, it is important to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as it can make it harder to fall asleep. Some specific exercises that have been shown to improve sleep include:
- Yoga: Yoga can help to reduce stress and improve relaxation, which can help to improve sleep.
- Aerobic exercises: Aerobic exercises such as cycling, swimming, and running can help to improve sleep quality.
- Weight training: Weight training can help to improve the overall quality of sleep.
In conclusion, nutrition and exercise are both important factors that can affect the quality of sleep. A healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, as well as specific foods that improve sleep, is essential. Regular exercise, especially yoga, aerobic exercises, and weight training can also help to improve sleep quality, but it is important to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new diet or exercise routine if you have any concerns.
Ile Kuzmanoski, MD
16-03-2023 | Tips for better sleep
One of the most important, most beneficial activity that helps restore our body functions is the simple act of sleep. Matthew Walker PhD – one of the leading scientists on sleep in the world outlines the importance of sleep in his book “Why We Sleep?” and his famous TED talk, and his science and research brought him to create easy, simple, and evidence-based tips and tricks for easier falling asleep and better overall sleep.
These tricks will help you if you have troubles falling asleep or keep uninterrupted sleep, however, even for those heavy sleepers out there, these tips and tricks can come in handy if you are ever faced with a sleepless night.
The first six of the twelve tips, also found in his book are as follows:
- Stick to a sleep schedule. In other articles on this website, we talked about the circadian rhythm. It seems difficult, especially on a weekend when we like to sleep in – however, going to sleep and waking up at the same time allows our bodies to enjoy this restful activity even more, and feel the real benefits of falling asleep and waking up faster.
- Do not exercise late at night. Especially cardio exercises. When we do any physical activity our blood pressure gets higher, and our brain chemistry changes. Although beneficial during the day, the excitement the brain finds itself in makes it harder to fall asleep. So – keep the exercise schedule at an earlier time of day.
- Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Although caffeine after 4pm is bad for the brain’s ability to fall asleep, caffeine and nicotine in general may cause trouble when falling asleep. Both serving as stimulants to the brain, keep away from these substances for healthy sleep habits. Plus – apart from being addictive, nicotine carries many health risks.
- Lay off the alcohol, especially before bed. You will often hear people talking about alcohol making them sleepy. While there is truth in this, having an alcoholic beverage robs you from the depth of the very beneficial REM stage (discussed in another article), and tends to keep you in the lighter stages of sleep.
- Avoid heavy and large meals at night, including drinking beverages. Large meals make it more difficult to fall asleep, and many beverages can make you urinate more frequently which accounts for waking up often during the night.
- Be smart when taking medicines. A lot of prescription medications for blood pressure, cough, allergy medications and the like have the ability to disrupt your sleep. Talk to your healthcare provider about accommodating the times to take these medicines so they are not taken close to or immediately before bed.
Goran Stevanovski MD, MA
16-03-2023 | Tips for better sleep
This article is a direct continuation of the previously presented tips and tricks for better sleep and easier falling asleep from Matthew Walker’s book “Why We Sleep”. In the first section, we saw the first six tips. Now we are moving on to part two. These tricks will help you if you have troubles falling asleep or keep uninterrupted sleep, however, even for those heavy sleepers out there, these tips and tricks can come in handy if you are ever faced with a sleepless night. The second half of the twelve tips, also found in his book are as follows:
- Try not to take naps after 3pm. Although naps can make up for lost sleep, and naps are amazing, napping after 3pm can seriously disrupt our sleeping schedule and make it more difficult to fall asleep.
- Relax before bed. This seems antithetical since sleep is there to help you relax. We do tend to overschedule our days though, and an activity such as reading or listening to music can help you unwind and fall asleep faster.
- Take a hot bath before bed. Especially if you have trouble falling asleep. The temperature of the bath will help your body temperature drop, which will help you fall asleep faster.
- The trifecta of gool quality sleep is – dark bedroom, cool bedroom, gadget-free bedroom. A distraction free bedroom is a healthy bedroom, and TVs, phones, even clocks on the nightstand can cause minor and major distraction from sleeping. Although not easy in today’s day and age – boundaries between our daily activities and the bedroom as important to be established.
- Have the right sun exposure. Everything in excess can potentially be damaging. Around 30 minutes of sun exposure a day, especially around the morning is ideal to fall asleep faster and sleep better. Not to mention – the vitamin D is very beneficial.
- And finally – do not lie in bed awake. If you find yourself being unable to sleep over twenty minutes or so – get up and do some relaxing activity before trying to fall asleep again. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep is a vicious cycle of making you even less able to sleep.
Goran Stevanovski MD, MA
16-03-2023 | Tips for better sleep
On average, humans spend a third of our lives sleeping. While a favorite activity to some, sleeping is one of the essential parts of human lives that sustain it, restore our bodies, and even prolong our lives. Sleeping disturbances have devastating effects on the human body, and even a single night without sleep can cause symptoms and “borrow happiness” from tomorrow. One would think that the organ most affected by a lack of sleep is the human brain. While there is some truth in this statement, and sleep allows for the brains functions “to reset” and restore during the night – there is virtually no organ system in the human body that remain intact by missing on sleep. From clearing the hippocampus and restoring our ability to concentrate and create short term memories, sleep supports the immune system, the metabolism, and even skin health. Have you seen what the area under your eyes looks like after missing on sleep? Research shows that individuals deprived from sleep after a period of time show signs of non-specific immune suppression thus lessening the ability for our bodies to fight infection. Affecting certain parts of the immune system even leads to increasing the risk of certain cancers, and sleep deprivation has been classified as a type 2B carcinogen according to the WHO.
The amount of sleep humans need varies according to age. Studies show that our circadian rhythm changes throughout our lifetime, with newborn babies needing around 22 hours of sleep during the day. Our newborns have that in common with certain species of the animal kingdom. Teenagers typically require from 8 to 10 hours a day, and adults require anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of consecutive sleep at night for optimal functioning, while older adults have needs between 7-8 hours a night. The difference in the natural time to go to sleep and waking up changes as well. For older adults, going to bed moves toward the earlier hours of the night, with earlier wake up time. Teenagers, however, have a circadian rhythm that is shifted for two hours of that of the adults. Adults typically feel the need to go to sleep around 10pm, while teenagers feel that same urge around midnight. No wonder teenagers like to stay late. In consequence, teens natural wake up time is shifted by two hours, so instead of waking up at 6am, teenagers tend to want to “sleep in” until at least 8am. Individual differences in this cycle have been noted. The sleep cycle, including going to bed and wake up times, are important in allowing NREM and REM phases. These two phases are explained in another article of this website.
Goran Stevanovski MD, MA
16-03-2023 | Tips for better sleep
This is a seemingly inane question. Everyone sleeps. All living beings on this planet have some form of sleep schedule and what we call a circadian (sir-KAY-dee-un) rhythm. Therefore, how we sleep, is not a mystery. We go to bed and fall asleep, and we hopefully feel refreshed in the morning. A circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock that allows the processes to happen promptly. Every organ system follows its circadian rhythm, and this is how our body knows how to run properly. Imagine this as a master clock in our brains that is always running in the background. Also known as a diurnal rhythm, the word circadian comes from the Latin phrase “circa diem” meaning “around a day”, signifying the 24-hour cycle. The most obvious form of the circadian rhythm is the sleep-wake cycle through which our bodies’ sleep is regulated through a series of brain processes connected to melatonin. Have you ever heard of melatonin? It’s a very popular sleeping aid that people use to fall asleep at night. It is naturally produced in our pineal glands, and it’s very tightly regulated. Taking melatonin on your own, without an explicit medical prescription can lead to throwing off our cycle and deepen insomnia. Therefore, only take melatonin as prescribed.
The circadian rhythm explains why we sleep though – but not exactly how we sleep. The circadian rhythm is dependent on sunlight, hours without sleep, and the time of day, and sleep descends on us when the adenosine and melatonin levels in our brains are high. They tie to specific parts of the brain known as receptors that make us sleepy. How sleepy we depend on the above-mentioned factors, and when we decide to close our eyes sleep descends on us – and we (or rather our brains) start moving throughout specific stages. At first, we enter the shallow sleep stage or the first NREM (non-REM) phase of sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement, which happens in later stages. This first NREM phase allows our bodies to relax and start resting. After a certain time, depending on multiple factors – we enter our first REM stage (Rapid Eye Movement). The REM stages are incredibly important for the brain and allow our short-term memory to turn into long-term or erase from our hippocampi (the part of the brain responsible for memory and concentration) and help us focus when we are awake. The fascinating aspect of the REM phase is the fact we have the clearest dreams during this time of night, and to prevent our bodies to reenact these dreams, our brain keeps our bodies paralyzed. In this stage, only our closed eyes move rapidly from side to side – ergo the reason why this phase of sleep got its name. The more we sleep, the more time goes into different NREM and REM phases, and it is the second and third change of phases that are the deepest sleep that brings the most benefits. Without REM phases, our immune systems, hormones, skin, memory, focus, and overall well-being would completely fall apart. In rare instances, especially seen in teenagers and children – the mechanism with which the brain keeps our bodies paralyzed during REM fails – and in those cases, we have a condition known as sleep walking. This condition usually resolves after adolescence. If you happen to wake up in the middle of a REM phase – you usually wake up tired and irritated. Without being able to predict the phase, it is important to sleep at least 7-9 hours for the age group of adults, and 8-9 hours in the case of teenagers – to allow our brain to move between at least three REM phases during sleep. And that is how we sleep and why the process of sleeping is life-changing and life-sustaining for all human beings on our planet.
Goran Stevanovski MD, MA
