Sleep is essential to good health. Nature designed this nighttime ritual to keep people healthy as sleep sets the foundation for various essential body processes. Digestion, fat burning, muscle growth and development, retention of information, and many others happen when sleeping. So, the importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized.
Sadly, not everyone enjoys a night of deep and restful sleep. Various factors contribute to inadequate sleep, which many people feel helpless about. As a result, some people resort to medications and other OTC drugs to aid sleep.
The problem with such an approach is over-dependency and other side effects. This calls for an effective way to improve sleep health and encourage deep sleep.
Sleep remains a fundamental part of human psychology. It is a complex and composite process that affects every aspect of our body, especially our brain. While it is a complex process, it can be explained in simple terms. We go through a variety of sleep stages when we sleep, from light sleep (stages 1 and 2) to deep sleep (stage 3) to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Sleep can serve its essential job of healing our bodies and refreshing our minds if we cycle through all of these sleep stages numerous times each night.
A complete sleep cycle lasts for about 90-110 minutes, and we need approximately 4 to 6 cycles to feel well-rested. The National Sleep Foundation recommends about 7-9 hours of sleep for adults and 7-8 hours for older adults, those above 65years.
When you receive enough hours of sleep each night, have reasonably undisturbed sleep, and have a consistent sleep schedule that suits your natural circadian rhythms, you will enjoy the best advantages from sleep.
5 Amazing Tips to Improve Your Sleep Cycle
Now to the meat of the matter. You understand what the sleep cycle means and how much sleep you need. I’m sure you also understand why getting enough sleep is essential. Now how can you improve your sleep cycle?
Regular Exercise
Going for a brisk walk will help you lose weight and help you sleep better at night. Natural sleep chemicals like melatonin are enhanced by exercise. Simply keep an eye on the timing of your workouts. Exercising too soon before going to bed can be stimulating. Morning workouts that expose you to bright daylight will also help maintain your natural circadian rhythm. Playing sports like football, golf, cricket, etc can boost your strength as well your appetite. You can look out for different golf tournament flyer and different sports flyers of events being organized near your place.
Start a Sleep Ritual
Have a list of things you do before going to bed. Rituals help the body and mind recognize when it’s time to sleep. You can take a glass of warm milk or soak it in the tub, you can even listen to soothing music.
De-stress
Give yourself time to relax before bed. Learning any type of relaxation response will help you sleep better and feel less anxious during the day. Deep breathing techniques might help you relax. Slowly and deeply inhale, then exhale. They will help set the body up for sleep.
Be comfortable
Remove distractions and create an atmosphere that’ll encourage you to fall asleep. In your bedroom, the television isn’t the only possible source of distraction. The quality of your sleep is also affected by the environment. Ensure that your bedroom is as relaxing as possible. All of these factors contribute to the onset of sleep. Turn off the TV, leave your gadgets in the living room. Ideally, you’ll want a cool, quiet, and dark environment as it’ll help you to fall asleep quickly.
Develop Your Sleep Rituals
Another way to enjoy deep sleep is to have sleep rituals. These are relaxing habits that signal time for bed to the body. It doesn’t have to be elaborate as anything that keeps you calm will do. So, here are a couple of examples:
- Take a warm glass of milk when it’s time to sleep
- Consider spending time in the bathtub to wash the day off and relax the muscle before bed.
- Watch an episode of your favorite sitcom an hour to bed. It can relax you such that drifting off will be easy. However, be mindful of the brightness of whatever device you use.
- Even for as small as 15 minutes, reading can reduce stress, calm your body, and make it easy to fall asleep. According to Sleep Cycle, 39% of people who read before sleeping enjoyed deep sleep.
Why A Good Sleep Cycle Is Important
Strengthens the Immune System
Sleep aids in the repair, regeneration, and recovery of the body, and this link holds for the immune system as well.
Improves Productivity and Concentration
Research has shown a link between getting enough sleep and improved concentration, productivity, and cognition.
Reduced Risk of Heart Diseases
Elevated blood pressure is a significant risk factor for heart diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting enough sleep each night permits the body’s blood pressure to regulate itself, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This can help lower the risk of sleep-related illnesses, including apnea and improve overall heart health.
Important in Preventing Depression
A study that examined patterns of death by suicide over ten years concluded that lack of sleep contributes to many of these deaths. A good sleep cycle helps insufficiently reduce the risk of depression.
Conclusion
Sleep is an important, but often overlooked, part of everyone’s general health and well-being. It is essential because it allows the body to restore itself and prepare for the next day. Getting enough sleep can help you avoid gaining weight, protects your heart, and with information retention. Hence, we must maintain a healthy sleep cycle as it is important for our overall well-being.
Your sleep affects many things about you, including your overall health.
However, you can support your body to enjoy a night of deep and relaxing sleep. With the recommended habits and suggestions above, enjoying deep sleep will not be a problem for many.
