Sleep is an essential function of the body. It helps the body and mind to recharge and rejuvenate and to perform other crucial functions in the body. As an adult, you need at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Any type of sleep disorders or not getting enough sleep even for a night can hamper your next day activities.
Poor Memory
While you are asleep, you brain works to build connection between your physical and mental health. Being sleep deprived causes loss of memory.
Weight Gain
Poor sleep quality disturbs your appetite and hormonal balance. You may start to eat at inappropriate times which could lead to weight gain and obesity.
Heart Issues
With poor sleep quality or a sleep disorder comes a possibility of severe danger to the heart. Your blood pressure may get elevated which can distort the proper functioning of heart.
Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Poor sleep quality could increase your risk of type 2 diabetes as it may interfere with your insulin levels.
Depression
When you do not get enough sleep, your brain will not process enough of happy hormones like endorphins. As a result, it can lead to depression and anxiety.
Poor Immunity
Sleep and immunity go hand in hand. If you sleep well, your body gets enough time to produce healthy hormones and chemicals in the body that help boost immunity.
Low Libido
Sleep disorder can cause you loss in sex drive. You may find yourself less interested in sexual activities and this could cause problems in your relationship.
Top 7 techniques to improve your sleep
We all need sleep to maintain our overall health. Below are the top 7 techniques that can help in improving sleep:
Track Your Sleep
Tracking your sleep can help you in identifying whether you get enough sleep or not. To do this, you can track your sleep on Ingeni Digital Smart Watch. This helps you in keeping track of your various sleep patterns including REM, sleep duration and sleep quality.
You can track your sleep at your comfort. You do not need to visit any lab to calculate your sleep data. A further benefit of tracking your sleep is that it helps in making a positive change in your habits and help you prevent sleep issues or sleep disorders.
More Exposure to Sunlight
Our body works on a natural biological clock called as Circadian Rhythm. Getting enough sunlight exposure helps in keeping circadian rhythm healthy. This boosts energy for daytime tasks and improves sleep quality too.
Sunlight exposure helps in releasing a hormone named as Serotonin in brain that helps in boosting mood and helps a person feel calm and focused.
Avoid Excess Caffeine Consumption
US population is believed to consume more caffeine as compared to others. Caffeine helps in boosting energy, focus and sports performance. If you consume excessive caffeine in a day, it disturbs your nervous system working and hinders our body and mind from relaxing at night.
Caffeine is present in blood for 6 to 8 hours. So, if you take it before going to bed, it does not let you sleep easily. You are advised to limit your caffeine consumption and should avoid it after 3 or 4 pm.
Avoid Longer Daytime Naps
Short naps are never the reason to worry but longer naps do. Taking a quick nap during the day helps you rejuvenate and feel energized to fulfil your pending tasks of the day.
Taking naps for more than 20 minutes during the day can lead to disturbed focus and poor orientation at work. It affects your sleep cycle and makes it difficult for you to fall asleep easily at night. This kind of sleep disorder ultimately leads to poor health and cause severe complications.
Maintain A Sleep Schedule
When we maintain sleep schedule, our body adjusts to the sleeping and waking up pattern. To improve your sleep, you must pick up a sleep and wake up time that you should not extend your sleeping hours even on a holiday.
One report found that people who had irregular sleeping patterns had poor sleep quality. If you face struggle with your sleep quality, try setting up your sleep and wake up time.
Fix Your Meals Timetable
You should keep a check on the food items that you eat or drink and at what time you take your meals. Fixing your meal timetable can help you in improving your sleep. Eating late in the evening also makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Studies have also shown that consuming low carb diet helps in improving sleep quality and maintains hormones that induce sound sleep.
Workout Regularly
One way to reset your body clock is working out regularly. It helps in enhancing certain sleep aspects and reduces symptoms of insomnia. Every day in the morning, you should start your day fresh with a morning walk or a yoga or any physical regimen.
Exercise helps reduce time taken to fall asleep and improves anxiety situation. Though working out helps improve sleep, you are advised to not work out before going to bed.
The Bottom Line
Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining our physical and mental well-being. Poor sleep is a critical health condition that could hamper the overall normal functioning of the body. You should address this issue at the earliest for a healthier and longer life.