Sleeping enough is very important. At night, our battery recharges itself, so to speak. Lack of sleep lowers concentration and performance, hormone release and processing are impaired and blood sugar rises. In addition, the immune system is weakened which results in many diseases. Many factors affect that we do not sleep enough, such as stress, unfavorable mealtimes or wrong rituals before sleeping. In this article, we explain what you can do to improve your sleep so that nothing prevents a successful daily routine and a healthy life.
Exercise physically and mentally
Regardless of their effect on our sleep, regular exercise and sports are good for our health. Physical activity promotes sleep, while laziness tends to lead to sleep problems. However, the distance between the sporting activity and bedtime should be considered. If the distance is too short or the sporting activity too strenuous, this can also have a negative effect on sleep. Sport helps to make the body tired, so that our limbs become heavy in bed in the evening and we fall asleep more quickly. However, it often happens that our body is tired, but our head is wide awake and thoughts are racing. In such cases, it is helpful to get enough mental exercise as well before we go to bed. This can work in several ways: One way is brain jogging which in the long run not only strengthens brain power and memory, but also allows us to exercise our minds a bit. Reading a good book can also be both stimulating and exhausting, putting us in good mental shape for falling asleep. Furthermore, some people also swear by video games and gambling. Developing different strategies, considering many factors at the same time and playing along also consumes a lot of energy. Comparison portals help to get an overview of the huge range of online casino halls. The comparison sites such as VegasSlotsOnline are free of charge and allow you with just one click to view and evaluate the conditions, bonus offers and a large game selection that the best online casinos have. Of course, it is important to do this during the day and not right before going to bed, otherwise the joy of victories can also prevent us from falling asleep quickly.
Relaxing evening rituals
Many people still watch TV or are on their cell phones in the evening. However, this is anything but sensible – on the one hand, watching series or movies doesn’t make you particularly tired. Instead, it often happens that the story is too exciting and we cannot tear ourselves away from the screen until the appropriate bedtime is long past. The artificial light also sends exactly the wrong signal to our neurotransmitters and wakes us up again. Furthermore, experts also warn against radiation from smartphones lying next to the bed. It is therefore better to do only things that are relaxing instead of invigorating before going to bed. Reading a book – nothing exciting or scary that would lead to nightmares – or listening to some quiet music works mostly well. Yoga or relaxation exercises can also help get you in the right mood before sleep.
Avoid counterproductive things
Many factors can prevent us from getting a good night’s sleep. It is important to stop consuming caffeine four hours before bedtime. Also, if possible, stop taking medications that contain caffeine. Caffeine stimulates brain activity and thus has a negative effect on sleep. The time of dinner is also relevant – eating another meal shortly before going to bed ensures that the body is still digesting and thus sleep is disturbed. Nicotine is another stimulant that can disturb or interrupt sleep through withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol also negatively affects the quality of our sleep, causing sleep interruptions and early waking. This is a good reason to avoid both alcohol and nicotine.
How much sleep is needed?
The question of how much sleep is healthy can only be answered on a very individual basis because the number of hours varies from person to person. Basically, it can be said that most people need an average of seven to eight hours. How quickly the neuroreceptors recover, however, depends on many factors. For some people, even six hours of sleep is enough to recover, while for others, less than nine hours is indispensable. Basically, if you can concentrate during the day without getting sleepy, even when you’re sitting down for long periods, you’ve found your personal sleep quota.