Get Some Sleep: It is Healthy for You

It has been reported by National Sleep Foundation and other health organizations that almost 50% of adults suffer from some form of sleep disorders and women in particular find getting sleep quite elusive!

We all know how grumpy and tired one feels when we are deprived of a good night’s sleep. Have you ever noticed how our dark circles vanish and your sagged face lifts up after a good 7 hours of sleep? That’s the amount of good that sleep can do. Scientists have not been able to determine exactly what does sleep induce in our bodies, but they have been able to point out facts about what sleep deprivation can do to us. For example, lack of good sleep can:

• Send our concentration for a toss! With just one night of sleep deprivation, it has been reported that our concentration and ability to pay attention decreases considerably.
• 17 hours of continuous wakefulness affect our memory, and related brain activities to the equivalent of 2 glasses of wine (blood alcohol level of 0.05%).
• It has been established now that lack of good sleep leads to obesity.
• If we decrease even ½ hr of sleep, we decrease our next day’s wakefulness by 1/3rd.
• Inadequate sleep makes you grumpier, angrier, more irritated and of course frustrated. Now you know why you can’t tolerate your husband early morning reading newspaper when you make the breakfast!
• Sleep disorders can lead to heart diseases like high blood pressure, heart attacks, etc.

All this and more! So, why don’t we get good sleep? We all know the reasons. High pressure jobs, prolonged hours of work, stress, personal problems, blah, blah…but are anyone of them reasons good enough to lose sleep over? Definitely not! Being a woman, it becomes more important for us to be in good health, thanks to the relatively weaker physical attributes bestowed on us. Did you know older women are more prone to insomnia than older men?

So, what is the solution? How to get back all those hours of blissful oblivion?? Here are some tips that might help!

• Take out the T.V from your bedroom. Bedroom is meant for taking rest, for sleeping. T.V causes lot of disturbance in one’s timetable and anyway, T.V always looks nice with sofas around…not bed!
• Continuing with the same point, another way of relaxing would be breathing exercises. Breathing exercises have proved to very effective as it helps in proper circulation in the body. One of the simplest breathing techniques is breathing in through your nose using your abdomen for three seconds and then breathe out for three seconds. It is advised to pause for three seconds and then repeat the process for around ten minutes. Practice this simple exercise daily before sleeping and find yourself relaxing better.
• Soothing lights, aromatic oils and aromatic smells have also been reported by many people to be relaxing. Try them and find out if it works for you too.
• Regular exercise works in getting the elusive sleep. Exercise keeps the body and its metabolism in proper health. Sleep would also fall in line with a healthier body!
• Avoid liquids before going to sleep. Consuming alcohol before sleep is a major deterrent in getting sleep as it induces the urge to urinate which is obviously not very welcome when you are in deep slumber!
• Caffeine is obviously not advised when you want to sleep. Try it during the day when you are bored but definitely not within four hours of bed-time!
• Avoid eating large and heavy meals for dinner. Spicy or fatty foods cause heartburn that interferes with sleep. Foods like bacon, cheese, ham, Soya sauce, etc contain Tyramine that acts as a brain-stimulant. So, avoid having such stuff. Having food rich in carbohydrates like rice are good for sleep.
• If your sleeping disorder continues, then do not avoid it! Consult a doctor immediately as sleeping disorders can convert to potential diseases that affect day-to-day lives of many.

It’s time you say good night to your sleeping blues…remember, problems always look smaller after a good sleep!