Sleep doesn’t seem to be a complex mechanism until problems start to occur with it. Sleep deprivation affects daily life and becomes an unsolvable problem.
Here’s why the body’s internal clock breaks down, how to fix it, and how to start getting enough sleep.
How Sleep Patterns Are Disrupted
All processes in the body, including sleep, run under the control of the circadian rhythm. This is a 24-hour cycle that gives the body signals that it’s time to sleep, stay awake, digest food, and so on. The biological clock — about 20,000 nerve cells — is responsible for regulating the circadian rhythm.
The main factors on which the work of the biological clock depends are as follows:
- The change of light and darkness during the day. This information comes from the retina.
- Genetic memory.
During the day, all body systems work on a schedule to fulfill their functions on time. For example, to produce hormones or digestive enzymes.
There are many factors that can disrupt sleep patterns:
- Shift work.
- Jet lag.
- Alcohol consumption.
- Eating disorders, eating foods and drinks with caffeine.
- Disturbances (anything that interferes with sleep, such as noise outside the window, an infant, or pets).
- Temperature changes in the bedroom.
- Snoring, sleep apnea (brief stops in breathing during sleep).
- Hormonal changes, e.g. during menopause in women.
- Stress.
- Changes in lighting, e.g. use of lamps, gadgets in the evening.
Under the influence of such factors, the biological clock can go astray, and the synchronization of the circadian rhythm with the environment is disturbed. People experience a variety of sleep disorders:
- Insomnia.
- Early morning awakening.
- Disruption of sleep and wakefulness.
- Jetlag as a result of long-distance travel.
How to Restore Your Sleep Pattern
Several ways help adjust sleep. Take a comprehensive approach to solving the problem, using several tips at once. But the chosen methods should be suitable for you: you don’t need to do a yoga practice daily before going to bed or drink warm milk if it annoys you.
Make a Regimen
To have a healthy sleep, you need to consider the peculiarities of your circadian rhythms and sleep enough.
Adults typically need seven to nine hours of sleep each night, but it’s all individualized. If you are tired and feel like you need to sleep longer, rest as much as required. If you have to get up at five in the morning and go to the airport, and because of this, you only manage to sleep for six hours, that’s okay too. But regular sleep deprivation, as well as too much sleep, is bad for your health.
Consider your sleep cycle. Sleep is divided into cycles of 90 minutes; it has two phases: slow and fast sleep. If you wake up in the middle of one of these cycles, it can cause feelings of fatigue and irritability, even if you have slept a sufficient number of hours. That’s why it’s important to schedule your sleep in multiples of 90 minutes: that way, you’re more likely to wake up at the end of your sleep cycle. This will leave you feeling alert and rested.
Natural morning light helps to keep hormones in balance, so a person can wake up without violence and feel alert throughout the day. Therefore, it’s perfect if natural light from the window hits the face just at the time when it’s time to get up. This triggers two important processes:
- Suppressing the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep.
- activating the production of cortisol, the hormone that makes us feel awake.
- If you sleep in a dark room with no light, in a room without a window, or use blackout curtains, you can buy a special smart lamp that will simulate the dawn at a time that suits you.
Use Sleep Rituals
Sleep rituals are actions you perform before bedtime to help your body and mind go into rest mode. Here are some examples of rituals to help you fall asleep faster:
- Read a book. This will help you relax and take your mind off the worries and cares of the day.
- Do relaxation exercises. Yoga, meditation, or stretching are your choices, but it’s important that the physical activity isn’t too intense.
- Take a bath or shower. Warm water will help you relax and prepare your body for sleep.
- Turn off your computer and put your phone away one to two hours before bedtime. Try to avoid doing even the simplest activities online, even if these are games at https://ivibet.com/no or chatting with friends. Artificial light can suppress melatonin production.
- Turn on meditative and relaxing music. This can also help set the mood for sleep.
- Try keeping a journal. Write down the events of the day or what you are grateful for. This will help structure your thoughts and calm your nervous system.
Create a Comfortable Environment
For sleep, a dark room is perfect — so the body is easier to adjust to the production of melatonin. In the bedroom, it’s better to hang blackout curtains, which maximally block the sun’s rays in the morning and allow you to create darkness. If there is no such possibility, a sleep blindfold will do.
The room where you sleep should be quiet, as noise can interrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. Ask your household to turn down the music or TV series when you lie down, or use headphones. If you can’t remove noise sources completely, try using earplugs or a white noise generator, a device that suppresses external noise.
Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature. The American National Sleep Foundation recommends adjusting the temperature to about +18°C. For children, the temperature should be slightly higher, around +20 °C.
It’s worth using a comfortable mattress and pillow. They can affect the health of your back and neck, so choose them in a way that supports your spine in the most natural position. Choose bed linen made of natural materials such as cotton or linen. They are more breathable and more comfortable to sleep on.
Keeping your bedroom clean and tidy can also contribute to a good night’s sleep.
Correct Your Diet
Diet and eating habits can affect the quality of your sleep, and some foods can disrupt it.
- Caffeine is a stimulant that boosts metabolism and is invigorating. It’s found not only in coffee but also in tea, chocolate, and cola.
- Alcohol, while it can help you fall asleep faster, also disrupts sleep cycles and often leads to frequent awakenings throughout the night.
- Spicy foods can trigger stomach contents to back up into the esophagus. There is evidence that for people who suffer from sleep apnea, spicy foods can cause an increase in symptoms. Also, spicy foods can raise the minimum body temperature during sleep, which will also reduce the quality of sleep.
- Foods that are high in fat and protein can disrupt sleep because they take a long time to digest.
To have healthy sleep, your diet should be complete and balanced. You can add more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, and protein to your diet. Remember that there should be enough fluid in the body; drink about three to four liters a day. But you can drink more or less if you feel like it — focus on your needs. It isn’t only water, tea, and coffee that count but also liquids in food, like soup, vegetables, and fruit.
It’s important not to overeat and not to eat at late hours: dinner should be two to three hours before bedtime. Eating large amounts of food before bedtime can cause heaviness and discomfort.
Add Physical Activity
Physical activity can greatly improve sleep quality. Exercise, especially outdoors, can help adjust the biological clock, regulate disrupted circadian rhythms, relieve stress and anxiety by releasing hormones, and simply tire you out and fall asleep faster.
However, if physical activity is too intense, the effect can be the opposite. Before going to bed, choose something light and quiet: yoga, stretching, or a regular walk. Moderate aerobic exercise can also help you sleep better — scientists have evidence that it increases the duration of deep sleep.
