Sleeping is something indispensable for the well -being of any person but, on many occasions, we do not do it in the right way or enough time
The dream is one of the key elements for the good health of large and small. During the night we slept and rest the day to start a new one the next morning with the recharged energy.
This rest allows our body to perform a multitude of necessary functions that we do not see and, lack of sleep, can cause several problems such as damaging “higher levels of reasoning, problem solving and detail attention”, among others, according to Dr. Merrill Mitler, sleep expert and neuroscientist of the NIH (National Institute of Health).
In addition, sleeping little and bad can also increase the risk of diseases such as heart, obesity, diabetes or infections, according to the same source. In this way, experts establish the recommendation that people, according to age and other factors, must sleep a few hours determined every night to ensure that proper functioning of body and mind.
As indicated ‘MAY CLINIC‘, these recommendations indicate, for example, that children from 13 to 18 must sleep between 8 and 10 hours for every 24 hours or that adults have to rest a minimum of 7 hours per night.
Do not rest the necessary time or do it in a bad way can be caused by various causes, from sleep apnea to stress and, although each case must be medically treated concretely, we can try to improve our sleep hygiene to prevent problems or try to improve the principle of these.
What is sleep hygiene?
The term known as ‘sleep hygiene’ determines a set of healthy habits that can help people to sleep better and, although they are not the specific treatment for insomnia, it could prevent it or reduce it in a certain way.
According to the US Department of Beterans Affairs, “having good sleep hygiene means changing their food and physical activity habits. It can also mean changing your sleep environment. Healthy sleep habits, in addition to the other sleep strategies, can make you feel more rested and alert during the day. If you suffer from insomnia, good sleep hygiene can be the first step to sleep better.
Then we leave you the most recommended guidelines to have correct sleep hygiene, according to the La Moraleja de Sanitas Hospital:
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Do not take exciting substances such as coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, etc., especially during the afternoon or at the end of the day.
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Take a light dinner and wait a hour to bed. Do not go to bed hungry. You can take a glass of hot milk (without chocolate) or an infusion (without teinena) to favor relaxation before going to sleep ..
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Perform physical exercise but avoid doing it at the last minute of the day, as it activates the organism.
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Avoid prolonged naps (no more than 20-30 minutes) and never for the late night.
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If medication is being taken, it must be taken into account that some medications can produce insomnia.
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Maintain regular sleep schedules, always lifting and always raising at the same time. If you cannot reconcile the dream in about 15 minutes to get out of bed and relax elsewhere to return to bed when the dream appears.
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Avoid bright light exposure late in the afternoon and at night if there are problems to reconcile sleep.
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Do not perform tasks that involve mental activity (read, view TV, use computer, etc.).
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It is essential to maintain an adequate environment that favors and helps keep sleep. You must try to have an adequate temperature, avoid noise, use relaxing colors, a comfortable bed etc. Avoid non -family or unusual environments when sleeping.
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If necessary, a ritual can be done before bedtime that includes relaxing behaviors such as listening to quiet music, washing your teeth, a temperate shower, etc.
Following these guidelines adapted to your daily rhythm you can improve your dream and, if you have any condition or disease that may be interceding at your break, the best decision will be to go to a doctor.
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