Why do we sleep?
How do babies know how to sleep the moment they land on Earth? Ever thought what would happen if no one would ever do on Earth? Did these questions ever puzzle your mind? Wonder why sleep is so important for all living beings? Right from their birth, all living beings are programmed for their survival.
Thus, the newborns only know sucking(to fill their tiny tummies), breathing and excretion. Then what do they need for? Researchers say that sleep is essential for processing and storage of all the important activities of the day, rejuvenation of mind, strengthening of muscles, growth and repair of body tissues etc.
we have tried to gather as much information as one needs to know to understand the relevance of sleep for a happy and “less stressful” day. While the first part of this blog post tells you-
1.)The importance of sleep and the factors affecting it.
2.)The second part will round up the ways to kiss those sleepless nights.
How to improve the quality of your sleep?
1. Put your smartphones aside :
Make it a thumb rule to keep all your internet supporting devices outside your bedroom(or on aeroplane mode, if they serve as your alarm clock too), at least 1-2 hours before you would like to doze off and the sleeping angel would definitely show up on time.
2. Read a book :
Pick up your favourite book (even a less interesting one would work) and within 30 minutes, your mind will start feeling lighter. A research observed that half an hour of dedicated reading greatly reduces stress levels which in turn flushes out all the negative thoughts, thus relaxing the mind.
3. Exercise regularly :
Besides exhausting your body, exercise also releases happy hormones which help reduce stress and calm your mind.
4. Avoid late and heavy meals :
Dinner should always be kept light and the gap between the last meal of the day and bedtime should be at least 1-2 hours.
5. Take wise Naps:
Take small day naps, not too close to your bedtime in order to use them just as power boosts.
6. Change the atmosphere of the room:
7. Chamomile tea:
What to do when even changing habits doesn’t work?
Aromatherapy: This form of therapy uses various aromatic oils, including essential oils to improve the patient’s psychological and physical health. Though there is not much evidence, yet it is believed that the fragrance of a few extracts, such as lavender and chamomile are useful for better sleep.
Pranayama: This form of Yoga involves specific breathing exercises and meditation practices that give very good results in calming the mind if practised regularly. Since a calm mind is free of stress and anxiety and full of positive hormones, practising pranayama daily undeniably improves overall health including sleep as well.
Hot water bath: The warm water increases the body temperature slightly while stepping out of the shower brings it down quickly, which naturally readies the brain for sleep. According to a small 1985 study, a warm water bath before bed not only helps in sleeping quickly but also improves the quality of sleep.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT): If needed, your doctor or specialist can suggest you CBT. It helps you change actions or thoughts that hurt your ability to sleep well. The therapist will assist you in developing habits that promote a healthy pattern of sleep, like teaching you how to maintain a sleep journal and maybe by making some changes in some of the “before going to bed” activities.
“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together ” – Thomas Dekker
