Science behind a better night’s sleep

It is not a secret for anyone that a good night’s sleep plays a vital role in mental and physical health and well-being. The way you feel during your watch hours considerably depends on how you sleep, say sleep experts.

An inadequate or unsatisfactory sleep model may increase the risk Chronic health problems And can affect the way we think, react, work, learn and get along with others.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, around 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disturbancesAnd one in three adults does not regularly obtain the recommended quantity of uninterrupted sleep necessary to protect their health.

Many factors play a role in preparing the body to fall asleep and wake up, according to the National Institutes of Health. Our internal “body clock” manages sleep and awakening cycles and works on a repetitive 24 -hour rhythm, called circadian rhythm. This rhythm is controlled both by the quantity of a compound inducing sleep called adenosine in our system and signals in our environment, such as light and darkness. This is why sleep experts suggest keeping your dark room during your favorite hours of sleep.

Sleep is also controlled by two main hormones, melatonin and cortisol, which our bodies release in a daily rhythm which is controlled by body clock.

The exposure to a brilliant artificial light – as from television, computer and telephone screens – in the evening can disrupt this process, which makes it difficult to fall asleep, explained Sanjay Patel, director of the clinical program Complete sleep disorders UPMC and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Keeping our body clock and our more or less regulated hormone levels are the best ways to achieve good sleep regularly, said Patel. He encouraged people with difficulty sleeping more behavioral changes what to look for quick fixes, as with free sleep supplements such as melatonin or increasing alcohol consumption Feel sleep.

Patel said there was not much clinical evidence That melatonin supplements work very well and that “many clinical trials of melatonin have not shown coherent evidence that it helps in insomnia”.

He pointed out that the supplement is not particularly harmful either, except when “people start to increase and increase the dose. And in particular, we worry about the high doses that many children are given by their parents, Where this can cause problems, “he said. Taking more than three to five milligrams does not increase the sedative effects, “and yet we see people presenting themselves at the clinic by taking 20 milligrams”.

Sleep potions

Many have suggested that hot milk, chamomile tea or tangy cherry juice can induce a sleeping wrap effect. While Patel said that there was no evidence that they work, he stressed that they are preferable to a last drink.

“Alcohol is really bad for your long -term sleep, for several reasons,” said Patel. First of all, alcohol can relax the throat muscles and can worsen sleep and snoring apnea for people affected. Second, the body metabolizes alcohol quickly enough for its sedation effects to last throughout the night.

“So, even if it can fall asleep, what is happening is three or four hours later, alcohol has been metabolized, and now you wake up not having alcohol in your system”, he said.

Evening libations can also increase acid reflux and long-term consumption can cause “changes in brain chemistry and is a great cause of insomnia,” he said. Large drinkers who suffer from insomnia will often increase their alcohol consumption in order to fall asleep, thus creating a dangerous cycle that could lead to a disorder of alcohol consumption.

Cannabis is not much better, said Patel.

Although a handful of pot users – especially those who use it to treat anxiety – can see certain sleep advantages, mostly cannabis often does not help chronic insomnia and will probably worsen it .

“They actually see a lot of people whose sleep improves when they stop using (cannabis),” said Patel.

Instead of turning to sleep aid – natural or other – Patel said that the development of a bedtime routine that promotes relaxation and relaxation is a much better road to a good night’s rest.

Whether it is taking a hot bath, reading a book, meditating or even connecting to night news, the brain will associate a ritual with often repeated to the relaxation required to fall asleep, it was He explained.

You can watch TV, but stay outside social networkshe said. “Algorithms on social networks are designed to allow us to commit and end up contributing to the closing of the eyes that much later than they had planned.”

Other common reasons that sleep can be unsatisfactory or elusive is stress, the concern and the simple fact that many people do not give themselves enough time to rest.

“We see all the time that people plan to go to bed at a certain time, but once they have been sewing up, they do other things and keep their minds active”, like responding to emails, paying invoices or scrolling social platforms.

Aging influence

The rhythm and the moment of the body clock change with age, said Patel.

People need more sleep early in life when they grow and develop. For example, newborns can sleep more than 16 hours a day and preschool children must take naps.

In adolescence, the internal clock moves to fall asleep later in the night, but then want to sleep late. This is annoying for adolescents because “they must be ready at school at 6:30 am and this causes many problems,” said Patel.

Certain school districts in the region, including Pittsburgh Public in 2023, have moved to subsequent start hours with this spirit.

For adults, sleep during mature age can be difficult with young children at home who disrupt parents’ sleep habits. It is also a period of life when stress and concern are increased, he said.

The elderly tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier, but they have their own unique challenges, said Patel.

“Many physical problems mean that people often wake up more in the night as they get older. They have to get up to go to the toilet. They have chronic pain and pain that wake them up. They often take medication that … have side effects that affect your sleep, “he said.

Ask for help

A bad night’s rest is turning into a chronic condition when it really starts to have an impact on how you work during the day, said Patel. It is then that it may be time to talk to your doctor about what’s going on.

A sleep specialist can help patients find remedies for everything, stress and acid reflux in sleep apnea.

“In general, if things happen for more than three months, then we consider it a chronic problem which is unlikely to improve alone,” said Patel.

The NIH also recommends several ways to make a better night’s rest:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
• Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weekday evenings and weekends.
• Use the time before bed for a calm time, avoiding intense exercise and shiny artificial light.
• Avoid heavy meals and alcohol within a few hours of bedtime.
• Avoid stimulants, nicotine and caffeine.
• Spend time outside every day and be physically active.
• Keep your room silent, fresh and dark.
• Take a hot bath or use relaxation techniques before bedtime.

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