![]() ![]() It’s probably a best practice to put a 2-hour gap between the end of your workout and bedtime. If activity tends to boost your energy levels, working out too close to bedtime can hamper your ability to doze off. ![]() However, the timing of exercise can matter. Physical activity during waking hours can help you fall asleep more easily. Consuming a large meal too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep because it jump-starts the digestion process when your body is trying to rest. Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtimeĬaffeine is a known stimulant, but alcohol can also disrupt sleep patterns later in the sleep cycle. If you think this contributes to your sleep struggles, consider having a “ no device in the bedroom” policy to see if that helps. Resist the urge to scrollĪlthough you may enjoy lying in bed and scrolling through social media, research has shown that using electronic devices for at least 30 minutes before sleeping can result in poor sleep quality. Consider having a set bedtime and wake time each day, including days off or on the weekends. Be consistent in your sleep scheduleĮrratic schedules can promote sleep disturbances. If you’re looking for ways to improve the length and quality of your sleep cycles, here are a few suggestions that might help: 1. But first, it’s helpful to determine how much sleep you really need for maximum health benefits. If you’re having difficulty getting the restful sleep you need, there are a few things you can do to improve both the length and quality of your next snooze session. The scientists suggest sleep deprivation may disrupt communication between brain regions responsible for memory and emotions. In addition to physical health, inadequate sleep can worsen depression and other mental health conditions.įor example, research published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science found sleep-deprived people had more difficulty controlling unpleasant memories and persistent unwanted thoughts. Healthy sleep is as critical for your well-being as eating well and exercising, if not more so.Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who regularly experience short sleep duration - getting less than 7 hours of sleep per 24 hour period - were more likely to report they have a health condition. Reaching the REM stage is essential, as it is how the brain processes daily information for long-term memory storage. Opinions vary on this, as some research suggests dreaming can occur in REM and non-REM sleep stages. This is also the point in the sleep cycle where some scientists say dreaming occurs. Yet muscles remain inactive due to the action of powerful brain chemicals. As you get toward the end of your sleep cycles, REM can last up to an hour.ĮEG recorded brain activity during REM is similar to someone awake. The first time you go through the REM stage, it lasts about 10 minutes. The fourth stage of sleep is the rapid eye movement stage, or REM. In this stage, the body can carry out tissue repair, boost immune function, and store energy for use the next day. It is also when an abrupt awakening will cause grogginess and mental fogginess. Lasting roughly 20 to 40 minutes, this non-REM phase is the point in the sleep cycle where waking is most difficult. When you shift into this deeper level of sleep, your brain waves slow down, causing eye movement and muscle activity to cease. If napping, the end of this stage would be the ideal time to wake up to avoid the groggy feeling often associated with waking during the following two stages. If you had an electroencephalogram (EEG) test at this time, it would show this activity in the form of spikes called “ sleep spindles.” During this roughly 25 minutes non-REM phase, you hover between light and deep sleep. Stage 2 (N2)ĭuring this stage, electrical activity in the brain increases in bursts. During this time, your brain shifts into producing alpha and theta waves, and your heart rate and breathing slow down. This non-REM sleep phase occurs in the first several minutes after nodding off and is when your mind is still somewhat alert. ![]()
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