Absolutely everyone knows about the importance of proper sleep. It is worth not getting enough sleep for at least a couple of nights in a row and even a young and healthy person will feel unwell.
The consequences of lack of sleep
Chronic sleep deprivation is even more insidious than short-term sleep deprivation. Long-term studies of somnologists have shown that short or poor-quality sleep leads to disruptions in the work of many organs and systems:
- Nervous System – Constant lack of sleep and sleep apnea significantly affect cognitive function. This is reflected in a decrease in concentration and attention, as well as memory impairment. As a result, student and student performance declines and workers’ productivity falls.
However, the greatest threat looms over the drivers and operators of complex machinery. Poor quality sleep is a common cause of car accidents due to falling asleep while driving. So sleepy people endanger not only themselves, but those around them. - Cardiovascular system – the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke and even sudden death during sleep is significantly increased.
- Decreased immunity – if the duration of night rest is insufficient, the cells of the immune system do not have time to activate for adequate protection of the body. Patients with sleep disorders often complain of a high susceptibility to infections.
- Disruption of the endocrine system and metabolism – the duration of sleep is reflected in carbohydrate metabolism. Patients suffering from sleep disorders for a long time run the risk of acquiring a serious illness over time – diabetes mellitus.
Recent studies have shown that sleep disturbances lead to obesity. This is a reason to think about all those who are unsuccessfully struggling with excess weight.
Sleep duration of a healthy person
Every inquisitive person is worried about how long a normal sleep should last. The leading specialists in sleep medicine do not provide exact figures. This is because the normal duration of sleep for each adult must be determined individually. Although it is generally accepted that on average, an adult’s sleep should last about 7.5-8 hours, but some require at least 9 hours for good performance, while others feel vigorous after 6 hours of rest.
Taking care of the optimal duration, do not forget about the quality of sleep. It is very important that the sleeper does not have snoring, episodes of apnea and frequent awakenings. In the presence of such symptoms, a person cannot get enough sleep, no matter how much time he takes to rest.
Normal sleep conditions
The very first thing to do to ensure proper rest is to choose the optimal sleep conditions.
It is worth taking seriously all the listed requirements:
- Create maximum silence in the bedroom. Many people like to fall asleep to music, but such a pleasant habit does not allow the brain to fully rest. If it is not possible to eliminate extraneous sounds – consider purchasing a special device that “interrupts” the noise.
- Take care of darkening the room. There is now a large selection of thick curtains to provide sufficient darkness in the bedroom. Get rid of the habit of falling asleep with your TV or laptop on – any light source interferes with the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
- Create optimal humidity in your bedroom. For well-being, 55-60% humidity is sufficient, which is easy to maintain with ultrasonic humidifiers.
- Be sure to ventilate your bedroom before bed.
- Create a comfortable room temperature. It used to be thought that it was best to sleep in a cool room. But numerous studies have refuted this claim. Everyone should choose the optimal temperature, taking into account their own thermoregulation.
- Sleep on a wide bed. Choose the widest bed that you can afford – 180, and preferably 200 cm. This will allow the body to take any comfortable position.
- Choose the right pillow. It should not be too high and firm so that blood circulation in the neck area is not disturbed. For the same reason, it is not recommended to sleep without a pillow. Of the fillers, one should prefer silicone materials or buckwheat husks, and it is better to refuse feather and downy ones.
- Get a good orthopedic mattress from a reputable manufacturer. Of course, this is not a cheap purchase, but it is worth it – after all, you spend about a third of your time in bed. Often turn the mattress, clean it from dust and regularly wash the mattress pad .
- Find the right blanket. It should correspond to the microclimate of the room, be easy to clean and dry quickly. If the spouses prefer different temperature regimes, then it is better to sleep under different blankets.
- Your comfort in bed is directly dependent on the choice of sleepwear. Choose natural fabrics or sleep without any clothes at all – the most important thing is to be comfortable.
The same criteria should be followed when choosing bed linen. Some people like to sleep on silk sheets, while others prefer cotton.
The best indicator for choosing healthy sleep conditions is your personal comfort and convenience.