Getting a good night's sleep is essential for well-being and general health. Adequate sleep plays a vital role in restoring the body, strengthening the immune system, optimizing brain function and various other important metabolic processes. However, many people struggle to sleep well and can suffer from the negative effects of sleep deprivation. In this article, we'll cover tips and information on healthy sleep, from the importance of a proper routine to substances that can help with sleep quality.
VIDEO 1 - RECORDED IN 2019
VIDEO 2 - RECORDED IN 2016
In March 2023, I recorded an excellent live with sleep specialist Dr. Carine Petry, where we had a wonderful conversation about the importance of sleep.
The basis of perfect sleep is part of and affected by lifestyle, as taught in https://icaro.med.br/saude/.
1 - Who needs to sleep?
Everyone, ideally after no more than 16 hours awake - we should all spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping.
2 - Why sleep?
In short, sleep is important for repairing the body from the damage and wear and tear of the previous day, including the brain, heart and blood vessels. During sleep, stocks of various important substances such as hormones, neurotransmitters and enzymes are replenished. In addition, sleep strengthens necessary metabolic processes, such as maintaining lean mass and improving immunity, and optimizes brain function, including memory consolidation, learning and creativity.
3 - What happens to people who don't sleep well?
When we don't sleep properly, many of the processes mentioned above don't take place or take place inadequately/insufficiently. As a result, the next day you may feel more tired, irritable, have difficulty concentrating, have an increased appetite, poor digestion, be more prone to weight gain, have compromised immunity, impaired balance, a greater chance of disorientation and a reduced metabolism.
4 - How to sleep well (Basic)?
It is recommended to sleep between 6 and 10 hours a night, but the total amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. It is also important to sleep on your side, in a quiet and dark environment. It is advisable to be well fed and hydrated before bed, eating lightly and avoiding drinking too much water to avoid frequent interruptions during the night to go to the bathroom. In addition, it is essential to be in a state of calm before going to sleep.
5 - Sono Top (Advanced):
- Establish (and stick to) a routine: try to go to sleep and wake up at the same times, regularly (this way the brain will “fall asleep” much more easily and more productively).
- Avoid stimulating substances in the evening, such as coffee, alcohol, nicotine, guarana, etc.
- Making the bedroom environment comfortable, especially the part involved with sleeping.
- Create (and follow) a calming pre-sleep routine (for some, a few minutes will suffice, but others may need more time): deep breathing, meditation, prayer, seeking pleasant thoughts, calming reading, etc.
- Only lie down to sleep when you're really tired, so that your brain associates a certain posture in bed with the need to sleep.
- Avoid exposure to too much light, especially white light, at night (this tends to keep the brain awake for longer, even if it's tired).
- Avoid naps of more than 40 minutes during the day and of any length at night.
- Regular physical exercise and good exposure to sunlight (direct or indirect) throughout the day: this, as well as “tiring” the body and mind, will clearly inform you when it is daytime (supporting the circadian rhythm), thus making it easier for the brain to fall asleep better and more deeply at night.
- Prefer to wake up “naturally”, BUT if you are woken up (for example, by an alarm), try to do it gently, even gradually (if possible) and during light sleep.
- Resolve hormonal imbalances, excessive use of medication (many of which interfere with sleep) and “pains” (including joint pains, which can “wake you up” more due to the discomfort they cause).
6 - Sleep problems:
It is estimated that at least 1/3 of the world's population has sleep problems (among the elderly, the figure rises to almost 50%), and they are more frequent in women. The most common complaints are:
- Difficulty initiating sleep;
- Waking up several times during the night and having difficulty getting back to sleep;
- Too short a sleep duration (waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep);
- Unrefreshing sleep: waking up still tired.
7 - The most common myths about SLEEP:
A. Sleeping is the same as losing consciousness at night, until the morning.
Really normal sleep is an active process and not merely a passive one. For example, after drinking a lot of alcohol, most people end up “drifting off” for more than 8 hours and still wake up tired the next day: this proves that it's not enough to “black out” in order to sleep. When someone “just blacks out” or is blacked out by some substance, this doesn't guarantee that the active processes of GOOD sleep actually take place.
B. Sleep is just “rest” for the brain, mind and body.
Not at all! Numerous processes take place during sleep, above all related to what was discussed above in topic 2 (Why sleep).
C. You can “replenish” the sleep you didn't get when you have time during the day, or the sleep you didn't get as soon as you have time.
It doesn't work like that, not least because the “replacements” will generally occur at times that are less conducive to restorative sleep, such as during the day or early evening, and for durations that are usually shorter than those of complete sleep cycles (90 to 110 minutes).
D. The older you get, the less sleep you need.
False! Those who maintain good lifestyle habits as they get older tend to become more productive and therefore logically need the same amount (and quality) of sleep, or even better.
E. You can take “sleeping pills” for “your whole life”:
Firstly, most of the drugs you think of as “sleep aids” are actually tranquillizers or muscle relaxants, which therefore cannot be taken chronically (read the package leaflets and you'll see this recommendation there) and don't guarantee quality sleep on their own either; secondly, drugs whose primary purpose is to “promote sleep” are also not indicated for use for more than a few years and, over time, they slowly lose their effectiveness and require higher doses, which potentially increases the chances of adverse effects (read the package leaflets and see for yourself) - the manufacturers themselves warn that they should be used at the same time as you investigate and resolve the causes of insomnia and not as “eternal crutches”, as if they alone would cure any problem.
8 - Melatonin, GABA and Progesterone are the substances that can most help with healthy sleep (All these hormones/neurotransmitters are produced by the human body/brain, BUT in many cases their deficiencies may require modulation or replacement. https://icaro.med.br/hormonios/):
- Progesterone: contraceptive users and climacteric women often suffer from progesterone deficiencies, which can negatively affect overall sleep quality; men are much less dependent on progesterone levels in terms of sleep.
- Melatonin: important for initiating and maintaining “continuous” sleep, since most of us go through 4 to 7 “sleep cycles” over the course of a night, each comprising periods of light and deep sleep; with melatonin, the transition between these cycles is not felt and you wake up feeling more rested and even.
- GABA is the main calming neurotransmitter in the brain (https://icaro.med.br/gaba/): many people don't sleep well because they go to sleep anxious, agitated, “fast” and this makes their sleep less deep than it should be and therefore less restorative.
I hope I've helped. Sweet dreams!
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