Some causes of being very sleepy are fatigue, the side effects of certain drugs, organic problems, sleep disorders or eating an unhealthy diet.
Have you been feeling more tired than usual lately? Don't you stop yawning? Do you continually look at your watch wishing it was time to go to sleep or to take a nap?
If you have answered at least one of the questions in the affirmative, read on. I am sure that with this post you will learn new things about your hours of sleep and demolish some myth that exists around our rest.
First of all, do you get enough sleep? Regarding your hours of sleep, do you feel rested? These questions are related to the quantity and quality of sleep. Sometimes we sleep for many hours, but we wake up tired and the day becomes difficult..
Other times, we sleep less hours than recommended, and yet we have more strength and energy to face the workday. Therefore, we have to learn to differentiate the hours of sleep with the quality of rest..
A very widespread myth that is not true is the one that says that the hours of sleep can be recovered. If you were thinking of recovering the hours of sleep lost throughout the week during this weekend, I am sorry to tell you that you will not get it.
Sleep specialists claim that the hours of sleep cannot be recovered if we make it a habit. That is, if one day we stay up late and the next day we sleep more hours than we are used to, we can recover that imbalance.
But if, on the contrary, we make it a habit not to sleep enough hours throughout the week, in addition to affecting our performance and our relationships, that fatigue will never recover.
We have always heard that it is advisable to sleep between 7 and 8 hours, although there are studies that state that 6 and a half hours are enough. Professor Clifford Sapper and his team from Harvard University, after various studies, have concluded that people who sleep between 6 and a half hours and 7 and a half hours are people who live longer, are happy and are more productive in tasks that are making.
The truth is that each person is different and, probably, will require sleeping a certain number of hours and that, in addition, this need will change throughout our lives depending on the activities we perform and the state of health.
Let's see what factors can affect that feeling of tiredness and sleep, with which many people wake up and have to battle throughout the day.
If you suffer from a respiratory disease such as sleep apnea, or you snore and have a nasal obstruction that makes it difficult for you to breathe, consult your doctor. The health professional will know which is the most appropriate solution to your circumstances or will know how to refer you to the appropriate specialist.
In addition, heart disease and obesity-related problems also affect our rest. In fact, there are studies that state that people who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight.
People who suffer from sleep disorders see the quality of their sleep hours diminished. In this case, they will also require the action of the relevant specialist.
Among the most common sleep disorders we find insomnia which, depending on the time of rest that disturbs, will be conciliation (difficulty falling asleep), maintenance (when in the middle of the night we wake up and do not fall asleep again) or, to wake up early (wake up before time).
Other sleep disorders are sleepwalking and in the case of children, problems related to toilet training, such as primary enuresis (peeing while they sleep).
Again, it is important that people who suffer from a sleep disorder visit a health specialist, who will know how to guide and advise you.
The great diseases of the 21st century also affect our rest. Some people, while sleeping, tend to tense their muscles and when they wake up, they feel exhausted and complain about the contractures and other muscle discomfort they suffer..
If your body does not receive the necessary nutrients and there is a deficit, it is normal that you feel tired, in addition to other serious consequences. People who base their diet on convenience foods, fats, and sugars are more likely to not get adequate rest. The reason is that our own body is warning us about the existence of some deficiency.
Sometimes it happens to us that we have a problem or we live a situation of great emotional charge and by not thinking about it and taking a solution, we postpone it.
When we go to bed, in the silence of the night, we do not stop turning our heads and this will cause a deterioration in our hours of rest. These situations will also make you tired throughout the day due to all the energy you consume dealing with certain emotional conflicts.
Tobacco consumption is a risk factor for multiple aspects related to our health, with regard to our rest as well. A study carried out in 2014 in Germany, indicates that people who smoke see their quality of rest affected, as well as reduced hours of sleep.
The temperature of the room, if it is very hot or cold, will influence our rest. Also that there are light and / or acoustic stimuli that do not allow us to sleep well.
Sometimes awakenings do occur, but they are so small that we don't even have to remember them. Despite not remembering them, they affect us. Sleeping with the television on prevents us from getting adequate rest.
If we sleep with someone and that person snores or moves a lot during the night, it will influence our rest.
Some medications cause more drowsiness and tiredness throughout life. If you have prescribed any treatment that you think affects you in this way, consult a specialist about its possible side effects.
So, what guidelines and habits can we follow so that our sleep is restful??
It is important that we are clear at what time we should go to sleep and respect our schedules. We have already seen that there is a minimum number of hours that we have to sleep and you yourself will know how much you need to sleep to prepare for the new day.
This must be ventilated, with a comfortable temperature and in which we feel comfortable. As I said in the previous section, it is not recommended that there be lights on or noises that can disturb our rest.
Therefore, it is better that before going to sleep we turn off any electronic device that may bother us. And yes, the mobile also enters that list, so, if you want to rest, the best thing you can do is turn it off.
That we feel comfortable on our mattress is very important for us to fall asleep, as well as that the bedding is ideal for the season of the year. Also that it is clean and smells good. In fact, there are perfumes for the sheets and many people claim that it helps them fall asleep..
With regard to clothes, if we sleep dressed, we have to feel comfortable with our pajamas that do not constrict us and that, preferably, are made of cotton. Another option is to get rid of it and try the benefits of sleeping naked..
If some issue worries you, better not postpone it until bedtime because it is very likely that it will not let you fall asleep.
In the event that something haunts you when you go to bed, take a pencil and paper and write down what things go through your head. The next day, when you wake up and are full of energy, you can resume this activity.
It is not recommended that as soon as you turn off the computer and stop all your activity, you go to sleep. After these stimulating exercises that require our attention, we will hardly fall asleep. Therefore, it is recommended that you gradually abandon this type of activity..
Reading is a good exercise you can do before bed. Make sure that the theme of the book is not very exciting and shocking. Many people meditate before sleeping, if you are interested in these exercises you can try yoga.
We live in a society in which we are not used to stopping to think and even less to reconsidering with our emotions and the powerful burden they exert on us..
Go to bed giving a show of affection to someone you appreciate, tell them how important they are to you. Also, you can take a paper and write down what things you have felt throughout the day that have made you feel comfortable..
This exercise will not take you long and you will see how you feel a deep well-being when doing it.
It is important that our diet is balanced for different reasons and in what concerns us now, our rest, also takes on a special relevance. What foods will help us to be more rested and with more energy?
For dinner, it is recommended that we eat light foods to promote digestion. Ideally, they should not have fat or carbohydrates. Avoid fried foods for dinner to avoid having a copious digestion.
If we want to help our neurotransmitters in the regulation of sleep, we can consume foods that have tryptophan, an amino acid that is related to the synthesis of melatonin and serotonin. Tryptophan is present in poultry meats such as chicken and turkey, as well as oily fish..
As a kid, haven't you ever had a glass of milk before going to bed? If you have, you were correct since milk is a source of tryptophan. It is recommended to take it alone or with a little honey.
This amino acid is also present in nuts and legumes. In addition, these foods are a source of vitamins that will improve the functioning of our nervous system.
Magnesium is a mineral related to stress relief by promoting muscle relaxation and also by contributing to the balance of the central nervous system. We can find magnesium in cereals, soybeans and vegetables such as chard and spinach, among others.
It is advisable to consume several pieces of fruit throughout the day and one of them may be before going to sleep. Some fruits that will favor our rest are the banana, pineapple, passion fruit and cherries.
In addition, it is important to drink fluids and, above all, natural water throughout the day to avoid fatigue..
Being physically active helps us fight insomnia and other sleep disorders. It is not recommended that, after intense physical activity, you put us to sleep due to all the activation we feel.
One exercise they recommend doing before bed is having sex. Studies confirm that, after orgasm, we usually fall into the arms of Morpheus.
However, some authors say that this only happens to men, since in the case of women, after all the excitement, they have more difficulty falling asleep.
If your problems with rest are related to your partner, you will have to make a solution between the two of you. Living together requires adapting to the rhythms of another person. If someone in the couple snores, you can try the bands that are put on the nose and help open the nasal passages, to sleep on the back.
If the problem is that one of the two is moving a lot, try a larger bed or put two small beds together so that if someone moves all the bedding, they will not uncover the other. Through dialogue, come up with a solution that benefits both of you.
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