THE Sleep Week It started on Friday (14), runs until Thursday (20) and marks an important moment of reflection on the impact of sleep on health and the importance of valuing bedtime. Who wants to pay more attention to the subject needs to be attention to sleep hygiene topic that has been popularized in recent times and reflects greater concern for bedtime.
According to Erika Treptow, Pulmonologist at the Sleep Institute, sleep hygiene is a concept that encompasses a series of practices and strategies to ensure a proper rest night . “It’s like a ritual for our sleep to start in an easier and more pleasant way, ”he explained.
Thinking about it, the CNN He heard the doctor and listed seven tips for those who want to have good sleep hygiene and sleep better.
Check out 7 tips for having a good sleep hygiene
1 – Keep a routine to sleep and wake up
THE CNN Erika Treptow explained that the great key to success for those who want to have good sleep hygiene is to maintain a fixed routine of sleeping and waking up schedules, including on weekends. She argues that, like food, sleep is physiological and it is important to have a regularity to accustom the body.
“Let’s compare sleep with our diet. TAt lunchtime, dinner. We don’t escape much of it, because when we leave that usual time our body feels. I will be hungry or I will not be hungry yet. If sleep is also a physiological activity, We have to try to respect and keep pace so that this sleep is of quality, ”explained the doctor.
2 – Do not eat stimulating drinks
If the purpose of sleep hygiene is to create a ritual to make it easy to sleep, it is necessary to avoid the consumption of stimulating beverage, which will fulfill the diametrically opposite function in the body. According to Treptow, they end up increasing latency, which is the time needed to sleep, and decreases sleep quality at night.
“Their effect on each person’s body is individual, but overall we recommend that about about four hours before bedtime that the person tries to decrease or even ceasing the use of these drinks.”
3 – Be careful with food at night
The same is true for food. She explains that it is essential to opt for light foods and respect the time of digestion so that this does not end up disturbing both sleep hygiene and their quality over the hours.
“A heavy diet – rich in calories, rich in fat – close to bedtime can impair sleep quality. It can make me not sleep well and that I have very agitated sleep, that I am awakening several moments, especially in the first half of the night, ”he said.
The ideal, according to the doctor of the Sleep Institute, is that the person respects a period of two to three hours of digestion before bedtime.
4 – Avoid using screens
Another tip to improve sleep hygiene is to avoid using canvas, especially cell phones and tablets, on bed. According to the expert, the use of electronic devices has two major impacts on sleep health. The first is related to mental stimulus: “It is not uncommon to start researching something on the internet and suddenly we are seeing five or six additional things,” says Treptow.
The second impact, and perhaps the most significant, is related to the light emitted by these devices. “This light, especially when very close to the eyes, causes a stimulus within our brain that slows melatonin secretion, a dark -related hormone and dusk,” explains the pulmonologist.
Melatonin is critical for the body to understand that it is close to bedtime . When there is exposure to the light of the screens, the brain interprets as if it were still day, making the natural process of preparation for sleep.
5 – Understand the impact of physical exercise on your sleep
Treptow stated CNN That physical exercise can both act and stimulate as a relaxant in the human body, varying from person to person. As a result, she recommends that the patient understands the impact of physical activity on her sleep hygiene and avoid exercising near bedtime if she observes that this is making her task difficult to sleep.
“In the past we thought it would also have a point of stirring our body’s temperature, and we didn’t recommend exercises near bedtime when we need a drop in temperature to start sleep. But The latest research has shown that this is very individualized, ”said the doctor.
“PAu some people, if not extending exercise, it can even be done a few hours before bedtime. We always ask that at least two hours before bed, we try not to do the exercise. ”
6 – Create a pleasant environment
In the best sleep mission, a valid strategy is to take care of the sleep environment and create a comfortable atmosphere. Treptow defends techniques such as aromatherapy and explains that even the tissues of the sheet and pajamas can influence sleep hygiene.
“It is very important that our environment is inviting to sleep, that it is a pleasant environment. And that we do in many ways, with the Temperature, environment, brightness ”, lists the doctor.
7 – Establish a personalized ritual
Finally, the doctor defends the importance of establishing personalized sleep hygiene, with a ritual thought of what works for each patient.
“To Having good quality sleep, it is very worthwhile to see what works for you in terms of ritual to fall asleep. PAn example, some people like to bathe before bed. Others, to read, to talk to family members, to leave the schedule prepared for the next day. These are things that are more relaxing, not so stimulating that will help us easier to start sleep. ”
This content was originally published in sleep hygiene: see 7 tips that will help you when going to sleep on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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