Sleep is one of the greatest and simplest pleasures that life gives. Anyone would say that it is harmless, and until some time, it was belie...
What happens in our bodies when we sleep?
When we go to sleep, we prepare our body not only for physical and mental rest.
There are several stages of sleep. The initial stage is more superficial, and hear some loud noise may wake you up.
But if we continue sleeping without interruptions, we will reach deep sleep; At this time, the body is about to start a series of processes such as the regulation of metabolic and endocrine hormones that regulate appetite and glucose levels, which determine obesity or diabetes according to the rhythm of life you have and also predispose you to heart problems. These hormonal processes are altered when a person suffers from insomnia.
Besides, it also happens that the heart rate, brain waves, and other bodily functions slow down. This is when your body repairs energy. Brain storage of information also occurs. But of course, for this to happen, you must sleep for 6 to 8 hours uninterruptedly.
How too much sleep can kill you?
The study published in the European Heart Journal explains that an adult should sleep between 6 to 8 hours a night. Less or more of that time, it can affect health.
The risk tends to increase if the person in question has a sedentary life, does not eat correctly, smokes alcoholic beverages, and his caffeine intake is high.
The result of that macabre combination results in interruptions in the heart rate and a sudden increase in blood pressure.
Is it beneficial to take daytime naps?
What happens when you take a nap is that you alter your circadian cycle, with which the rhythm of night sleep is altered; This gradually affects the heart and generates primary sleep disorders (sleep apnea).
Other aspects that change when you sleep a lot
But it is that you will not only have heart problems as discovered in the study; besides, the following areas are also affected :
1 Impaired cognitive appearance
What happens is that cognitive capacity is altered, affecting the ability to reason and gradually reducing short-term memory. In the long term, it can make you more sensitive to some type of dementia. This also happens when you get little sleep.
2 Generates more drowsiness
When we sleep too much, we usually wake up confused, as if we had slept less than usual. When waking up, people feel headaches, dizziness, and weakness, perhaps to a lower quality sleep than if they sleep only the 8 hours necessary for the body to regenerate.
3 Increases the likelihood of strokes
People who sleep longer than necessary are more likely to have strokes if they sleep for more than 8 hours and are older than 50 or 60 years.
4 Obesity and diabetes
Returning to the study, sleeping too much can make you fat due to hormonal and endocrine control, making your body more prone to obesity and developing diabetes.
5 depression
Your mood will be affected if you sleep a lot or sleep very little. Depression makes you inactive; you will feel more down and tired, which will lead you to want to sleep more throughout the day.
Mechanisms that can help you have an excellent night's rest
There are a few things you can do to get enough and proper sleep:
-Lower the temperature of your room
Make sure your room is as cool as possible, at least 20 degrees Celsius. You sleep better when the bed is warm and the room a little cold (It's true!)
-What kind of mattress do you have?
If your mattress is firm and comfortable, you have a good place to rest. Try to change it every 10 years to avoid mites.
-A hot shower
Taking a hot shower relaxes you and prepares you for a "lighter" sleep. What happens is that when you get out of the bathroom, your temperature drops, and your body is ready to enter a state of relaxation, which will make it easier to sleep.
-Disconnect
Make sure your room is dark; there is no noise or anything that can disturb you. This will ensure a better sleeping condition.
-Create a sleeping ritual
Try yoga, meditation put on relaxing music. The point is that you disconnect from the hectic of the day, and thus little by little, you can channel your energy until you get to sleep properly.
-Take away technology
Disconnect the wifi, turn off the cell phone, stay away from the computer and even the television. These devices generate many electromagnetic waves that disturb your rest because they obstruct the pineal gland's function that regulates sleep and wakefulness.
Sleeping well and in the right way is at your fingertips. Try to create a good environment around you to rest properly, eat well, have an active life, and free yourself from bad habits to have better health, and your life is at less risk.
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