{"id":8905,"date":"2020-10-02T10:46:11","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T10:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/?p=8905"},"modified":"2020-10-11T21:09:36","modified_gmt":"2020-10-11T13:09:36","slug":"how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep","title":{"rendered":"How To Get A Good Night&#8217;s Sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you struggle with getting enough sleep, to the point that that general feeling of exhaustion has become a mild background buzz that you\u2019ve accepted as part of adulthood?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If so, you might want to rethink your routine, because getting a good night\u2019s sleep is essential to every aspect of your life. Not only does your life literally depend on sleep, it also affects your weight, health and moods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fixing your sleep doesn\u2019t require expensive medications \u2013 in fact, those can easily backfire. No, optimizing your sleep can be done with just a few simple adjustments, which are all within your grasp and entirely under your control.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is Sleeping Essential to Your Health?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the Difference Between Sleepiness and Fatigue?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the 3 Stages of Sleeping?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Needed To Get Good Sleep?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is Good Sleep Hygiene Important?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#6\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Insomnia?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Is Using Sleeping Pills is a Bad Idea?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#8\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Have a Consistent Sleep Schedule?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#9\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Final Words<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"1\"><b>Why is Sleeping Essential to Your Health?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to the benefits that sleep brings, the list is long. Here are some of the major functions for which sleep plays a pivotal role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8909 alignright\" title=\"How To Get A Good Night\u2019s Sleep?\" src=\"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep.jpg\" alt=\"How To Get A Good Night\u2019s Sleep?\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep.jpg 250w, https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-132x132.jpg 132w, https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-70x70.jpg 70w, https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/how-to-get-a-good-night-s-sleep-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get rid of waste, the brain uses the so called <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">glymphatic system<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This area of the brain was discovered in 2015 by Aleksanteri Aspelund and Antoine Louveau, two researchers who were working independently of each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The glymphatic system removes toxins including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">amyloid beta<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a protein found to accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This system is 60 percent more productive when you\u2019re sleeping, which is why it\u2019s important not to skip sleep, as your brain will miss the chance to rid itself of waste products. If you\u2019re wishing to bolster your brain\u2019s clean-up rate, a study with rodents at Stony Brook University in New York State concluded that it appears to work best when you\u2019re sleeping on your side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sleep also has a positive influence on your heart and immune system. Several studies have shown that poor sleep increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. It can also contribute to an unsynchronized heart rhythm, which in turn can lead to blood clots in your system \u2013 a major cause of strokes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another benefit of good sleep is that it gives your immune system a boost. So if your parents ever told you to go to bed to avoid getting sick when you were young, they were right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2015, a study at the University of California found that, after being exposed to the cold virus, those who slept six hours or less were more likely to develop a cold than those who slept for seven hours or more.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"2\"><b>What is the Difference Between Sleepiness and Fatigue?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many people have experienced sleeplessness, but some believe that they don\u2019t sleep at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those who think they don\u2019t sleep often talk about it to their friends or perhaps even their doctor, but the fact of the matter is that everybody sleeps \u2013 some just don\u2019t sleep effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2003 study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine confirms this. The researchers split participants into four-hour, six-hour and eight-hour sleeping groups and ran tests at the beginning and end of the study.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the six hour group, 25 percent fell asleep during the final tests. While they believed they weren\u2019t impaired by their lack of sleep, the test results proved otherwise. The experiment affirmed that you need sleep to function properly; without it, you\u2019d simply die.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lack of sleep results in sleepiness. The feeling of sleepiness itself represents a desire to sleep, while fatigue is more accurately described as a lack of energy. The two terms have different meanings, but are often erroneously used interchangeably.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fatigue can be caused by a lack of sleep, but there are several other factors that could lead to this condition. A person suffering from fatigue may have a Vitamin B12 deficiency, diabetes or could be experiencing depression. That\u2019s why those who make a conscious effort to improve their sleep and still feel fatigued should talk to their doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By contrast, sleepiness has three distinct causes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first is medication, as some drugs can make you sleepy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second is sleep deprivation, which is when you get less sleep than you need. A lack of sleep increases the drive for sleep, and in this sense, sleepiness works in a way similar to hunger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last cause is sleep dysfunction. This means that you do sleep, but while you\u2019re resting, a certain aspect is not working as it should.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"3\"><b>What are the 3 Stages of Sleeping?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a lot about sleep that we still don\u2019t understand, but we do know that there are three stages necessary for satisfactory sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first is<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> light sleep<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is the stage between full consciousness and deep sleep, and a delicate state from which it\u2019s easy to wake up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Light sleep can be divided into<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> N1 sleep<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">N2 sleep.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> While you spend a mere five percent of a night\u2019s sleep in the N1 state, you will spend around 50 percent of it in the N2 state. These two stages of sleep can be distinguished by looking at variations in brain patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">deep sleep, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">N3 sleep<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is a restorative period that causes you to feel rested when you wake up in the morning. Most deep sleep occurs during the first half of your night\u2019s sleep. Adults tend to spend 25 percent of each night in deep sleep, but this number declines with age.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During this period, the most growth hormones are produced. Therefore, it\u2019s needed to boost your immune system, help you recover from injuries and strengthen your bones and muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REM stands for rapid eye movement, which refers to when your eyes move at a fast rate below your eyelids. Scientists are still trying to discover why this happens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During REM sleep, your brain\u2019s activity is very similar to when you\u2019re fully awake, but muscle activity is low. This stage accounts for 25 percent of your night\u2019s sleep, and it occurs four to five times every night in 20- to 40-minute cycles that increase toward the second half of the night. During this phase, you stop regulating your body temperature, and dreaming takes place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the course of a night, you transition from N1 to N2, then to deep sleep, back to N2 and then to REM sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"4\"><b>What is Needed To Get Good Sleep?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to getting good sleep, healthy <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">circadian rhythms<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are also essential, as they manage your internal body clock.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Circadian rhythms are a system of bodily processes that operate on a 24-hour cycle, and determine when you feel sleepy and when you feel awake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common disruptor of these rhythms is jet lag. After a shift from one time zone to another, you may end up eating when you should be sleeping, for instance \u2013 so your body isn\u2019t prepared for digestion at all!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Circadian rhythms are not exclusive to humans; other animals, plants and even fungi have them too. The heliotrope flower, for example, opens and closes in the sunlight during the day, but also opens and closes during the night. This means that it follows its internal rhythm, rather than merely reacting to its surrounding environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1938, Nathaniel Kleitman, also known as the father of modern sleep research, and his research partner, Bruce Richardson, conducted an experiment on circadian rhythms. They spent 32 days in the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where they tried to reset their internal body clocks to operate on a 28-hour cycle rather than a 24-hour one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their test failed; if it had succeeded, they\u2019d have shown that the human body merely reacts to the earth\u2019s day-night cycle of 24 hours. However, subsequent research has shown that the internal daily cycle of all humans is fixed at 24 hours and 11 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For your circadian rhythms to function correctly, you need <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">zeitgebers<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These are cues that help set your internal body clock, with the sun being the most powerful one. Exercise, sleep and meals at specific times are further examples. The more zeitgebers you\u2019re exposed to, the more synchronized your circadian rhythms will be.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"5\"><b>Why is Good Sleep Hygiene Important?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep hygiene<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refers to the process of controlling your environment and pre-bedtime behavior in order to have the best sleep possible. To optimize your sleep, you should start off by preparing your bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As light keeps you awake, your bedroom should be submerged in complete darkness. This is because your eyes sense when it\u2019s dark and send signals to your brain, which in turn makes your pineal gland produce melatonin \u2013 the chemical responsible for making you feel sleepy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re exposed to even the smallest amount of light, this process will be disrupted, which is why it\u2019s a good idea to turn off your phone or put it in another room when going to sleep, and not watch TV in bed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s equally important to make sure you feel comfortable in your bedroom, too. From firm to soft, there are hundreds of different mattresses to choose from, so you shouldn\u2019t find it difficult to pick the ideal one for you. Don\u2019t forget about bedding either!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the general vibe of your bedroom \u2013 or even sleeping itself \u2013 inspires negative feelings, it might be time for a complete makeover. Try hanging up some new curtains, switching furniture around or even painting the walls a different color.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since your body craves routines, another useful idea for better sleep is to develop a sleep routine. During your childhood, you probably had a successful bedtime schedule: dinner, bath, bedtime story, then sleep. Why not develop one in adulthood, too?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good place to start would be to exercise in the mornings and read a book until you feel sleepy in the evenings. Whatever you do, just make sure to keep it consistent so that your body can adjust to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improving your sleep hygiene is a great way to enhance your sleep, but for someone suffering from insomnia, there are additional steps that need to be taken.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"6\"><b>What is Insomnia?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the United States, insomnia is something of an epidemic, with over 20 percent of the population being affected by it. Although it seems to be relatively widespread, there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding the condition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rather, insomnia is the feeling of being bothered by an unsatisfactory level of sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common criterion for being diagnosed with insomnia is experiencing bad sleep at least twice a week for a period of three months. However, this is an arbitrary standard; if you\u2019re extremely agitated by poor sleep even twice a month, you\u2019re also likely to be considered to have insomnia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first sign of insomnia is failing to get to sleep when you want to sleep, which usually comes in two different forms: not falling asleep when you want to, which is known as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep-onset insomnia<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and not being able to stay asleep throughout the night, or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep-maintenance insomnia<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second element of insomnia is a feeling of annoyance as a result of this poor sleeping experience. Some people have two terrible nights of sleep per month and think nothing of them; as such, they\u2019re not affected. However, there are others who can sleep badly once a month and become annoyed by their ordeal, and this is indicative of insomnia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The condition is often caused by anxiety, stress or certain medical issues. However, it can still be overcome by learning about sleep or recording possible triggers, as well as identifying ways to deal with them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"7\"><b>Why Is Using Sleeping Pills is a Bad Idea?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowadays, information on the dangers of not getting enough good sleep is everywhere. People are routinely told that a lack of sleep is making them unhealthy and overweight, which is corroborated by numerous studies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, sleeping for less than six hours a night is often linked to obesity. In 2015, a study was published in the journal <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sleep<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, showing that as an individual\u2019s sleep levels decrease, the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin increases, which likely contributes to overeating and the resulting obesity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This sort of information is driving people to resort to a quick fix for sleep; sleeping pills. These pills are regularly seen as an instant solution, but most studies actually attribute only limited usefulness to this type of medication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical research usually finds that sleeping pills marginally decrease the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and minimally increase the length of a night\u2019s sleep. Interestingly, sleeping pills actually reduce the amount of deep sleep needed to feel rested.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, such pills were developed for short-term and sporadic use, and when they\u2019re used in this way, they can indeed prove to be quite beneficial. Say one of your relatives passed away, and you\u2019re experiencing a lot of stress as a result; this would be a good time to take them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When taking sleeping pills, it\u2019s important to have a plan in place, and you should discuss this with your doctor beforehand. You will need to know when to take the pills, for how long, when to stop and when it\u2019s unsafe to take them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"8\"><b>How to Have a Consistent Sleep Schedule?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t wake up at the same time each morning and instead let your varying sleep determine your schedule, then you need some consistency!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a regular wake-up time is hugely beneficial for your overall sleep. In order to sleep well, you need to be in control of your sleep schedule; once you\u2019ve achieved this, having a bad night\u2019s sleep will have no repercussions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if you continue to let your sleep control your schedule, you\u2019re permitting it to control your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get started, pick a time to wake up that works for you. Make sure it fits around your work and other responsibilities, or simply reflects the preferences you have in the morning. If you want to shower or enjoy a quiet breakfast, set the time you wake up a bit earlier to allow for these activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When establishing your sleep schedule, it\u2019s also a good idea to discover how much sleep you need. The amount required varies from person to person, so to find out, follow an exercise known as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep restriction<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way this works is to first set a wake-up time \u2013 let\u2019s say 6:30 a.m. Now, count five-and-a-half hours backwards from that time, which in this instance would be 1:00 a.m. This is when you\u2019ll go to sleep with no napping throughout the day allowed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, start adding 15-minute intervals to the amount of sleep you\u2019re getting, doing so by setting your bedtime earlier and earlier while your wake-up time stays the same. Keep doing this until the sleepiness you feel during the day is gone. Once you\u2019ve reached this point, you\u2019ll know the amount of sleep you need. For most people, it\u2019s between six-and-a-half and eight hours a night.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may prove difficult to have a consistent sleep schedule, but it\u2019s one of the greatest ways to improve the quality of your sleep \u2013 and your quality of life in general.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"9\"><b>Final Words<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a myth that some people can function at their best without proper sleep. However, if you struggle to get good-quality sleep, there are steps you can take to improve it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure your circadian rhythm is working properly, practice good sleep hygiene and stick to a consistent sleep schedule, and you\u2019ll soon see a difference in your sleep, and your life as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you struggle with getting enough sleep, to the point that that general feeling of exhaustion has become a mild background buzz that you\u2019ve accepted as part of adulthood? If so, you might want to rethink your routine, because getting a good night\u2019s sleep is essential to every aspect of your life. Not only does [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8905"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/behealthy-beloved.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}