I learned the importance of sleep the hard way when I faced the consequences of insufficient and poor-quality sleep, including weakened immunity, depressed mood, absent-mindedness, and even overweight.
Therefore, here I will briefly share the latest scientific research on sleep, and those who want to learn more can click on the links to scientific articles in English.
First of all, what is sleep and why is it so important to us?
Sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity, in which consciousness is altered and sensory activity is suppressed to some extent.
Two internal biological mechanisms—circadian rhythm and homeostasis—work together to regulate when you are awake and when you are asleep. Circadian rhythms regulate a wide range of functions, from daily fluctuations in alertness to body temperature, metabolism, and hormone release.
People with very irregular sleep patterns may have a higher risk of dementia than those with regular sleep patterns, according to new research. The study doesn't prove that irregular sleep causes dementia. It just shows a link.
Sleep regularity is how consistently you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Sleep health recommendations often emphasize the recommended amount of sleep, which is seven to nine hours per night, but less attention is paid to maintaining a regular sleep schedule.
Inhibition of these neurons may be a promising target for treating stress-related sleep disorders, such as insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder.
New research has revealed that neurons in the preoptic area of the brain that regulates sleep and body temperature fire rhythmically during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. According to the new research, stress activates these brain cells out of order, causing "micro-apocalypses" that interrupt sleep cycles and shorten the duration of sleep episodes.
A new study of women's sleep has found that going to bed just 90 minutes late each night damages cells in blood vessels, supporting the hypothesis that poor sleep is linked to heart health.
And this is just a small part of the health effects of sleep. I will talk more about this topic in other posts.
How to improve your sleep?
I track my sleep using a smartwatch. So I can see exactly what is working and what is not. Personally, I take magnesium l-threonate with GABA powder and a mixture of l-tryptophan Melatonin and vitamin B 6 before bed. I am skeptical of excessive Melatonin use, but a small amount helps me fall asleep faster and maintain the desired sleep parameters, a good ratio of deep and REM sleep. I strongly suggest avoiding alcohol before bed, as any amount of it has a very strong impact on sleep quality.
What about melatonin? As I mentioned above, I'm not a fan of large doses, because in practice, after the effects wear off, a person wakes up in the middle of the night, or goes into a deep sleep phase.
But in my opinion, when choosing between two evils, it's still better than a sleepless night.
Prepared according to
https://www.sciencedaily.com/
Tadas Medineckas
This is not a health recommendation, it is the author's personal experience.
