Some say that sleeping too much is a sign of weakness, or laziness. And this idea is not only typical of men; women also tend to view things this way. But we don’t really need to be "restless" in order to prove that we are young. The fact is, in order for us to feel young and full of life, we need sleep. More precisely, we need a well-balanced, yet sufficient number of sleeping hours. The reality is that, during sleep, each part of our body gets reset and re-established. During sleep, we can process the newly acquired notions and information; we can re-organize our memory, and our entire system can re-generate its cells. Hormones of growth are produced in order to fix the destroyed tissues in the case of adults, or to create a new tissue in the case of children. Such tissues are also created in order to block the destroying effects of stress.
So if we deprive ourselves of sleep, not only do we lose a lot of benefits, but also can harm ourselves without even knowing or intending to. When we sleep well, we are in an excellent physical shape. And if we don’t get enough sleep, we are likely to feel exhausted, and none of our systems can work at its best capacity. We cannot think straight, we cannot make the right decisions, and we may have trouble remembering essential things like where we parked our car or where we left our keys. This malfunctioning of the entire body can make us vulnerable to heart diseases, brain strokes, diabetes or obesity.
How can we make sure we get enough sleep? There are certain strategies to help us ensure a good amount of sleep, without any of the risks implied by sleeping deficiencies.
First of all, we must try and go to sleep at the very same hour everyday. That may be hard, especially since we have so many "temptations", which may include watching a movie, chatting on the internet, and so on. But in order to be able to go to sleep at the exact same hour everyday, the secret is waking up at the very same hour everyday. A good-night sleep is guaranteed by the way in which we start our day. When we open our eyes, light awakens our optical nerve and the brain’s biological clock. This stimulates the secretion of hormones which regulate everything, starting from our way of thinking to our way of feeling and acting. Sunlight has the power to activate our organism. If we wake up at a different hour everyday, the biological clock may not get synchronized and we are likely to feel tired all day long.
Another important thing in order for us to sleep well and therefore have healthy, well-balanced life is to set aside one hour for ourselves only, every evening, before going to sleep. The idea is to be able to make the transition from the person who can do anything, to the person who needs sleep. It’s very important for our general and mental health to do this simple, yet so often neglected thing like take some time for ourselves. Some do house chords before going to sleep, others look after their children, and others spend time on the internet or take care of job-related problems. But all these aren’t good if we want to have a good night sleep after a long, tiring day.
We also need to give up our tendency to work 24/7. Otherwise, even in our sleep our mind can think of work and how to solve certain job-related issues. And in time, this can affect our health. We must be utterly convinced of the true fact that we cannot and do not have to take care of everything. It’s for our own good and for the good of those around us. Many people stay up working till late, but that again is wrong. When we are tired, we cannot think straight and clear, so it’s not true that if we spend some more hours working, we will solve the most difficult problems. Even if we do so, the fact that we’ve worked till late will follow us, affecting our good night sleep.
How much sleep do we need?
Most adults need between seven and eight hours' sleep each night,
although we all have different sleeping patterns. Some people find they
can manage with just three hours of sleep, which I seriously find
impossible to believe. I've noticed that this generally happens to
people who use their brains most of the time. Don't get me wrong but
when your brain is constantly working, it’s difficult to get sleep. So
the minute you stop and concentrate on your sleep patterns, you are more
likely to fall off into a deep slumber!
It’s also a fact that the amount we sleep reduces as we age. Strange but
true! Most elderly people find themselves falling short of their quota
of sleep, especially if they've dozed off in the afternoon.
Insomnia
There are some who believe that the GH level in our bodies determine
certain factors that include the sleep patterns. Although the research
for this goes on still, there are many who don't have a great growth
hormonal level, and fall pray to Insomnia.
Remedies
Although there are many home remedies for this, an exalted condition of not being able to sleep well can be treated medically.
You might want to consider these tips as well.
* The notion of early to bed and early to rise. What this really does is
make your habits fall into a pattern of things and train your body as
it were to fall into a slumber. You might have noticed that practicing
these habits becomes especially painful when you need to go out for a
party. if yu haven't experienced these so far, well then you may do so
now!
* Even if you are not feeling sleepy, you may want to change into your
nightwear. Some times making your body ready to go to sleep, like making
yourself geared up for the gym helps you fall asleep rather fast. The
reason being that night wear is generally rather comfortable and you
don't really realize how sleepy you are until you change.
* Don't restrict your self to making sure that you have enough silence
to lull you to sleep. A shift in paradigm may make things worse
especially if you get used to the right atmosphere around you.
* Like I mentioned earlier, people who use their brain too much are more
likely to face problems in sleep patterns than those who don't. What I
really meant is that if you keep exercising your mental faculties to
such an extent that they get overworked, you might end up sleeping only
for a few hours. Good to moderate amounts of exercise gets you into
using your physical self as well, ultimately giving you a good night's
sleep. There are may fitness freaks and exercise enthusiasts who prefer
to work out in the night for some great sleep.
* Drinking a cup of warm milk with turmeric can induce some good sleep.
Calcium is anyways known to be best absorbed in the night. With turmeric
as an anti-septic, all the wear and tear occurred in your body
throughout the day can help you get into instant sleep. Its not a good
idea to try drinking coffee, caffeine helps you use all your senses as
it acts as a stimulant. It is no wonders that students use this
technique to get themselves make the most of their last minute study.
* Its best if you have an empty stomach before you retire for the night.
The three hour gap before sleeping, if religiously followed can help
you and your body gain the much needed rest at a faster pace. Since the
body is not involved in digesting heavy chunks of food, it’s quite
likely that you get into deep sleep at a faster rate.
* Trying relaxation techniques before going to bed. Yoga is one great
idea of lulling you to sleep. If you still can't sleep, popping in some Ashwagandha, , an ayurvedic sleep inducers. For Yoga enthusiasts, the chanting of the word 'OM' helps too!
Sleep is as essential to human being as having food and water. The body,
rather the muscles and brain, require rest after the whole days' work
and hence, it is essential to get a good night's sleep. Having proper sleep
is a bliss as it refreshes the mind and the body. Some of the other
benefits of sleep are; it reduces stress, helps in keeping the mind and
the body healthy, improves memory, etc. So, how much sleep do we need?
Actually, we are advised to sleep for 6-7 hours a day, everyday. But
some of us are happy in our state of slumber for more than 6-7 hours.
You may have often come across people who keep setting a record of their
sleep for 15, 16, 18 hours, etc. Naturally arises the question what are
the effects of excess sleep on your body. Is too much sleep bad for
you? Let us take a look at it in detail.Is too Much Sleep Bad for Your Health?
Before knowing whether excess sleep is bad for our health or not, let us know in brief the effects of lack of sleep. This condition is known as sleep deprivation. When the person does not sleep adequate amounts of sleep, he suffers from short term as well as long term side effects. In minor cases, lack of sleep can lead to drowsiness, confusion, difficulty in concentration, etc; whereas in the long run, this condition can affect the brain and the mental processes leading to memory loss, etc. Therefore, in order to avoid this, people are recommended to have sufficient amounts of sleep everyday. Secondly, having a good and long sleep is widely considered as one of the best beauty tips. However, these theories are often misinterpreted and people tend to sleep for more than 8 hours which is actually not required. In fact, it can even lead to negative effects. So, why is too much sleep bad for you? Let us take a look.
Firstly, too much sleep is not at all required by the human body. There have been records of people sleeping for a mere 4-5 hours, yet being able to function at their best everyday. This may not be applicable to everyone. The importance of sleep is known to everyone, but a sleep for 6-7 hours is enough to relax your body and mind and you are just fit to function properly for the next day. It is believed that the mind tends to relax even when the person is not sleeping; as in while sitting calmly, using relaxation techniques, etc. Therefore, we come to a conclusion that the hours of sleep needed by the body everyday is merely 6-7.
But, is too much sleep bad for you? Coming at that, in minor cases, excess sleep can make a person drowsy and dull in the next day. Even when he has slept for a longer period of time, he is bound to feel lethargic and sleepy, which in turn can lead to loss of concentration and lack of work. Secondly, there are claims with on going researches about the exact effect of excess sleep on the body. In the research it was found that people who sleep for more than 10 hours a day, die earlier or younger. This is just a claim without any medical proof to it. It is simply a result a research with no known cause. But it it for sure that excess sleep is not at all essential for human beings.
I hope you have gotten a satisfactory answer on 'is too much sleep bad for you'. Lastly, remember that even if excess sleeping may not be bad, you are surely wasting precious time of life, doing nothing creative, by simply dozing of, where you can utilize it for something creative and useful. Think about it. Good luck!
Eight hours sleep is something not everyone can afford in today's world, where time is so precious. In this competitive society, people often wish to reduce their sleep time and do something productive. But as per the common myth about sleep, one may feel tired and drowsy without eight hours sleep. Well , but many research studies have proved that it is not the quantity of the sleep but it's quality that determines the energy levels of the body. A person can sleep for as less as five hours and still feel energetic throughout the day provided he takes a quality sleep. So, if you are wondering how to sleep less and have more energy, an important thing you need to do is improve the quality of your sleep. Before I tell you how to do it, it is advisable to know some basic information about sleeping.
A Bit About Sleeping Pattern
Sleep has a general pattern that is same for everyone. When we sleep, the first 1 to 2 hours we are in deep sleep. During deep sleep the blood flows to muscles and cells to repair damage. After that our body moves to REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. At this stage, our brain starts organizing memory processes, due to which we dream. Again we move into deep sleep and the cycle of deep sleep - REM sleep continues throughout the sleep. The first deep sleep and REM sleep are longer, and as the day gets closer each state shortens. This was a basic information on sleeping pattern, now I will tell you how to sleep less and have more energy for daily chores.
Ways to Sleep Less and Have More Energy
Get Some Sunlight
For those wondering how to have more energy on less sleep, going out in the sun for at least an hour is an ideal and inexpensive solution. When sunlight hits our skin, our body produces a chemical known as melatonin. As the sun sets and darkness sets in, our body slowly releases melatonin which acts as a natural trigger that puts us to sleep. Hence, maintaining good melatonin levels is important to improve the quality of sleep.
Raise Body Temperature
When the body temperature drops by few degrees, people fall asleep. In the night, body temperature drops and at the same time the heart rate and blood pressure too lowers. This acts as a signal for the brain that it should go off to sleep. People who have sleep disorders, such as, sleep apnea and insomnia are advised to exercise daily, as it spikes the temperature by few degrees. Others are also advised to sleep in a cooler room to get better sleep.
Create a Dark Environment
Our brain uses logic to 'switch on' and 'switch off'. When our eyes see more light the brain gets a signal that it is day and it should wake up, and when there is darkness it starts dozing off. So, the clue for better sleep is that one should sleep in a darker atmosphere. If you are confused how to sleep less and feel better, the following tip would be great for you. When you get up, take a small stroll in the sunlight and you will feel energetic, as your brain will be activated. During office hours too, take a short break and get out in the sun to feel more energetic.
Follow a Time Table
Following a fixed sleeping timetable answers your question about how to sleep less and have more energy. Apart from logic, our brain also follows a time table. If you follow fixed sleeping timings your brain is trained to sleep and wake up at the same time. If you have irregular sleeping timings then your brain cannot understand the pattern and do not know when to sleep and when to wake up. So, start training your brain by following strict sleep timings instead of taking sleeping pills, as they provide a temporary relief. Initially, you may need an alarm clock to set a pattern but after few weeks you will naturally fall asleep and get up at the desired time.
The above points will make sure that you get quality sleep in less time, so that you will be full of energy once you wake up. But if you sleep only for five to six hours, it is important that you take a short nap, aka power nap, during the day which should not exceed more than 30 minutes. During this period you can allow your brain to complete its memory processes that relax your mind, making you more energetic. Now, you know how to sleep less and have more energy. Apart from this, reduce the intake of caffeine and alcohol to improve sleep. You can also try a warm water bath or drink a cup of warm milk that are known to promote better sleep and serve as effective sleep aids. So, go ahead and enjoy a good night sleep!!!