Former Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
www.daylife.page
Sleep is as essential as air, water and food in order to sustain a life. Sleep is an important part of our daily routine—we spend about one-third of our time doing it. Sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain sensory activity is inhibited. During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activity and interactions with the surrounding environment. Though, during sleep we do not react to stimuli as we do during wakefulness , it still involves active brain patterns, making it more reactive than a coma or disorders of consciousness Without sleep, we can't form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories. Ever wonder why some people seem to always get a good night’s rest while others toss and turn for hours, or wake up again and again?
अच्छी नींद के फायदे Benefits of Quality Sleep
Quality sleep—and getting enough of it at the right times—is as essential to survival as food and water. It is a complex activity in one’s life and still we do not understand it in spite of so much research being done.
Good sleep hygiene can help us in a lot of ways. Whenwe get enough sleep -- experts recommend 7 to 8 hours a night -- we may:
· Get sick less often
· Keep a healthy weight
· Head off health problems like diabetes and heart disease
· Feel happier and less stressed
· Be able to think more clearly during the day
ख़राब नींद के संकेत Signs of bad sleep hygiene
Think about making changes to your sleep routine if you have trouble falling asleep, if you can’t stay asleep, or if you often feel sleepy during the day. These may be:
· find it difficult to fall asleep.
· lie awake for long periods at night.
· wake up several times during the night.
· wake up early and be unable to get back to sleep.
· feel down or have a lower mood.
· have difficulty concentrating.
· be more irritable than usual.
अच्छी नींद लें Have a Good Sleep
One has to take simple steps to break bad habits and get better sleep.
· Be consistent. It can be easy to stay up late watching favourite TV shows to sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays. There are some exceptions, but one will get better sleep by going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time in the morning. This gets the body into a routine that will help feel sleepy at the same time each night and wake up refreshed in the morning.
· Keep the bedroom quiet and dark, and at a good temperature for sleeping. It depends on the person, but many doctors recommend 60 to 67 degrees F.
· Make the bedroom relaxing, clean and clutter-free.
· Try a wind-down routine before bed, like meditation, yoga, or stretching.
· Limit naps during the day.
· Make the bed a sleep-only zone. Don’t read or watch TV there.
· Don’t bring electronic devices or food items for munching into the bedroom. If an iPad, laptop, phone, and TV aren’t in the room, you’ll be less tempted to check emails or texts right before you go to bed, or stay up late bingeing a show. They also give off blue light that might affect your body’s melatonin production.
· Don’t eat large, heavy meals before bed. Limit caffeine and alcohol.
· Exercise during the day. Moving -- whether it’s a walk at lunch or a cycling class before your family wakes up -- can help you fall asleep more easily.
· Good sleep hygiene is a combination of sleeping conditions and lifestyle habits that help you get consistent, uninterrupted sleep.
Snoring can be a symptom of the sleep disorder; the most common type of the disorder is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. It happens when the tongue, tonsils, or other tissues in the back of the throat block the airway. When we try to breathe in, the air can't get through. Central sleep apnea is less common than OSA. It means the brain doesn't always signal the body to breathe when it should. Therefore, all these breaks in sleep take a toll on the body and mind. When the condition goes untreated, it's been linked to job-related injuries, car accidents, heart attacks, and strokes. (The author has his own study and views)
