The Science of Sleep

The Science of Sleep

Sleep is a universal physiological phenomenon that is exhibited in humans and other animals. It is crucial to attain sufficient good quality of sleep as it is vital for the well-being of body, mind, spirit, as well as work productivity. Knowledge of sleep and the sleep cycle may help in addressing sleep problems and improving sleep quality. Below, six questions dealing with the scientific aspects of sleep are outlined.

Stages of Sleep

There are two basic types of sleep: The two fundamental types of sleep that are used today are the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep is a sleep that occurs in a progressively deeper cycle through the different stages of sleep.

Stage 1 is also called light sleep, during which muscle activity decreases and there is the start of the thought process. During stage 2, the brain waves are comparatively slower but experience some bursts of activity from time to time. Stages 3 and 4 are the final stages of non-REM, where the breathing pattern is regular, the blood pressure is low, and the muscles are relaxed to the point where it is almost impossible to wake up.

Following deep sleep, REM sleep starts, during which the brain is active, the breathing rate is high, the heart rate is irregular, and the muscles in the limbs are temporarily immobile to prevent the person from acting out his/her dreams.

Sleep Cycles

Sleep evolves through a series of stages of non-REM sleep followed by REM sleep. The first cycles in a night have shorter REM periods while later cycles have longer REM periods. A schematic image of the different stages of sleep shows that healthy adults go through 4-5 sleep cycles each night, with each cycle lasting between 90-110 minutes.

To be rested, it is necessary to get enough deep sleep and REM sleep. This is essential because disruptions may result in fatigue, changes in mood, lack of concentration, and worse health. Knowledge of sleep cycles helps explain the effects of sleep disorders.

Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that help the human body know when to sleep, wake up, eat, and perform other activities. Circadian rhythms are regulated by light and darkness, which can be disturbed by shift work, travel, illness, aging, and medication.

Disrupted circadian rhythm has been associated with impaired sleep quality and timing and increased vulnerability to chronic diseases. Daylight exposure, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, avoiding light before going to bed, and using melatonin supplements can help phase shift the circadian clock.

Brain Waves and Activity

Neural oscillation controls the sleep-wake cycle. As we are awake, beta waves prevail. Theta waves are then observed as a sign of light sleep when sleep onset is in progress. Delta waves occur as the deep sleep stages are reached, while gamma waves are involved in sensory activities during REM.

The sleep-promoting neurotransmitters include serotonin and melatonin, while the wake-promoting neurotransmitters include acetylcholine and norepinephrine. Knowledge of the neural mechanisms of the sleep-wake cycle means that drug and treatment targets for sleep disorders exist.

Sleep Mechanisms and Regulation

As it has been highlighted above, several biological factors play a role in the regulation of sleep. Sleep-wake homeostasis is regulated by adenosine that builds up during wakefulness to signal the need for sleep. A diurnal rhythm of melatonin synthesis also occurs at night for sleep promotion effects.

Throughout the night, the body releases cytokines that play the role of immunity and switching between non-REM and REM. Early sleep is also characterized by maximum secretion of growth hormone. Knowledge of these regulatory mechanisms gives a biological perspective of the functions and processes of sleep.

Sleep Functions and Effects

It is now understood that sleep is necessary to facilitate activities in the brain such as memory and learning. Functions such as problem-solving skills and creativity could be affected in the event of absence of REM sleep. SWS or non-REM deep sleep is rejuvenating for the body while REM is beneficial for the brain.

Lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep raises the odds of acquiring chronic diseases, anxiety, depression, obesity, increased inflammation, and decreased immunity, poor cognitive function, and work inefficiency and accidents.

To sum up, sleep and its related issues involve brain waves, circadian rhythms, hormones, neurotransmitters, and other factors. Knowledge regarding the functioning of the sleep-wake cycle and the biological factors that control sleep is highly beneficial in optimizing the quality of sleep.

1. The Sleep Cycle

The Sleep Cycle

Sleep cycle is the sequence of the different stages of sleep that occur during the night. This involves the two types of sleep namely; non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Non-REM sleep is subdivided into three stages – N1, N2, and N3 to reflect the concept that sleep is a continuum with gradually increasing depth. All these phases make up a sleep cycle and these cycles are consecutive during a normal period of sleep.

A complete sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long. We usually have four to six sleep cycles in a night with the higher REM sleep stages being experienced in the morning. Knowledge of sleep stages and architecture enhances the understanding of why humans need sleep in their daily life.

Non-REM Sleep

Non-REM is further subdivided into three stages, namely N1, N2, and N3 out of which the first stage is N1. This is the first stage of sleep and is characterized by the switchover from the waking state to the sleeping state. Cortical activity decreases, along with respiratory and cardiac rates. Muscle activity is in complete relaxation and the eye movements also come to a stop. N1 is the lightest stage of sleep and lasts for 1-7 minutes only and it constitutes about 5% of total sleep time. It is easily broken and people are easily awakened from it.

This continues into the N2 stage, which marks the beginning of actual sleep. N2 makes up 45-55% of total sleep time. Respiration rate continues to slow down, as do brain waves, heartbeat, and other physical processes. Short periods of increased beta brain waves and phasic changes in muscle tension and relaxation may occasionally be interspersed. In general, N2 is regarded as light sleep during which people can be awakened more easily than during other stages.

N3 or slow wave sleep is the last stage of non-REM sleep and the deepest one. This is associated with low frequency, high amplitude brain waves known as the delta waves. The rate of beating of the heart, respiration, and blood pressure attain their minimums. None of the muscles are contracted, eyes are closed. It is very difficult to wake a person when they are in the deep slow wave sleep stage. Immobility can be from several minutes to half an hour. N3 prepares the body for rest, recuperation, and renewal.

During successive cycles of sleep, there is a reduction in the amount of N3 sleep but an increase in REM sleep. That is why earlier sleep cycles contain more of the deep sleep and as morning comes closer, the emphasis is on REM.

REM Sleep

Over the cycles of the non-REM sleep, the first REM period is at about 70-90 minutes of the sleep onset. REM sleep is characterized by rapid and close to wakefulness brain waves, as well as increased respiratory and heart activity. But the body is almost completely locked with shutdown of nearly all voluntary muscles, thus unable to play out scenes in vivid dreams. The only muscles that are excluded are the vital diaphragm muscles that enable breathing and eye muscles that enable movements of the eyes.

Therefore, the terms “rapid eye movement” refer to this state, in addition to having constant breathing even though the rhythm is not. It has been estimated that REM accounts for 20-25% of total sleep time. During later cycles, REM stages become longer and N3 stages become shorter. The first REM period could be several minutes while the last one could be nearly an hour closer to the morning.

REM sleep and its related dreaming are considered essential to memory consolidation, learning, and brain maturation. This reveals that while the body is in non-REM deep sleep, it sets the stage for that restoration process with bodily tissue repair. Both are essential to the well-being of an individual’s mental and physical status.

Sleep Architecture and Age

The organization of the sleep stages and cycles is not constant throughout the life span. Newborns spend around 50% of sleep in this stage hence requiring high brain development for their survival. The amount of REM reduces progressively with age, and proportions of deep non-REM are higher. However, REM as well as slow wave activity begins to decrease once more at a certain age later in life.

With age, the duration of total sleep, slow wave sleep or restorative sleep, and REM sleep decrease on average. A final difference found is that nighttime awakenings are reported to be more frequent by the elderly. Such changes may be associated with higher incidence of insomnia, fatigue, and medical conditions in the elderly population. Knowledge of sleep stages and cycles can help design strategies for enhancing the quality of sleep.

To sum up, the cycle of non-REM and REM sleep during the night contributes to recovery processes. Early sleep is restorative to restore the homeostatic physiological need, whereas the elevated REM in the morning serves the cognitive need. In understanding this gracefully executed ballet of physiology, one can fully grasp the beauty of sleep and the healing work it entails. As we look at the importance of sleep, it is crucial to note that adequate healthy sleep is important throughout the human life cycle.

2. Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythm is a physiological and behavioral cycle that is synchronized with the cycle of night and day, and is therefore approximately 24 hours in length. The term circadian was derived from the Latin word circa, which means around, and dies which means day, therefore circadian rhythms are those that occur in a day.

These rhythms are intrinsically controlled by a biological clock and they adjust to external stimuli such as light, temperature, and even mealtimes and follow a 24-hour cycle. The most well-known circadian rhythm is the sleep-wake cycle, but circadian rhythms regulate many other processes as well:

Body Temperature – It ranges during the day, has a low at 5 in the morning and high at around 4-5 in the evening.

Hormone Levels - Examples include cortisol that has higher levels in the morning to enable the body to prepare for the day’s activities and melatonin that rises at night to prepare the body for sleep.

Metabolism & Digestion - Human beings digest food better during the morning and afternoon, and the process becomes slower and slower as the evening and night draw near. Even gastric acid production and intestinal peristalsis are not exempt from the phenomenon of circadian rhythms.

Cognitive Functions – Functions such as alertness, response time, and memory may be enhanced during the day and become less effective at night.

The master circadian clock is found in a part of the brain known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Light is the input to the SCN which is received from the special photosensitive cells known as retinal cells. Morning light suppresses melatonin secretion and resets the biological clock of individuals to be awake and active. The clock then oscillates and synchronizes in cells, tissues, and organs in the body using chemical and neuronal signals.

However, darkness in the evening triggers the release of melatonin to make the body sleepy. The amount of time spent in light and darkness constantly shifts the master clock and aligns it with night and day.

Importance of Circadian Rhythms

It is important for our biological functions to take place at the correct time required by our body, and this can only be possible if we have healthy circadian rhythms. Circadian disruptions can negatively impact health:

Sleep Quality - Exposure to artificial light and the timing of sleep-wake cycles alters the circadian rhythms and thus affects the quality of sleep. It worsens disease risk when chronic sleep loss is experienced.

Mood Disorders – Sleep disruption jeopardizes mental health, leading to depression, seasonal affective disorder, and other mood disorders.

Metabolic Disorders – Irregularities in eating habits and activities disrupt metabolic cycles and may also affect weight, diabetes, and heart disease.

Circadian Rhythm Disruptions

Modern life often conflicts with our body clocks, which are inherent biological processes. Some common disruptions include:

Shift Work – Working during nighttime when we are supposed to be asleep disregards the biological rhythm for activity during the day. This mismatch leads to reduced capacity for thinking or executing tasks and elevated vulnerability to health problems. Bright lights and regular sleep schedules are beneficial in terms of adjustment.

Jet Lag – Rapidly crossing time zones distorts the body’s circadian rhythms. It may take more than a week to reset to the new zone, resulting in daytime drowsiness and nighttime wakefulness. Avoid drastic changes in sleep patterns by gradually adjusting the sleep times in relation to the new time zone.

Night Light – The blue light from most gadgets hampers the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Reducing screen time a few hours before bedtime can help in achieving better sleep.

Age-Related Changes – Circadian signals weaken with age, leading to sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness. Increased activity during the day helps to strengthen the circadian rhythm.

Improving Circadian Health

Some suggestions for supporting healthy circadian rhythms include:

It is important to understand that everyone has their own individual biological clocks and following a consistent daily schedule that corresponds with the biological sleep-wake cycle can greatly enhance the quality of sleep, as well as work and overall well-being.

3. Sleep Disorders

Sleep plays a crucial role in the promotion of optimal health and human performance. Nevertheless, there are millions of people with chronic sleep disorders that negatively affect sleep and well-being. The common types of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and disorders of circadian rhythm.

Insomnia

Sleeplessness or insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders with as many as 30% of adults experiencing it occasionally and 10 to 15% suffering from it for long periods. The defining feature of insomnia is the dissatisfaction with the quantity or quality of sleep due to the presence of one or more of the following: Difficulty in falling asleep or in maintaining sleep, waking up too early, or waking during the night, uneasy and unrefreshed in the morning; this occurs despite a proper sleep environment and the opportunity to sleep. There are primary and secondary types of insomnia, primary including onset (difficulty in falling asleep) and maintenance (frequently waking up or waking up too early) insomnias.

Causes of insomnia include stress, alteration of sleeping schedules, change of environment, certain medications, as well as other diseases. Temporary, or acute insomnia should subside as soon as the underlying causes are eliminated. On the other hand, chronic insomnia can last for months or even years; it has a negative impact on the quality of life. Some signs of depression are exhaustion, lack of energy, irritability or sadness, decreased ability to focus, and decreased motivation or accomplishment.

Insomnia treatments involve helping the patient recognize and manage factors that interfere with sleep, practicing good sleep habits, using behavior modification or CBT-I for insomnia, and using sleeping medications only occasionally. Adequate control of the sleep context, stabilization of the circadian rhythm, restriction of activating behavior before bedtime, and relaxation methods are effective for the treatment of insomnia in many cases.

Sleep Apnea

Apnea is a condition whereby an individual ceases to breathe for a short time while they are asleep due to obstruction of the airway. These events may take between 10 and 30 seconds but some take longer. Consequently, sleep is severely disrupted, so the body cannot cycle through the stages of normal sleep necessary to feel rested.

The main type is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which is caused by such factors as enlarged tonsils, deviated septum, or excess neck fat. Central sleep apnea is caused by a failure of the brain to send appropriate signals to muscles that regulate breathing. However, complex sleep apnea has both features of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

OSA has several symptoms such as loud snoring at night especially after some time and sometimes gasping for air. Since sleep is interrupted several times per hour, one experiences excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, poor concentration and memory, irritability, etc. Other indications are possibly noticeable interruptions in breathing during sleep, shifting or disrupted sleep patterns, waking up choking or with a dry mouth, having chest pains, and high blood pressure.

Measures and options include weight loss, alcohol elimination, sleep hygiene modification, the use of oral appliances, breathing devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, and in some cases, surgery. It is important to manage sleep apnea well to ensure better quality of sleep and prevent associated issues such as heart disease or stroke.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is classified as a chronic neurologic disorder that is characterized by an impaired regulation of sleep-wake mechanisms within the brain. Approximately 200,000 people in the United States suffer from narcolepsy, and if not treated, it can significantly affect the quality of life of people with the condition. Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable sleepiness during the day and episodes of falling asleep at inappropriate times.

The two primary symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and abnormal REM sleep which is characterized by cataplexy episodes, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations that occur when one is falling asleep or waking up. Cataplexy is defined as the sudden, temporary paralysis of muscles while the person is still awake and is usually brought on by feelings of joy. Sleep paralysis is the condition whereby one cannot move or talk for some time when falling asleep or waking up.

However, the symptoms of narcolepsy develop during adolescence or young adulthood and the persons may take 10-15 years to get a proper diagnosis. Stimulants, wake-promoting agents, antidepressants, sodium oxybate, and improving sleep hygiene are used to treat symptoms. Non-pharmacological treatments also include changes in lifestyle, daytime napping, and patient enlightenment which play a critical role in managing narcolepsy.

Other Sleep Disorders

In addition to the main conditions outlined above, there are other fifty-odd sleep disorders categorized under different causes. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition where people experience discomforting sensations such as tingling or crawling, which compels them to move the limbs, especially the legs; the symptoms worsen during the evening and night, hence compromising sleep. Circadian rhythm sleep disorders arise from dysynchronization between the endogenous clock and the exogenous zeitgeber as seen in night work or air travel resulting in unwanted insomnia.

Sleep disorders may include conditions that require assessment by providers who are knowledgeable about how to conduct comprehensive sleep assessments, differential diagnosis, exclusion of other possible medical causes, and treatment of sleep disorders according to the nature of the problem and manifestations. Adhering to good sleep hygiene practices in addition to following doctors’ prescribed treatment plans can be useful in managing symptoms. Such continued education and support also help people who have chronic sleep disorders to have quality lives as they receive continued support in the long run. Sleep disorders that are diagnosed and treated early and appropriately enable patients to sleep well and live well.

4. The Role of Sleep in Memory and Learning

The amount of sleep that children get greatly determines their ability to learn and consolidate information. While sleeping, the brain experiences several biological activities that assist in enhancing the neurological connections and organizing new information within the memory maps. This is because getting enough quality sleep can help us get better results in our thinking, problem solving, creative thinking, or simply learning.

The REM and non-REM sleep stages are involved in different aspects of memory and learning in the body. In non-REM sleep, which is in lighter stages, the brain revisits activities that took place during the day to consolidate new memories and lessons. This memory processing continues later into the night during deep, slow-wave sleep. As neurons discharge, memories are moved from the hippocampus for short-term storage to other networks for long-term storage in a process called systems consolidation. REM sleep also helps in memory consolidation, as the brain integrates newly acquired information with existing knowledge.

It is particularly important to take a nap before learning. Having enough sleep the previous nights before one has to get new information puts the brain in the right path of memory formation and attentive concentration. Well rested, there is a better chance to absorb information during study or training sessions and to retain it. Lack of sleep affects the ability to concentrate, logical thinking, as well as the ability to store information.

Finally, after learning, it is also effective to rest so that the brain can help consolidate these new experiences. An important aspect of post-learning is sleep-dependent reactivation, in which the brain is said to rehearse new skills or contents learned when one is awake. This repetition reinforces the growing connections in the brain that are important in long-term memory. High-quality sleep that is experienced immediately after a learning session enhances recall and integration processes that take place within memory maps.

Memory consolidation is another function of sleep as it forges connections between memories and helps one identify patterns, rules, and meanings. The ability to abstract memories during sleep allows you to grasp what you have been taught and use the knowledge in practice more freely. Sleep allows the memories to consolidate their essential meaning and combine them with prior knowledge for generalization and insights.

Healthy sleep means that a sufficient amount of time is spent in each stage of sleep. As for adults, 7-9 hours is needed for the proper functioning of memory, learning, and overall performance. Lack of sleep affects your capacity to concentrate well during study, the ability to encode and store information, and then retrieve and strengthen them during the night. Most of the time, regular and high-quality sleep is an investment that yields significant returns regarding learning effectiveness and capability.

Normal sleep enhances the interaction between memory centers such as the hippocampus and neocortex. During this state, the brain is capable of creating long-lasting neural connections that facilitate retention and recall later on when the body is fatigued. Sleep is the period when memory networks are more available, modifiable, and prepared for integration into other learning. Acquiring new knowledge, including skills and content areas, implies high-quality learning sessions, as well as neural tuning that occurs during sleep.

In conclusion, it can be stated that sleep plays a crucial role in short and long-term memory and learning processes. In fact, all the stages of sleep are very much involved in the process of memory, in the search for similarities between the various pieces of information, and then in the consolidation of these memory traces in the brain. Adequate sleep is important before learning to increase alertness and concentration as well as after learning to enhance recall. It is, therefore, important to focus on getting consistent and optimally high-quality sleep as this has benefits in memory, learning, and educational achievements. Thus, revealing the relationships between sleep and memory/learning allows us to build appropriate guidelines for effective studying and memorizing.

5. The Impact of Sleep on Physical Health

It is important to note that sleep plays a crucial role in the health and functioning of an individual. Sufficient amounts of good quality sleep achieved on a consistent basis are beneficial for the proper functioning of the human body’s organs and help in avoiding chronic diseases. However, today’s society, most of the population has a problem of a lack of or interrupted sleep owing to various factors such as lifestyle decisions, health problems, and environmental factors. Knowledge of the relationship between sleep and general well-being can encourage us to enhance the quality of sleep.

The simplest and perhaps the most fundamental function of sleep is to provide a respite to the body and the mind. At night, our body tissues are repaired, new cells are built, and energy stores are replenished. It stimulates the growth and appetite hormones, while at the same time the immune system gears up for the fight against viruses and bacteria. Sleep loss negates these restorative processes from occurring in the body. In the long run, lack of sleep results in physiologic exhaustion that puts pressure on the body organs, systems, and tissues.

Therefore, sleep patterns affect the metabolic processes that are involved in appetite and weight gain. Ghrelin and leptin are neuropeptides that act as hunger and satiety hormones, respectively. If a person gets less than 7 hours of sleep, the ghrelin level increases and the leptin level decreases. This biochemical shift increases appetite and tends to lead to the consumption of calorie-dense foods that are high in carbohydrates. This results in overeating which leads to obesity that in turn puts pressure on the cardiovascular system, hence causing diabetes. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies show that lack of sleep is directly associated with increased body weight and BMI.

Cardiovascular health depends on restorative sleep. The AUTS2 gene is associated with the development of nerve cells and influences the probability of heart attack. For instance, one research study discovered that an altered AUTS2 gene segment put the patient at risk of premature heart attacks, especially if they were experiencing sleep disorders. If they were having less than 6 hours of sleep each night, they had nearly 3 times the risk of myocardial infarction compared to those without the genetic mutation. This evidence indicates that sleep loss and cardiovascular harm are connected at a biological level.

Type 2 diabetes may also be worsened by the duration and quality of sleep, especially over months and years. During NREM slow-wave sleep, metabolic pathways facilitate the insulin uptake of glucose into the cells. When one continues to sleep with the same pattern for some time, their cells are no longer sensitive to insulin, and blood sugar levels rise to dangerous hyperglycemic levels. Diabetes-prone subjects show significantly poorer glycemic regulation if they are exposed to experimental sleep loss. Taking care of sleep, particularly at a tender age, may help prevent or reduce the severity of diabetic symptoms at some point in life.

During sleep, the immune system actively functions to defend the body from new infections and to suppress the resurgence of dormant viruses. Chemokines and T-cells multiply as the body forms proteins and antibodies to fight against the infection. Nightly sleep intensifies these immunoprotective effects. On the other hand, when an individual only loses a single night, his or her immune system is restricted. Prolonged sleep deprivation is associated with dangerously low levels of immunity. Some studies have also revealed that inadequate sleep reduces the ability of the body to produce antibodies after vaccines, thus, reducing their effectiveness. Sleeping helps increase our immunity to catch an infectious disease.

Lack of sleep is not beneficial to the body in any way, but various issues affect quality sleep. Conditions such as sleep apnea, chronic pain, and gastroesophageal reflux disease are some of the known ways in which sleep can be interrupted. Other factors are physical, for instance, noise, light, uncomfortable mattress, and a bedroom with an unfavorable temperature. Stress, anxiety, and depression are among the psychosocial factors that also hinder proper sleep. It is therefore crucial to treat these issues – by improving sleep hygiene, seeking professional help, or consulting a doctor – as critical for developing a sound body throughout the life span.

6. Tips for Better Sleep

It is evident that adequate amount of good quality sleep is crucial to both physical and psychological well-being. Sadly, there are many individuals who experience sleep problems. Creating good sleeping habits ensures that one gets adequate sleep with no interruptions so as to be well rested when they wake up. Here are some evidence-based tips for achieving better sleep:

Hygiene is important but the most effective thing one can do is to follow a consistent sleep cycle. Here are some tips to improve sleep: The first thing, it is possible to establish a strict sleep schedule and adhere to it even on weekends or during the days off. This aids in keeping the internal biological calendar in check and also strengthens the innate circadian rhythm to enable night sleep. Ideally, try to stick to a 1-2 hour range between your weekend schedule and your weekday schedule.

Develop a Pre-sleep Regimen
A relaxing bedtime routine of about 20-30 minutes can help set the body and the mind for sleep. This may include bathing, reading, meditating, reducing the level of artificial light, or doing simple stretching exercises. Discover what calms you down and does not make your brain overactive just before bed time. The idea is to be consistent each night.

Optimize Your Sleep Environment
It is important therefore that your bedroom environment should be suitable for good sleep. Make your room as dark as you possibly can or use an eye mask to block any light. Light can influence the brain into thinking that it is time for wakefulness, thus disrupting the sleep cycle. It can be wise to consider getting blackout curtains. Also try to ensure that the bedroom is dark, free from noise, and devoid of any bright light emitting gadgets such as phones, tablets, and TVs. Other factors which also affect one's sleep are mattress and pillow; the kind of mattress and pillow that one has will determine the kind of sleep they have.

Avoid Screens Before Bedtime
Screen use before bed using gadgets such as your mobile phone, computer, or television can also affect sleep. Nighttime browsing on screens floods your eyes with blue light that alters the natural cycle of sleep, making it difficult to fall asleep. These devices should not be used during the last 1-2 hours before going to bed. You can also download applications that help to block the blue light.

Control Stress and Regulate Your Mind
Stress greatly affects one’s quality of sleep as it can disrupt the natural patterns of sleep. Depression and anxiety make it difficult for an individual to have restful sleep at night because the mind is full of thoughts to worry about. Practice relaxation strategies such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, yoga, or writing in a stress diary. These can assist in reducing stress hormones and enable the mind and body to be relaxed for sleep.

Eat and Drink Healthy
Eating heavy foods such as pasta, fatty meats, or sweets just before bedtime affects the quality of sleep. In addition, indigestion can be provoked by the consumption of spicy foods. As for meal timings, your weight loss program should also include the fact that you should take heavier meals in the mid of the day – lunch and take a lighter meal in the evening – dinner. Do not take tea, coffee, alcohol, and aerated beverages in the afternoon and evening since all these are known to disrupt sleep. One of the beverages that are beneficial before sleep is herbal tea, and the best example is chamomile.

Get Daytime Physical Activity
Exercising regularly helps in improving sleep at night. However, you do not wish to participate in any rigorous exercise in the couple of hours leading up to sleep as it will hinder sleep onset because of a raised heart rate, body temperature, and cortisol levels. Aim for 20-30 minutes of moderate activity such as a walk earlier in the day. Yoga and stretching in the evening may help with the relaxing process.

Supplements
Some of the supplements that have been found to be effective for individuals with insomnia include melatonin, valerian root, magnesium, and L-theanine. But the idea is not to depend on supplements for better sleep in the long run when a healthy lifestyle probably does it already. Consult with your doctor before using any new supplements.

However, if the situation worsens or requires further attention, consult a doctor. If you fail to get good sleep even you try to follow healthy sleep habits, if you have unrefreshing sleep or insomnia symptoms, consult your physician. They can exclude any other conditions which could be preventing the patient from sleeping and give information on sleep, recommend behavioral treatments or prescribe drugs if necessary.

It is important to get good sleep both in the short term to feel better quickly, as well as in the long term to avoid developing health issues. Lifestyle habits regarding sleep such as a regular wake-up time, and wake-up time and stress management promote increased amount and quality of sleep. Integrating as many of these strategies which are rooted in science as possible will ensure that you will be sleeping better in no time.