South Asians are more at risk when they miss their regulation forty winks
For a majority of us, sleep is a part of our routine. So, you rarely see it as essential for your health and life. Not getting a good night’s sleep can disrupt all aspects of your life, including your relationships and work performance. It can affect your overall health as well.
Insufficient sleep can make you obese, irritable, depressed, and temperamental. You may also suffer from weakened immunity and poor memory. Cleveland Clinic states that sleep deprivation for a long time can lead to serious health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, or stroke.
South Asians are at increased risk as, according to a research report, they develop sleep disorders at a young age and usually sleep fewer than seven hours a day. The report also notes that they often suffer from sleep apnea.
What Causes Disruptive Sleep?
There are several reasons you may not be sleeping well, according to the Sleep Foundation. Stress is one of the most common ones. For example, work or relationship issues may affect your sleep quality. Post-traumatic stress disorder also leads to chronic stress and sleep deprivation.
Irregular schedules around hitting the sack can also affect overall sleep quality. Jet lag, irregular work schedules, or night shifts usually disturb your body’s internal clock, called the circadian rhythm. It leads to disruption of your normal sleep-wake cycle.
Your lifestyle choices, such as partying late or using your electronic device until late night, and excessive consumption of coffee and alcohol can also make it hard for you to fall asleep at night. If you have eaten spicy or acidic food in the evening, you will experience heartburn, which will impact your sleep.
Getting a good night’s sleep is important, but before we discuss the steps for better sleep, let’s first understand sleep quality.
The Concept of Sleep Quality
Sleep quality is your self-satisfaction with all aspects of your sleep experience. How do you measure that? Sleep foundation provides a list of characteristics that will help you determine whether your sleep quality is good or not.
You have no sleep issues if you:
- fall asleep within 30 minutes or less after getting into bed.
- usually do not get up in the night once you are asleep; not more than one time during the night.
- go back to sleep within 20 minutes after you wake up in the middle of the night.
- sleep the recommended number of hours for your age.
- feel energetic and well-rested in the morning.
Difficulty to sleep, waking up more than three times during the night, or having trouble getting back to sleep are signs that you need to take steps to improve your sleep. Here are three tips to help you have a good night’s sleep.
Exercise Regularly
Make exercise a part of your life. It increases the effect of natural sleep hormones such as melatonin in your body, which will help you sleep better at night. However, it is best not to exercise just before going to bed, as it can make you both active physically and mentally and keep you awake. You will have a good quality sleep if you make early morning walks or workouts a part of your daily routine. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the natural circadian rhythm improves when you are exposed to bright daylight.
Come up With a Sleep Ritual
Some parents read a bedtime story to their children in bed, while others give them a glass of warm milk to drink. These sleep or bedtime rituals helped you sleep when you were a child. Now, as an adult, if you are unable to sleep well at night, come up with a sleep ritual, such as taking a bath or switching off all the lights and listening to soft music. According to the findings of a study, a warm shower or bath before bedtime improves sleep.
Use Your Bed Only to Sleep
You, like many of us, are likely to take your laptop or mobile phone to your bed. You may end up working, contacting someone, watching a movie, or playing a video game. Do not do that. Use your bed only to sleep. And make sure to keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
