A. Negative effects of sleeping disorder
B. Causes of sleeping disorder
C. Ways to Improve sleeping
D. Sleeping positions
E. Sleeping stages
F. Sleeping Supplements
G. Sleep Tracking technology
If you always feel sleepy during the day, feeling exhausted, have low concentration, have no pump in the gym, or cannot sleep at night then you need to read that article
A. Negative effects of sleeping disorder
- Reduced fat burning
- Headaches
- Low metabolism
- Low testosterone (lower sex drive in general)
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Reduced growth hormone release
- Low power in the gym
- Reduced muscle recovery
Severe Effects include
- Heart attacks
- Diabetes
- Increase risk of cancer
- Reduced fertility
- Weak immune system
B. Causes of sleeping disorder
- Medical conditions (allergies, cold, respiratory problems….)
- Certain medications
- Frequent Urination
- Stress
- Overthinking
- Noisy environment
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Too much caffeine or late caffein consumption
- Too much screen time (PC, Tablet or mobile phones specially before bed) *
- Lack of sunlight*
- Sleeping in light*
will cause reduced melatonin release which makes it harder to sleep
C. Ways to improve sleep
Now let us speak positively if you already suffer from lack of sleep or sleep disorder do not panic, Studies show that 45% of the world population suffer from the sleeping disorder in different ways and you can still counter that, below we will discuss below how to improve your sleep:
1. Avoid napping
Napping can affect your night sleep so try to reduce it to a minimum (30 to 45 min) otherwise, it will make it very difficult to fall asleep at night also make sure that napping will happen before 3:00 pm
2. Try to fix your sleep and wake-up time
Fixing a time to sleep and to awake daily is the first step of having a proper sleeping schedule including your weekends
3. Avoid screens 2 hours before bed
Most of us watch Instagram feeds or Facebook or YouTube before sleep which causes lots of negative effects on the brain starting from reduced melatonin, to multiple nights wake up and also adds lot of depression and anxiety and exhausting the brain
4. Exposure to sunlight (vitamin D)
If you work in an office like most people do you will be lacking sunlight which increases melatonin production the sleeping hormone, then you need to try to get exposed to sunlight (Eat lunch outdoors, take a break and take a walk down the street, have an outdoor meeting, morning walk before work) also sunlight exposure plays a vital role by increasing vitamin D in your body which reduces depression and increase the quality of sleep
5. Eating healthy meals
Eating a healthy meal optimize your metabolism and also cause sleep comfort at night, Studies show that eating junk food, saturated fats, and consuming more sugar is inked to less restorative sleep
6. Exercise
Regularly working out can improve sleep a lot even if just walking 30 minutes per day
7. Avoid stress
Avoiding stress can improve your sleep enormously, if talking to negative people or watching negative news increase your stress then avoid it, try to avoid work stress by not taking every problem personally and use healthy responses
8. Be positive
Try to be positive no matter what problems or stress you are in, by giving yourself a treat and separating work from personal life, stay relaxed to get recharge as more depression and stress increases cortisol levels which affect sleep at night
9. Avoid late caffein
Do not drink coffee later than 5 pm that will affect sleeping at night (include tea, red bull, or any caffeinated drinks)
10. Avoid late-night overthinking
Most of us reserve all the thinking at night whether you had a problem with our spouse, issues at work, or with a friend it all comes into your brain in the evening and that will cause huge stress and will definitely make you awake, that causes extreme stress on your brain, and believe it or not your brain needs a break so you need to write down an action plan of your problems on a piece of paper and then relax, do some deep breathing and think about what makes you happy e.g. going in a cruise trip, think about what you will do in your next weekend or anything else makes you more relaxed
D. Sleeping positions
One of the most common sleeping disorders is wrong positions which not only affect sleep but can cause back and neck pain and sometimes injuries also it obstructs breathing and can cause fatigue
What is the best sleeping position from best to worst?
- Side sleeping (Best)
That is by far the best sleeping position and it is most common but in order to reduce the stress completely from your spine and neck you have to do the following
- Raise one leg on the bed and second leg straight
- Put a small pillow underneath that leg
- Your head pillow should be high enough to fill the shoulder gap
Check the photo
2. Back with knee and back support (Better)
That is the second-best sleeping position as it is comfortable for the back and it also reduces stress on the neck and again, we need to maximize the benefit so in order to reduce back, neck, and knee stress to a minimum …
- Add a small pillow underneath the lower back
- Add a small pillow underneath the end of your hamstring
- Make sure your neck is raised to the straight position
3. Fetal position (Good)
That’s a popular position for women especially pregnant, it feels warmer and more protective however to get the least stress on your back and knees and also to be comfortable you have to do the following
- Add a small pillow between knees
- Your legs should be slightly extended
4. Stomach (Ok)
It is the best to reduce snoring however it is not very comfortable for the neck and digestive system, however, we can get the best out of it with few tweaks let us find out how
- Always use flat pillow or no pillow for stomach sleeping to avoid neck stress
- Put a thin pillow under your pelvis to correct the spine
- Keep your legs flat
E. Sleeping stages
Full sleeping happens in 4 stages and they are in cycles so these 4 stages keep cycling all night
REM: rapid eye movement
MODERATE
Stage 1: Light sleep (NON-REM) duration: 5-10 minutes
Your eyes are closed but you are in very light sleep, waking up is easy
Stage 2: Moderate sleep (NON-REM) duration 10-25 minutes
You become more comfortable as your heartbeat slows and your body is getting ready to the next stage deep sleep
Stage 3: Deep sleep (NON-REM) duration 25-90 minutes
Most important sleep stage of all, it is where your body do the full recovery for your muscle’s fibers, brain cells and skin, build bones and strengthen the immune system, the total deep sleep required for full recovery 3-4 hours per night
Stage 4: REM sleep duration 10-60 minutes
REM which is rapid eye movement and also higher heartbeat is a very important stage in sleeping special for the brain where it helps with the learning process and problem solving, also it is where you have all your dreams it usually incorporates 20% of your total sleeping time however babies spend 50% in that stage
F. Sleeping supplements
- Melatonin (dose 1-3 milligrams 2 hours before sleep)
It is the natural sleeping hormone that the body produces and that signals from the brain to your body to sleep so most sleeping disorders are caused by low melatonin due to different reasons
2. CBD oil (dose 25-175 milligrams a day)
Cannabidiol is a compound extracted from marijuana, it won’t get you high but it does help in sleeping by helping you to be less anxious
3. Glycine (dose 3 grams an hour before bed)
It is an amino acid and it increases serotonin it also helps blood flow and lower blood pressure
4. Chamomile (dose 200-270 milligrams twice a day or two cups)
It is a popular herbal tea and it is linked to a good calming effect which also air in sleep, it triggers certain brain receptors that help you relax
5. Magnesium (dose women 300 mg and men 400 mg)
As we mentioned low melatonin will not make you sleep the same with magnesium so if you ensure your body has enough magnesium then it may be the reason for your sleeping issues
G. Sleep Tracking technology
1. Smart watches
Most of the smart watches today got a sleeping tracking system that measures heart rate, oxygen, and some other parameters and at the end, it will give you a full report for your sleep cycle
2. Android/ apple apps
It is less accurate than wearables however it works by recording your breathing rate along with snoring and then it will conclude the heart rate and a full report
What is the 10 3 2 1 0 rule for sleep?
The 10-3-2-1-0 rule for sleep is a guideline for better sleep quality: No caffeine 10 hours before bed, no food or alcohol 3 hours before bed, no work 2 hours before bed, no screens 1 hour before bed, and the goal to hit the bed on time (0 excuses).
How to get 100% sleep?
To achieve 100% sleep quality, maintain a consistent sleep schedule, create a comfortable, dark, and quiet sleep environment, limit screen time before bed, avoid caffeine and heavy meals late in the day, and engage in relaxing activities like reading or meditation before bedtime.
What is the golden rule of sleep?
The golden rule of sleep is maintaining a consistent sleep schedule: going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to regulate your body’s internal clock for better sleep quality.
