How much sleep is healthy?
Every person has a very individual need for sleep. Therefore, there are no blanket statements as to how long everyone should sleep at night. The need for sleep depends on many factors, such as age. Newborns easily sleep 14 to 18 hours a day, while there are adults for whom six hours of sleep is perfectly sufficient. They also play hormones play an important role. When it gets dark in the evening, the body releases growth hormones and melatonin. They make you sleepy. In daylight, the body produces more cortisol. This wakes up the body. More important is the quality of sleep and not how many hours sleep someone got. Four to six hours are enough for good physical and mental performance.
What happens if you don’t get enough sleep?
If you go to bed early after a hard day in order to be really fit again the next day, you are doing yourself a favor. But most of the time, free time in the evening is just too nice and many people enjoy it until their eyes close. However, this can have a negative impact on health in the long term.
If you don’t sleep enough at night because you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, your performance will decrease. If you are tired, you cannot concentrate properly. In addition, the risk of certain diseases such as heart attack, stroke or other heart diseases increases. Sleep researchers have also found that people who get enough sleep live about five years longer.
What can everyone do for a healthy sleep? – evening rituals
Evening rituals have a long-term effect on the quality of sleep. Problems falling asleep and staying asleep decrease over time and restful, healthy sleep sets in.
A nice, relaxing full bath
For example, how about a relaxing bath before going to bed. The light is best dimmed. So body and soul can already shut down and relax. The warm water feels pleasant and cozy. After such a relaxing full bath, the body can really relax. If you use this phase of deep relaxation to go to bed, you can fall asleep refreshed.
A new fragrance
Smells also help the body to relax. A new fragrance can have a very positive effect. If you always use the same scent over a long period of time, you train your body. This remembers the scent and associates it with a good night’s sleep. Especially well suited for the bedroom are vanilla and lavender.
The right time
Everyone has certain routines in everyday life. This can be the way to work, the house cleaning ritual at the weekend or the evening ritual for a healthy sleep. For an effective evening ritual, it is necessary to always go to bed at the same time. Body and mind can be trained on it. The more regularly the ritual takes place, the better it is. Over time, the body naturally gets tired around the same time.
Honey as a bedtime treat
In the evening in front of the TV, many people eat a small snack, such as a few chips or a piece of chocolate. Honey and walnuts are better suited as bedtime treats. Honey goes well with a warm drink, such as milk or chamomile tea. The glucose in honey prevents the body from producing hormones to keep you awake. Walnuts contain tryptophan, an amino acid that stimulates the production of melatonin.
Eat something light in the evening
Before going to sleep, it makes sense to stop eating too much fat and hearty food. A light dinner can already be the first ritual to prepare for healthy sleep. Dinner should be about three hours before bedtime. The digestive system then has enough time to process the food. A short walk in the fresh air can help digestion. In addition, the light activity in the fresh air ensures relaxation.
Go offline in the evening
Most people are busy with their smartphone until late in the evening. But the bluish light of the screen does not let the body fall asleep. For this reason, it makes sense to put down your smartphone early on until the next day. This also applies to the television screen, by the way. In addition to the bluish light, the content of films and series also keep the mind from sleeping.
relaxation exercises
Those who are regularly physically active relaxation exercises doing or meditating can also eliminate his problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night. When it comes to relaxation techniques in particular, it is important to first learn them correctly under professional guidance. Then the correct implementation of the exercises is ensured. The daily exercises, preferably right before going to bed, help the body to calm down.