Do you know your own sleep capacity? Do you know how to calculate it?
It's as simple as dividing total sleep time (T-S-T) by time in bed (T-I-B), which should be between 85 and 89%. Above 90% is problematic, while below 84% is problematic. There are several scientifically established strategies for increasing sleep efficiency and enhancing sleep quality. In this piece, we'll look at how to test your sleep efficiency and discuss 10 tried-and-true ways to increase it.
Copy these questions and discuss ways to increase sleep efficiency today before going to bed tonight. Here are the questions; when you wake up tomorrow morning, answer them all.
1 What time did you go to bed?
2 What time did you try to sleep?
3 What time did you sleep?
4 How many minutes were you awake during the night?
5 What time did you get up?
6 What time did you get out of bed?
Let us illustrate with an example: He went to bed at 10 p.m.,
He was studying till 11 pm.
Tried to sleep after 11pm but managed to sleep by midnight.
At 3 a.m. he got up to go to the bathroom, drank water, and came back to bed.
But I couldn't sleep again until 4 a.m. He set the alarm for 6 a.m. but was too sleepy to get out of bed, so he stayed in bed for another hour until getting up at 7 a.m. to walk the dog. Let's compute the amount of time spent in bed. It is open from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. So 9 hours and 540 minutes. That's fantastic. If you ask him how many hours he slept, he will respond 9! Now, how long had he been awake? This is 60 + 60 + 60 + 60. So it's four hours or 240 minutes. The total amount of sleep time is 9 hours minus 4 hours, which is 5 hours or 300 minutes. And his sleep efficiency is 0.56 when 300 is divided by 540. If we multiplied by 100%, we get 56%. Is it positive or negative? If you don't want to make all of these calculations, or if you can't remember how long you've been in bed, I'll show you the smartphone app I use to determine my sleep efficiency at the end of this video. You can stop viewing this video right now if your sleep efficiency is between 85 and 89%. You may be incredibly relaxed during the day and rejuvenated when you get up in the morning if you do everything correctly.
I will not discuss sleep problems or mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety in this essay about what to do about sleep difficulties. I'll address those concerns in subsequent postings. Continue viewing this video if you are healthy and your sleep is poor. If your sleep efficiency is near to 100%, this indicates that you are not receiving enough sleep.
You should probably go to bed 30 minutes earlier. Some argue that everyone need 8 hours of sleep. People are, after all, unique. Adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, according to the National Sleep Foundation in the United States. And we know from scientific research that sleeping for fewer than 6 hours or more than 9 hours is a major predictor of chronic pain. If your sleep efficiency is less than 85%, you don't feel refreshed when you wake up, or you're weary throughout the day, the solution may not be just increasing your time in bed (T, I, B), but it may also be necessary to enhance the quality of your sleep. Scientific studies show that these 10 sleep health suggestions work to increase sleep efficiency and, as a result, sleep quality. (1) Light (Number 1) Every morning, try to expose yourself to natural sunshine.
Natural sunshine or bright white light helps our brain regulate itself and tells it when to get up and be aware. Have you ever found that you sleep better after a day at the beach? So, go for a stroll outside during the day. Open the windows and make your home office a well-lit space. If you don't have access to natural light, construct a huge lightbox or purchase artificial white light and turn it on for two hours every morning. In 11 elderly homes in Norway, light boxes with an intensity of 6,000 to 8,000 lux were used for two hours every day for two weeks. They discovered that elderly persons might increase their sleep efficiency by 80%.
Another advantage of sunshine is that it stimulates the production of serotonin, a mood hormone. As a result, some people suffer from the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and experience sadness or depression throughout the winter. They benefit from regular exposure to these high-light boxes as well, with research indicating that 30 minutes of exposure to a 10,000 lux bulb is adequate. While strong light is beneficial throughout the day, it is detrimental in the evening. When we are in the dark, our brain produces melatonin, a sleep hormone. It is not a good idea to have too much light in the evening or at night.
Specifically, blue light, which is emitted by electrical gadgets. Computers, cellphones, tablets, and televisions are examples. So, if you're watching this video before going to bed, it's time to stop. Blue light-blocking spectacles, according to a team of researchers from the Universite' Laval in Quebec, prevent the reduction of the sleep hormone melatonin. Do you see my reflection? My lenses are equipped with a blue light filter. That's why blue light bounces back at you. I observed a significant improvement in the quality of my sleep once I began using these new glasses. If you don't use glasses, the remedy is to limit your exposure to blue light in the evening.
At least 2 hours before going to bed. The lighting in your bedroom is critical. When sleeping, keep your bedroom as dark as possible. According to Japanese research of older individuals, those who slept in poorly illuminated bedrooms had lower sleep quality and 61% more insomnia than those who slept in completely dark beds. 2) Pay attention to what, when, and how much you eat and drink. Caffeine is beneficial for waking up the brain in the morning since it promotes performance, attentiveness, and vitality. To minimize sleep disruptions, avoid coffee for at least 6 hours before going to bed. However, it is dependent on how much caffeine we ingest in a day.
Caffeine doses of more than 200 mg have been shown to reduce overall sleep duration and make it more difficult to fall asleep. 95 mg is found in an 8-ounce cup of coffee. One espresso has 64 mg. Black tea has 47 mg, green tea contains 28 mg, and soda contains 22 mg. Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening. Alcohol lowers the release of growth hormones and inhibits the generation of melatonin, both of which are crucial for regulating the sleep cycle. But I've heard that booze helps you sleep better! Lie! Alcohol shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and causes people to sleep in the first half of the night. However, alcohol causes numerous sleep disruptions in the second portion of the night. The total amount of R-E-M sleep is lowered. R-E-M sleep is eye movement sleep that is beneficial to learning, memory, and mood. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, migraines, and depression are all more common in those who get little R-E-M sleep. Avoid eating too much before going to bed. Another approach to suppress the creation of melatonin and growth hormone is to consume a meal, particularly one heavy in carbs, before going to bed. A modest snack before bed, on the other hand, tends to increase sleep quality.
Night-eating syndrome (N-E-S) is a problem that affects 1.5% of the population and 2.8% of college students. A person experiences sleeplessness and is hungry at night at least twice a week. It's unclear if the problem is an eating disorder or a sleep condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy and progressive muscular relaxation are the most effective therapies. According to one research, late-night diners had more trouble keeping their blood sugar stable and are more likely to develop diabetes-related issues. Other eating disorders or mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder, are also common in people with N-E-S. Obesity increases the likelihood of getting N-E-S; nevertheless, non-obese persons can still develop N-E-S. Drinking fluids is just as bad as eating a substantial meal late at night. 3) Avoid drinking fluids before bed and waking up in the middle of the night to pee. Nocturia is the medical name for waking up in the middle of the night to urinate. This might be due to consuming too much liquids within 2 hours of going to bed. If this is the case for you, the answer is straightforward: quit the habit and remember to empty your bladder before going to bed.
However, nocturia affects 60% of the elderly, and a group of Japanese researchers discovered that nocturia was linked to death. Those who awoke once were 46% more likely to die than those who did not awaken at all. Those who awaken twice are 85% more likely to die, while those who awaken three times or more are twice as likely to die (2.06). These researchers indicated that the higher risk of death might be attributable to a number of mechanisms: For starters, nocturia might be a sign of a serious ailment such as sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease.
Second, getting up causes sleep loss, which reduces the quality and length of sleep and contributes to an increase in diabetes and obesity. Third, those with nocturia are more likely to fall and fracture, which can result in death. 4) Exercise and Physical Activity as a Sleep Health Tip Hundreds of research studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity improves sleep quality. In a study of inactive older persons, half were randomly assigned to 16 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise, while the other half did nothing. They exercised with low-impact aerobics and walked for 30 to 40 minutes four times a week.
The exercised group went asleep quicker, slept longer, increased their sleep efficiency, and woke up feeling more refreshed than the control group. Exercise is more beneficial than many drugs in treating insomnia. Some people like to exercise throughout the day, while others prefer to exercise in the evening. There is conflicting research regarding the best and worst times of day. So you must identify what works best for you, and if you workout in the evening and get a good night's sleep, you do not need to modify your exercise schedule. Number 5 sleep health tip: Don't take extended naps during the day. How widespread is the siesta? A poll in the United States found that 55% of Americans took one sleep per week on average, and 35% took two or more naps per week.
Napping during the day is typical in many cultures, especially when the weather is hot. A short snooze of less than 10 minutes offers certain advantages. A nap lasting between 10 to 45 minutes offers several advantages, but prolonged naps are associated with decreased productivity and sleep inertia. Sleep apnea occurs when the brain slows down within 30 minutes after waking up. This is especially risky while operating a car or machinery. Sleep disruption is related with poor performance and a depressed mood that lasts for several hours after waking up. Another issue with extended naps is that they reduce the quality of sleep at night. Frequent and lengthy sleep was related with a 30% higher risk of mortality in older persons than in those of the same age who slept less often.
Another study discovered that those who slept for less than 30 minutes three times a week had an 84% decreased chance of acquiring Alzheimer's. A person can teach his body and mind to sleep for a short period of time. A little snooze in the afternoon might help with memory and learning. When is the ideal time to go to bed? Some suggest 3 p.m. Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill both advocated for a brief afternoon snooze. 6) Regular sleep, practicing going to bed and getting out of bed at the same time, makes it flawless. If you educate your body to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, you will realize that you no longer need an alarm after a few months.
The body has a circadian rhythm that corresponds to dawn and dusk. Regular sleep patterns, including weekends and holidays, can result in improved sleep efficiency and quality. Reduce Noise, Temperature, and Distractions in the Bedroom (Sleep Health Tip #7) According to most research, a room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit is a pleasant temperature for most individuals. However, it is dependent on clothes, bedding, and personal preferences. The importance of bedroom noise cannot be overstated.
The size of the cortisol response is affected by nocturnal exposure to road noise or low-frequency noise. Cortisol is a stress hormone that reaches a high in our bodies 30 minutes after we wake up. Cortisol levels in the morning are greater in people who do not get enough sleep. We don't know if high cortisol causes bad sleep or if poor sleep causes high cortisol. In any case, following the sleep hygiene guidelines in this video can help you decrease your cortisol levels, prevent distractions in your bedroom, and utilize your bedroom exclusively for sex and sleep. 8) Relax Your Mind and Body Before Going to Bed Sleep efficiency and insomnia have been demonstrated to improve using mind-body therapy. Music, book reading, mindfulness meditation, breathing, yoga, visualization, and self-hypnosis are all forms of treatment.
Self-hypnosis increased sleep quality in a study of 90 postmenopausal women by 50 to 77%. Another research of 46 fibromyalgia patients who participated in weekly yoga sessions for 6 weeks reported increases in sleep efficiency only among individuals who had low psychosocial symptoms. I have discovered some preliminary research indicating that binaural auditory beats might enhance sleep and lessen discomfort. Binaural tuning happens when two tones with slightly differing frequencies are given to the left and right ears independently.
This is interpreted by the brain as a single tone with amplitude variations at a frequency equal to the frequency difference between the two tones. It's similar to an optical illusion, except this one is audio. This process is also known as brainwave entrainment and frequency aftereffects. If you want to give it a shot, put on your stereo headphones and search for binaural music on your phone on the internet. Please let me know in the comments if it improves your sleep ability and quality.
Natural sleep aids such as melatonin and magnesium should be considered. Adults over the age of 55 were given 2 milligrams of long-term-release melatonin before bed for three weeks in a French research. The quality of sleep increased by 34%. Another research of older adults with insomnia found that those given 2 mg of sustained-release melatonin fell asleep 9 minutes quicker than those given a placebo. This is similar to the effects of zolpidem, which can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep by around 8 minutes.
Melatonin is most beneficial when people are jetlagged or working multiple shifts. Melatonin is quite beneficial in informing the brain it's time to sleep when they need to adjust to a new bedtime schedule. When a person consumes melatonin for three weeks or more, the effects are less visible. As a result, it is not advised to take it for extended periods of time. Take a break from melatonin so that it will be effective when you need it. Magnesium supplements are relaxing and help with sleep quality.
Taking magnesium at night has been found in several trials to enhance sleep quality and minimize insomnia. Magnesium glycinate also contains glycine, an amino acid with relaxing properties. Another video I have is on magnesium for chronic pain. 10) Discuss your lack of quality sleep with your doctor. If you perform all of the aforementioned practices and still don't get enough sleep, consult your doctor. A sleep study could be required. There are sleep disorders that have an impact on sleep quality and must be addressed.
Sleep apnea affects 6% of Canadians and is linked to a number of health issues such as stroke and high blood pressure. That concludes my sleep hygiene advice for today. Consult your doctor if you believe you have a sleep condition. In the event of an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room.
Please leave your feedback in the form below. You might make a list of the sleep hygiene behaviors you want to modify first. You may also get in touch with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. A fleeting goodbye.
