Various studies worldwide have shown the prevalence of insomnia in 10%–30% of the population, some even as high as 50%–60%. It’s a very serious problem, but one that can be solved without necessarily resorting to medication. If you’re one of them, this article will turn your nights of unrefreshing sleep into nights of refreshing sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential for good physical and mental health, as well as for good relationships.

To do this, you need to create the right conditions for a good night’s sleep. This means creating a favorable environment, adopting a good routine and avoiding stimulants, stimulating activities and screens before going to sleep. I’ll give you all the details below.

Sleep disorders

Sleeping at night helps to relieve fatigue and restore strength when you wake up in the morning. That’s why it’s so important to get a good night’s sleep.

The average recommended sleep time for all individuals is eight (8) hours. This scientific recommendation is no accident. Indeed, the quality of our sleep has a direct influence on our mental, physical and moral health.

A person who doesn’t sleep well will find it difficult to concentrate during the day. The number of people suffering from sleep disorders is rising all the time.

Insomniac:

An insomniac is someone who has trouble falling asleep, wakes up at night and can’t get back to sleep.
They may also wake up early in the morning without being able to go back to sleep.
Insomniacs are also characterized by an average of three more or less sleepless nights a week, for at least a month.
Women may be more likely to have insomnia than men because women experience unique hormonal changes that can cause insomnia symptoms.
So you can see why this is an issue well worth investigating. So, without further ado, find out more about sleep.

How can you tell if you’re sleep-deprived?

The absence of restful sleep causes many disturbances in our organism. And there are several signs that a person is sleep-deprived.

MOOD AND EMOTION DISORDERS
You’ll notice that people who don’t sleep well are often in a bad mood. They are easily irritated, perceive everything as a threat and become highly emotional. In fact, some tend to be so nervous that they easily lose their temper, shout or cry. Others are prone to depression.

A sleep-deprived person may also have a zero libido. The result is a deterioration in relationships.

SLEEPINESS DUE TO LACK OF RESTORATIVE SLEEP
Another sign that you’re not getting enough sleep at night is daytime sleepiness. Your eyelids and whole body feel heavier by the day. You feel constantly tired and yawn incessantly.

These symptoms can interfere with your daily activities. Sleep deprivation can prevent you from performing your duties at work. Or worse, it can increase the risk of road accidents.

DIFFICULTIES WITH COGNITION AND MOTOR EFFICIENCY
Sleep is essential for the brain to rest. As a result, when we fail to get restful sleep, the brain’s capacities are reduced. You’ll notice:

difficulty concentrating
Impaired memory;
signs of disorientation;
Decreased sensory perception;
Inability to make decisions;
Difficulty holding conversations;
loss of motivation…

A sleep-deprived person may also show poor motor reactivity. They may have difficulty coordinating their movements, which can be quite disabling in everyday life. These situations undeniably make learning difficult, if not impossible.

Poor health without good sleep

Quality sleep and good health go hand in hand. And when you neglect your sleep, other symptoms appear, starting with a vulnerability to illness. You often fall ill, especially during the hibernating seasons when colds and bad coughs predominate. What’s more, you may also experience heart weakness and general fatigue.

And that’s not all. Non-restorative sleep also leads to changes in your skin:

It becomes drier;
It loses firmness;
The appearance of pimples and blackheads.

LACK OF RESTFUL SLEEP AND BULIMIA
When you don’t sleep well, you become increasingly stressed and seek comfort in food. It’s hard to cope with food cravings. And the problem is that all we crave is unhealthy food. We gobble up large quantities of unhealthy fats and we no longer know how to listen to our food sensations.

This can even lead to the well-known eating disorder bulimia. Overeating can lead to weight gain.

Restorative sleep: its benefits for our lives

Now you know how to recognize sleep deprivation. You’ve also had a taste of the disastrous consequences it can have. Now, discover the good things that come with quality sleep.

EXCELLENT PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH
First of all, an optimal 8 hours of sleep every night significantly improves our health. And that goes for everything. So, by getting enough sleep, you can promote :

Growth (in children);
Better heart health: the heart rests better, hence the importance of restorative sleep;
Brain health;
Excellent immunity: you have a better chance of fighting off disease than when you sleep just 4 hours a night;
A balanced weight;
Healthy, clear, hydrated skin;
Better sports performance;
Etc…

BETTER PAIN TOLERANCE
Sleep has been shown to be a factor in fluctuating pain tolerance. People who sleep less are said to have more difficulty coping with pain, compared with those who get a full, restorative sleep.

So, if you want to be more resilient, you’ll need to make sure you get a good night’s sleep.

KEEPS PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AT BAY
Getting a good night’s sleep is a way to boost your psychological well-being. You can stay positive and in a good mood. You’ll be far from stress, anxiety and all forms of depression. In short, you’ll be able to enjoy your day better and live a better life!

What’s more, since quality sleep also improves our mood, it enables us to enjoy a good social life. We can communicate better with others and enjoy their presence.

RESTORATIVE SLEEP AND LIBIDO
For men, poor sleep leads to a drop in testosterone. This, in turn, lowers libido. But by getting enough sleep, we can keep these hormone levels high.

As a result, sexual drive is enhanced and erectile problems are kept at bay. No more feeling down at the end of the day, or being too tired to make love!

In short, it’s vital to get enough sleep. And for your information, the most restorative sleep phase is deep slow-wave sleep.

5 tips for restful sleep

A lot of people with sleep disorders use a variety of products to treat the problem. Many of these substances are psychotropic. However, other natural and less invasive alternatives may prove better.

TIP N°1: CREATE YOUR OWN SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT
To get a normal amount of sleep, the sleeping environment must be perfect. Recommendations in this area concern the arrangements to be made in your bedroom to benefit from deep sleep.

First and foremost, you need firm bedding adapted to your body. This is essential for a good night’s sleep. When you’re ready to sleep, you need to immerse yourself in total darkness and calm, to rest your whole body and mind.

Noise prevents your brain from shutting down and resting. You could use earplugs to create calm around you.

Light is the enemy of sleep. Darkness, on the other hand, stimulates the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. You could use an eye patch or sleep mask if you don’t like turning off your bedroom light.

Finally, for a good night’s sleep, make sure your bedroom temperature is between 17 and 20°C (62-68°F). A cool bedroom helps your body lower its internal temperature in preparation for sleep.

TIP N°2: ESTABLISH A ROUTINE AND RITUAL FOR FALLING ASLEEP
As you probably already know, the body likes regularity. To establish a sleep routine and stop wondering how to fall asleep, you need to know your sleep cycles and understand your body’s rhythm. Sleep is made up of several cycles, lasting on average between an hour and a half and two hours. For restful sleep, the body needs five complete cycles. One cycle less or more will give you the impression of not having slept well.

Here’s the method to help you calculate your sleep rhythm:

Step 1: Observe the times of day when you feel tired, want to sleep, have heavy eyelids, yawn and lose attention.
Step 2: To confirm this result, fall asleep naturally and ask someone to note the time when you seem to change cycle.
Step 3: to find out whether you’re going to get a good night’s sleep, compare the result with the previous calculation and then put it into practice.

To do this, go to sleep at your usual time and set your clock to calculate five sleep cycles. If your cycle is an hour and a half, your alarm clock should go off seven (7) hours and thirty (30) minutes after you fall asleep. If you feel tired when you wake up, your calculation is still not very accurate.

To use this sleep tip, your cycle should be calculated at a calm time when you have not consumed any stimulants and are not stressed. To get a deep, restorative slow-wave sleep, you need to respect sleep when it comes, not put it off.

TIP N°3: AVOID USING STIMULANTS AFTER 5 P.M.
Many people consume stimulants after 5pm. Many of those who have acquired this bad habit are insomniacs.

Excitants such as alcohol, caffeine, theine, taurine, energy drinks and certain soft drinks have a detrimental effect on sleep quality. They increase the time it takes to fall asleep, increase the number of night-time awakenings and reduce the duration of restful sleep. Avoiding these elements is a simple sleep tip.

TIP N°4: AVOID STIMULATING ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENING
For anyone wondering how to get to sleep, consider avoiding physical exercise in the evening. Exercise stimulates your muscles and wakes up your body. And when it’s time to go to bed, your body is no longer tired.

So it’s best to schedule your sports activities for the morning, just after waking up. Playing sports in the evening disrupts rest at night and reduces your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, regular exercise at other times of the day has enormous benefits for sleep quality.

TIP N°5: AVOID BLUE SCREENS AN HOUR BEFORE BEDTIME
The negative impact of blue screens on sleep is well established. In addition to damaging our eyes, blue screens harm our entire organism. Using electronic devices before going to sleep considerably delays the onset of sleep.

So remember to put away your phones, tablets and laptops for an hour or so before going to bed.

Need a good night’s sleep? You’ve got everything you need for a good night’s sleep! If you liked this article, please feel free to share it. We also welcome your comments!