Sleeping at night is healthier for the body than sleeping at any other time. In this article, we will discuss seven healthy habits that you must follow before bed to get a better night's sleep and we will tell you what the best and healthiest way to sleep is?
What are the Best Sleep Positions for Your Health?
Good Night Sleep
Sleep
requirements vary slightly from person to person, but most healthy adults need
between 7-9 hours of sleep per night to do their tasks better.
On the other hand, children and adolescents need more hours of sleep. With age, the number of sleep hours a person needs may decrease, but most elderly people need at least 7 hours of sleep.
It is worth
noting that many factors play a role in preparing the body for sleep and waking
up, as there is an internal clock that controls waking and sleeping for each
person.
The rise in
adenosine in the brain stimulates the desire to sleep and enter it, while this
compound is broken down during sleep, which helps to wake up in the morning.
Another sleep-regulating compound is the hormone melatonin, which induces drowsiness
when daylight is low. Therefore, exposure to bright artificial light in the
late evening may disrupt the secretion of this hormone, causing difficulty
sleeping.
The Benefits of Sleeping at Night
It is known that sleeping at night is healthier for the body than sleeping at any other time, and among the most important reasons for this are the following:
- A calm and comfortable sleep, away from disturbing sounds during the day, as studies have shown that sleeping for 6 hours at night is equivalent to sleeping for 8 hours in the day in terms of rest and calm.
- Sleeping at night enhances a person's immune activity because sleeping at night increases the body's ability to expel pathogens and toxins from the body by 50%.
- Sleeping at night regulates blood sugar levels, as studies have shown that sleeping at night controls sugar levels in the body by 40% in people who sleep for at least 7 hours a day at night compared to people who sleep 8 hours a day during the day.
- Sleeping at night preserves the beauty of the body, as sleeping at night maintains fresh skin, healthy tight, and free of scars, and it also delays the appearance of wrinkles and signs of aging.
- Sleeping at night increases human concentration, activity, vitality, and interaction for the next day and enhances the ability of the brain to memorize and relaxes muscles and bones.
- Sleeping at night helps get the appropriate weight, as the body during sleep works to get rid of toxins and fats in the body, provided that the person does not eat heavy meals before bedtime.
7 Healthy Habits You Should Always Do for a Good Night Sleep
Here are 7
healthy habits that you should follow before bed, they can help you get a
better night's sleep:
1. Practice mindfulness
You should
start by resting the mind away from everything that worries or distracts the
thought, such as work or study when preparing for sleep.
Try a little
meditation if necessary, and remove worksheets or textbooks, or everything that
causes tension, such as a phone or television, from the bedroom, to make it a
suitable place to clear your mind.
2. Set
a bedtime
It is
advised to set a specific hour to go to bed every night and even on vacations,
and to avoid being distracted by what may be shown on television, social
networking sites, or unfinished business.
Regular
sleep helps make the human body calm, and contributes to helping it fall asleep
and wake up at desired times.
3. Do
regular exercise
The
importance of daily exercise is not only by increasing the time the athlete
spends inundated with sleep but also in reducing the symptoms of insomnia and
stopping breathing during sleep.
Also, people
who exercise regularly feel less sleepy than others during the day, and sleep
better at night.
4. Take
a good nap
It is
preferable to set a special time of the day that does not exceed twenty minutes
for a nap early in the afternoon.
Although
napping compensates for what the body has lost from sleep, exercising for a
long time may make matters worse.
5. Avoid
unhealthy habits
Fatty meals
should be avoided two hours before bedtime, as eating fatty or hot meals can
cause indigestion, making sleep difficult, and hungry people should eat a snack
45 minutes before bed if necessary.
Cigarettes
also have a role in disrupting sleep, along with caffeine and alcohol.
6. Use
comfortable pillows
Your pillow
helps to support a good sleep posture. A healthy sleep posture is a key to
sleeping peacefully, night after night, and waking up without pain and
stiffness.
If you sleep
on a worn-out pillow and scrunch and fold it every night to feel comfortable,
that's a red flag that it's time to update your pillow which is comfortable and
does not cause allergies.
7. Turn
off the light
The light
gives a feeling of being awake, even if it is a small amount, such as the light
from a cell phone or computer, and the reason for this is that it disrupts the
production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles and general
sleep.
What are the Most Common Sleeping Positions?
Sleep
methods and positions differ, and we will mention the different positions in
order from the best position to the least preferred position:
Sleeping on your left side: The healthiest way to sleep is on
your left side, curling your legs and placing a pillow between your
knees.
Most people
find this sleeping position the most comfortable, and for good reason. This
position enables the spine to stay in a natural position, helps alleviate any
neck, back, and shoulder pain, and prevents loud snoring and OSA symptoms.
Sleeping on one side with the back
and legs extended:
This position is a good sleeping position, and it helps prevent neck and back
pain, reduce stomach acid reflux, and decrease snoring.
This is one
of the comfortable positions during pregnancy, as well as suitable for patients
with sleep apnea. However, it is bad for the skin and breasts as it can
cause the breasts to droop.
Sleeping on the back with knee
support: This
position is the second good sleeping position as it helps prevent neck and back
pain, reduces stomach acid reflux, reduces wrinkles, and maintains the health
of the breasts, but it may not suit people who suffer from snoring.
This
position is considered the best sleeping position because the head, neck, and
spine are all extended in a neutral position, which means that there is no
additional pressure on these areas. A pillow should raise the head sufficiently
and support it.
It should be
noted that a nap on the back may cause suffocation for those who suffer from
sleep apnea.
Sleeping in the fetal position: It is sleeping on one side with the
torso and knees bent towards the chest, and it is one of the most common
sleeping positions around the world, but this position is not considered one of
the ideal sleeping positions, although it helps reduce snoring. It is also a
comfortable sleeping position during pregnancy.
Among the
disadvantages of this position is that it does not help prevent neck and back
pain, does not reduce wrinkles, and maintain breast health.
Sleeping on the stomach: This position is the worst among all positions, as it puts pressure on the joints and muscles, which may lead to a feeling of numbness, tingling, pain, and nerve irritation, as it does not prevent neck and back pain, and does not reduce wrinkles, but it may reduce snoring.