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Essential to the body's functioning, sleep is a precious and vital thing that must be preserved.
Why is it as important as nutrition or physical exercise? How can you get a good night's sleep?
Here are the answers to the questions you're asking yourself.
Sleep and its benefits
Good sleep is the remedy for many ailments and the key to good health.
At night, the body repairs itself physically, psychologically and emotionally.
Sleep promotes memory and cognitive functions, and reduces the risk of depression, stimulates the immune system and general metabolism.
Well sleep is your assurance of being in better shape.
Fatigue on waking, immediate memory loss, dull skin, difficulty managing emotions are all signs that should awareness about the quality of sleep and indicate the need to take care of it.
Regarding nutrition, here are some suggestions to enhance the quality of your sleep:
- Focus on tryptophan:
This essential amino acid enables the synthesis of serotonin and then melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep/wake cycles.
Eating tryptophan-rich foods at the end of the day is ideal for a good night's sleep.
Choose rice and various grains, legumes, assorted vegetables, lean white meat, eggs, bananas, and nuts for your snacks and dinner.
- Take care of your intestines:
90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, and the bacteria of the intestinal microbiota stimulate its secretion. It is therefore important to prebiotic foods, rich in fiber.
Chicory, carob, leek, garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, wholegrain cereals,
and legumes.
- Watch out for stimulants:
Coffee and tea should be avoided after 4 p.m., as should sugar and chocolate in the evening which can seriously disrupt sleep.
- Eat lightly:
A meal that is too heavy and rich in proteins or too fatty will greatly disrupt sleep by forcing the body to digest slowly and digestion. In the evening, it's best to dine lightly, avoiding excess proteins, particularly red meat, cold meats or alcohol... Also, eating two to three hours before going to bed is highly recommended to avoid delaying restorative sleep due to lengthy digestion.
Ensuring a conducive environment is also vital for promoting restful sleep.
- Preserve your room:
It should be a place of calm and serenity, conducive to relaxation. It cluttered with unnecessary things and objects, as well as screens.
- Change of air:
Ventilating and renewing the air in the bedroom is important, as is temperature between 16 and 19 degrees maximum and a certain level of humidity to breathe properly. To achieve this, use a humidifier or a simple bowl of water on the radiator in winter.
When it comes to healthy living, there are a few simple things you can do.
- Regular physical activity:
Exercise secretes endorphins, which promote well-being and sleep.
Be careful, however, not to exercise too late at night which will have the opposite effect of disturbing sleep.
- Keep the pace:
The body needs a routine, especially when it comes to sleeping hours. So we try to go to bed and get up at fixed times. You'll sleep that much better!
- Take a shower in the evening:
Warmth soothes and relaxes. As body temperature rises, tensions both physically and psychologically. Thus the mind is freed and the body sinks peacefully into a deep, restorative sleep.
A hot-water bottle in bed also does the trick.
- Go to bed before midnight:
Sleep cycles occur throughout the night, but the first few hours are the most recuperative, as they are conducive to deep slow-wave sleep. Going to bed before midnight is therefore beneficial for you, and you'll be in great shape when you wake up!
- Breathe:
Concentrating on your breathing or practicing cardiac coherence help you relax by releasing tension and regulating your heart rhythm. In bed at night, practicing these exercises will help you fall to help you fall asleep peacefully.
- Use phytotherapy:
If you find it difficult to fall asleep, it may be a good idea to turn to valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, griffonia or lime blossom. The use of essential oils can also be help you relax. In this case, fine lavender or chamomile are ideal.
In conclusion, let's sleep to be fit and be fit to sleep well.