Healthy lifestyle sleep and rest. Healthy sleep: sleep functions, healthy sleep rules

GOOD SLEEP IS A NECESSARY CONDITION FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Healthy sleep is physiologically necessary for a person and is an important condition for physical and mental health. A person spends about a third of his life sleeping, so this part of our life needs to be given close attention and care to ensure that sleep is healthy and correct. The quality of our wakefulness depends on the quality of our sleep, that is, how our body rests at night determines how it will function during the day. Proper sleep is the source of a great mood, good health and, of course, our beauty.

STAGES OF SLEEP
Human sleep consists of several stages, repeated several times during the night. The stages of sleep are characterized by the activity of various brain structures and carry various functions for the body. Sleep is divided into two stages: slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. The NREM sleep stage is further divided into four stages.

slow sleep

• First stage. The person is half asleep, dozing. A person's muscle activity, pulse and breathing rate decrease, and body temperature drops.
• Second stage. This is the stage of shallow sleep. Muscle activity, heart rate and breathing rate continue to decrease.
• Third stage. Stage of slow sleep. At this stage, the human body is almost completely relaxed, and the cells begin their restoration work.
• Fourth stage. Stage of deep slow sleep. The human body is completely relaxed, the body rests and recovers. Thanks to the third and fourth stages, we feel refreshed when we wake up.

Quick sleep.
The REM stage of sleep is also called paradoxical sleep or the REM (rapid eye movement) stage. This stage occurs approximately 70-90 minutes after sleep begins. The paradox of this stage is that during this period the brain activity is almost the same as during wakefulness, despite the fact that the human body is in a completely relaxed state. In addition, body temperature and blood pressure rise, breathing and heart rate increase, and the eyes under the eyelids begin to move quickly. It is during this period that we tend to have most of our dreams.

SLEEP FUNCTIONS

• Rest of the body.
• Protection and restoration of organs and systems of the body for normal functioning.
• Processing, consolidation and storage of information.
• Adaptation to changes in illumination (day-night).
• Maintaining a person’s normal psycho-emotional state.
• Restoring the body's immunity.

RULES FOR HEALTHY SLEEP
There are a number of rules that, if followed, will make sleep extremely beneficial for your health. These rules help the body correctly perform its functions during sleep, which certainly has a beneficial effect on a person’s well-being and mood during the waking period.

1. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, regardless of the day of the week.
2. It is best to go to bed before 11 pm. It is at this time that most people's bodies are set to relax.
3. You should not eat food before bed. A couple of hours before bedtime, you can have a light snack, for example, vegetables, fruits or dairy products.
4. Do not drink alcohol or drinks containing caffeine (cocoa, coffee, tea) before bedtime. Tea with chamomile, mint or warm milk with honey, drunk before bed, will benefit the body and help you fall asleep faster and easier.
5. Getting some fresh air before bed will help you fall asleep quickly.
6. Before going to bed, you should not think about problems and worries; you will have time to think about them during the day. In the evening, it is best to relax and help the body fully rest and recover during the night's sleep. If possible, relax your muscles and think about something pleasant.
7. Do not take before bed; leave this procedure for the morning. In the evening, it is best to take a warm bath or shower.
8. To quickly and peacefully fall asleep, you can read quiet literature or play soft, slow music, sounds of nature, lullabies, etc.
9. Don't forget to ventilate your sleeping area before going to bed.
10. Turn off the lights in the sleeping area, otherwise your sleep will most likely be superficial, which will not allow your body to fully rest and recover.
11. Scientists recommend sleeping with your head facing north or east.
12. It is best to sleep more naked, and in case of freezing, take extra cover rather than putting on warm clothes.
13. To rest the body, it is enough to sleep four complete sleep cycles, consisting of slow and fast sleep and described above.
14. The sleeping area should be level, not too soft and not too hard.
15. It is necessary to sleep in a horizontal position, preferably alternately - either on the right or on the left side. Experts do not recommend sleeping on your stomach.
16. In order to give a start to a good mood from the very morning, do not lie in bed for a long time, immediately after waking up, stretch, smile and get up. Do it slowly and with pleasure.

Some people suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and complain that even after sleeping for 10 hours, they do not feel rested. Why is this happening? The fact is that a person must be able to sleep correctly, then seven to eight hours of night rest will be enough for him to be fresh and alert in the morning. Don't believe me?! Then we will take a closer look at the basic principles of proper sleep and explain how lifestyle influences healthy sleep.

Healthy sleep is truly of great importance for our well-being and is inextricably linked with a healthy lifestyle. For many of us, getting proper rest at night is an impossible task. Even after a hard day at work, it can be difficult to fall asleep. This is all due to a sedentary lifestyle, stress, disrupted daily routine...

To get rid of this problem, you need to get into the habit of not only getting up, but also going to bed at the same time every day. Thus, the body will get used to the regime, which in many ways is a healthy lifestyle. If you are involved in any kind of sport, if possible, move your training to the daytime.

Try to go to bed at least before six in the evening. If you do strenuous exercise later than this time, your body may become overly active in the evening, making it difficult to fall asleep. Of course, playing sports helps us stay healthy, but they should not interfere with the body’s proper rest...

Those who want to sleep soundly at night should also avoid a hearty dinner less than 3 hours before bedtime. Eating late means that the stomach, instead of resting, must digest what you have eaten, continuously sending signals to the brain about its work and preventing it from resting. In addition, by eating at night, you will quickly gain weight due to metabolic disorders and the transfer of unused energy into fat deposits.

It makes no sense to check how long you slept with a watch. An adult needs approximately seven to eight hours of good sleep. But since each organism is individual, when making a decision for yourself, start from your feelings. Don’t set yourself up to spend the whole day in bed next weekend. Such rest will lead to night insomnia, and you will again not be able to sleep fully.

It’s better to go to bed an hour and a half earlier than usual, and do several relaxing procedures before bed. For example, take a bath with essential oils or decoctions that normalize the nervous system (mint, eucalyptus, lemon balm). Drink a glass of tea or warm milk with honey. At the same time, I do not recommend reading books and magazines at night, much less watching TV!

Try to relax and disconnect from your thoughts and problems. This way you can fall asleep quickly and feel refreshed and refreshed the next morning.

If you suffer from difficulty falling asleep for a long time, provide yourself with the most favorable conditions for a good rest. To do this, ventilate the room before going to bed. Don't give up on this even in winter. In hot weather, you can use air conditioning. By turning it on before bed, you will ensure yourself a good rest.

Lying in bed in the evening, stop thinking about tomorrow. Tune in to the fact that today has come to an end, which means that all unresolved issues need to be postponed until the morning. Everything will be decided, you know, so why “wind up” yourself...

On your day off, indulge in the pleasure of drinking a little red wine. It perfectly promotes relaxation. It’s even better if tomorrow you don’t have to get up early and rush somewhere. But remember that everything is good only in moderation!

Most people are accustomed to sitting for a long time in front of a computer monitor before going to bed. This habit is bad and in our time it is the main reason for poor sleep and the inability to relax during the night. Computer addiction leads to bad dreams at night and, therefore, increases the risk of sleep deprivation. However, your health and sleep will improve, and you will begin to lead a healthy lifestyle...

If you like to take a short nap during the day, do it, but no more than 20 minutes and maximum twice a day. Those who need a full day's rest can get two hours of sleep, but need to wake up before 16 hours. If you sleep until the evening, it will be difficult for you to remain awake and prepare for the night's sleep at the right time.

Pay attention to the position in which you sleep. It is best to lie on your back while sleeping. This way you are completely relaxed, all your limbs are in a natural position and your organ systems are also positioned correctly, which means you will get a good night’s sleep. The more often you turn from side to side during the night, the less complete your night's rest will be.

Try to go to bed before 12 o'clock at night. It is believed that people who draw the line between days in their sleep are resting correctly. However, if you remember the commandments of the yogis, they always advised going to bed before 22:00 local time.

And finally, I repeat, but a healthy lifestyle and healthy sleep are important conditions, observing which, you will be an active, productive person, which means you will be able to maintain good health for many years!

Every person needs proper good sleep. It is he who provides the rest during which the entire body is restored. However, not everyone knows the rules of healthy sleep. Failure to comply with them can significantly affect our well-being.

Important sleep periods

Everyone knows the division of people into “night owls” and “larks”. The first ones fall asleep late at night and, accordingly, wake up late. The second category of people is characterized by the fact that they go to rest quite early. Of course, getting up early in the morning does not frighten them at all. However, experts increasingly agree that such a section is not physiological. In other words, it's all a matter of habit. The most beneficial sleep lasts from 22:00 to 2 am. It is during this period that the brain actively rests and stabilizes. Therefore, the rules of healthy sleep say that it is best to fall asleep at least before 23:00. This moment is especially important for women, because they are by nature more emotional. An incorrect bedtime increases irritability and even aggressiveness.

Sleep hormone

In the human body (namely in the brain) there is a small gland - the pineal gland. It produces two types of hormones. During the day, the pineal gland produces the hormone of happiness - serotonin. At night, iron is responsible for the production of melatonin. It is extremely important for the body. Melatonin takes part in the processes of regeneration and rejuvenation, normalization of mental and emotional state. It also directly affects the restoration of the cardiovascular and immune systems and their proper functioning. It has been observed that the hormone is most actively produced between midnight and 02:00. The rules of good sleep note that melatonin is produced exclusively in the dark. As a result, daytime sleep does not contribute to its production.

Quality and quantity of sleep

The time required to recuperate varies between men and women, adults and children. The average sleep requirement is 8-9 hours (in some cases 7) for a healthy adult. There are exceptions: some people need less time to rest. For others, on the contrary, only a couple of extra hours of sleep relieves the fatigue that has accumulated during the day. In order for your rest to be complete and effective, it is important to remember the 10 rules of healthy sleep. The first of them is this: you should not sleep if the body does not need it. Much more important is not how much time we spend in the arms of Morpheus, but how well our body is restored. Healthy sleep rules recommend going to bed at approximately the same time. Such a habit will, as it were, program the body to fall asleep, which will help avoid insomnia and other similar disorders.

How to organize your bedtime

No less important for quality rest are factors such as bed, nightwear, etc. The rules for good sleep recommend thoroughly ventilating the room before resting. Temperatures above 22°C are neither comfortable nor conducive to falling asleep. It is best if it is within 20 °C. Don't forget about regular bedrooms. Let there be flowerpots in place of soft toys and figurines: it is much better to breathe fresh air than dust. Probably, few people know that an incorrectly selected pillow can lead to chronic headaches. It is worth paying attention to the mattress. It must be of high quality, comfortable, and fairly rigid. The rules for healthy sleep note that night pajamas should be made only from natural fabrics, not restrict movement and fit tightly to the body. Bed linen is also made exclusively from high-quality materials: cotton, linen. Experts recommend sleeping in the fetal position - this is the position of the body that is beneficial both for the body and as a preventive measure for snoring.

No less important rules for healthy sleep

Heavy food eaten before bed is the enemy not only of our figure, but also of healthy, proper rest. After all, at a time when the body should relax and rest, the digestive system will work to its fullest. You shouldn’t resort to the other extreme - falling asleep with hunger is best satisfied with something light: kefir, salad, fruit. Alcohol also falls into the category of those substances that negatively affect recovery processes. Coffee and tea have a tonic effect, so they are best consumed in the first half of the day. Physical activity is the key to good health and allows you to keep your muscles toned. Before going to bed, it would be better to do light exercises, but it is undesirable to become overtired. Another important point that promotes sound sleep is sex. You should not solve and think about current problems before going to bed. It will be difficult for our brain to relax and tune in to rest.

From the moment of birth, the baby sleeps literally all the time. He does not distinguish between day and night. But even at this moment it is important to approach the issue of rest correctly. The basic rules for organizing a child’s sleep at one year of age are as follows: a hard mattress, a well-ventilated room, comfortable clothing. You won't need a pillow at all until you're a year old. It is important to teach your child that he has his own crib where he should rest. Psychologists and pediatricians do not have a common opinion about mother and baby sleeping together. Each family must make its own choice. To make falling asleep easy, it is worth developing a special bedtime ritual. This could be taking a bath, playing a lullaby, reading fairy tales. Healthy sleep rules for children strongly recommend limiting active and emotional games in the evening. It is better if these are light intellectual activities.

Sleep at school age

As a rule, by this period, daytime sleep ceases to be relevant. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the student with sufficient time to rest at night (on average, 10 hours). The rules for healthy sleep for schoolchildren are the same as for adults: a well-ventilated room, a comfortable, clean bed. It is very important to limit watching TV and computer games in the evening, because this is a powerful stimulant for the nervous system. Before going to bed, it is better to take a walk in the fresh air; you should prepare your homework during the day. The most optimal time for going to bed is from 22:00 to 23:00, but not later.

If a student additionally plays sports or attends some classes, then he may need more time to recuperate. It is worth remembering that a well-rested child is more attentive, he is not capricious and diligently masters science.

Healthy sleep

Sleep plays a big role in the health of our body; healthy sleep fills our body with energy, restores the performance of our body by providing it with rest.

Unfortunately, short-term sleep disorders due to today's lifestyle happen to almost every person. There are many reasons leading to this - stressful situations, worries about work, family, jet lag when flying from one time zone to another, poor diet and daily routine, lead to the fact that a person has difficulty falling asleep and waking up. Unhealthy sleep negatively affects performance and well-being.

What should you do to improve your sleep?

Particular attention to healthy sleep is important in the evening; by nightfall you need to “extinguish” emotional arousal, you need to reduce physical and mental activity. Despite the fact that many people read before bed, it seems to help them fall asleep, this is not recommended, since the impressions from what they read contribute to the appearance of difficult night dreams.

You should not consume plenty of food and liquid at night, this not only causes painful dreams but also prevents the body from falling asleep. You should have dinner no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

An important factor healthy sleep is room hygiene, ventilate and clean the bedroom in a timely manner, clean fresh air has a positive effect on sleep and dreams. Change your bed linen on time, use a light blanket for covering, a heavy one puts pressure on you and prevents your body from completely relaxing.

To speed up the process of falling asleep, you need to take walks before bed; short-term warm baths (3-5 minutes) also have a positive effect. When you go to bed, try to imagine a landscape that is pleasant to you and mentally linger on it. A good exercise for tiring your inner vision is to close your eyes and draw your favorite number with white paint on a black background; this exercise helps you fall asleep.

If the above remedies do not contribute to healthy sleep, you should use valerian or motherwort to combat emotional stress, take them before bed, mint has a good effect on sleep, its aroma has a calming effect on the body, which promotes healthy sleep.

If you have frequent sleep disturbances, you should not immediately take sleeping pills and sedatives; consult a neurologist, he will know which means are most suitable for your body; unauthorized use of sleeping pills can lead to catastrophic consequences.

Health and sleep are integral components of a person’s normal life. At the same time, not only our general condition, but also many internal processes depend on normal sleep. While the body is resting, the body normalizes and stabilizes the entire metabolism. The energy spent during the day is restored and toxic substances are removed from the brain cells.

The benefits of sleep are very difficult to overestimate. Almost all body systems work normally only with full sleep. Healthy sleep is as necessary as air, food and water.

This is what happens to our body during sleep:

1. The brain analyzes and structures the information it has received during the day. Everything we encounter during the day is sorted out, and unnecessary information is crossed out. This is how sleep affects our knowledge. Therefore, it is advisable to learn everything important in the evening.
2. Weight is adjustable. The most basic substances that contribute to excess appetite are produced during insomnia. Therefore, if a person does not sleep, he wants to eat more, and from this he gains excess weight.
3. The work of the heart is normalized. Cholesterol levels are reduced, which helps restore the cardiovascular system. This is health in the truest sense.
4. Immunity. The normal functioning of our protective system directly depends on healthy rest. If you suffer from insomnia, then expect infectious diseases.
5. Restoration of damaged cells and tissues. It is at this time that wounds and injuries heal most actively.
6. Energy is restored. Breathing slows down, muscles relax, and sensory organs turn off.

This is not a complete list of beneficial properties that sleep has on human health. Hormonal levels are restored, and growth hormones are released, which is very important for children. Memory improves and concentration increases, so in order to complete urgent work, it is recommended not to sit all night, but rather get some sleep so you can get ready.

Everyone knows that a person cannot live without rest, just as he cannot live without food and water. But nevertheless, most people continue to disrupt their biorhythms and do not devote enough time to rest at night.

Health and sleep are very closely related, so practicing sleep hygiene is extremely important.

Sleep is not as simple a phenomenon as it seems at first glance. This is why we sleep for several hours and get enough sleep, but you can go to bed on time and wake up completely exhausted. How sleep works and how this mechanism works is still being studied by doctors and scientists. The norm for an adult is to rest for 8 hours a day. During this period, you experience several complete cycles, which are divided into smaller phases.

In general, healthy sleep includes:

The ratio between the slow and fast phase changes. A person experiences the full cycle several times during the night. At the very beginning of the night's rest, slow sleep makes up 90% of the entire cycle, and in the morning, on the contrary, the fast phase predominates.

During each period of sleep, the body receives its share of benefits. Therefore, for complete recovery, a person needs to go through the full cycle at least 4 times a night. Good sleep is the key to health. Then you will wake up in a good mood and full of energy.

Proper organization and hygiene of sleep guarantees strong immunity, normal functioning of the nervous system, and also makes sleep itself sound, which increases its effectiveness for health. Here are the basic rules that must be followed to fall asleep peacefully and have good spirits in the morning.

This is basic sleep hygiene:

In addition, before going to bed, you should distract yourself and not watch TV or listen to loud music. The nervous system needs to prepare, and for this you can do yoga or meditation.

A warm bed, correct body position, sleep hygiene, and the absence of stressful situations will help you fall asleep peacefully and sleep soundly throughout the night.

A very large number of people try to work or study at night, as well as have fun. This can lead to health problems, as well as chronic sleep disorders.

The main consequences of lack of sleep:

The list goes on and on. A person who sleeps for no more than 3 days may see hallucinations and also experience mental disorders. Staying awake for five days can be fatal.

There are people on the planet who have not slept for several years without harm to their health. But these cases are isolated; in all other cases, prolonged lack of sleep can lead to serious illness.

The importance of sleep for human health and for the normal functioning of all systems is very great. At the same time, in order to fully relax, it is important to be able to organize your best sleep, as well as an entire healthy lifestyle.