Sleep has become a luxury since, like any luxury item, not everybody can afford to sleep. This is a disturbing truth. According to the World Health Organization, severe sleep deficiency is prevalent in the developed world and is already considered a health disorder. Most of the world’s population is not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, and only a few are lucky to get six hours.
The busy lives of people and the increase in the number of distractions have made it impossible for people to get a good night’s sleep. People will use every possible means such as using white noise machines at night to avoid having lack of sleep.
Lack of sleep increases your risks to health and mental disorders. Shortage of sleep also increases your chances of being obese, having Alzheimer’s, cancer, and diabetes.
People who do get six or more hours of sleep each night may still wake up feeling tired. The reason for this is that they may have been lying in bed for six hours or more, but they are not getting enough deep sleep.
What is Deep Sleep?
Deep sleep is the stage of sleep wherein the body’s functions are at their slowest and in sync with one another. This is the stage where the body reaches a homeostatic stage where everything is in harmony. During deep sleep, the body starts its restoration process.
Why is Deep Sleep Important?
Getting enough deep sleep is important because this is when the brain consolidates the new memories that it has acquired during the day’s events. Deep sleep also allows the brain enough time to rest and restore itself from being active the whole day. Another function of deep sleep is that it promotes the secretion of growth hormones. For a person who is in their adolescent years, it is during the deep sleep stage that their bodies grow the most.
How do You Increase Deep Sleep?
If you find yourself still tired even if you clocked in eight hours of sleep, then you did not get enough deep sleep during the night. However, you can increase your deep sleep period by doing the following:
Low Carb Diets. A study by the American Sleep Association has revealed that people who ate low-carb diets got an increased period of deep sleep as compared to those that ate normal meals.
White or Pink Noise. As a child, do you remember waking up abruptly only to be “shushed” to sleep by your parents? Well, there is a science to the word shush. The shushing sound helps ease symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is one main reason why people cannot go to sleep immediately. White noise machines are devices that continuously produce shushing sounds to help you get to sleep faster. Once you fall asleep faster, the faster your body can achieve deep sleep.
Exercise. Often, people cannot go to sleep immediately because their bodies are still rested. One way of correcting this is by exercising before going to bed. However, overdoing your exercise may lead to increased adrenaline levels that will further hinder your attempts to sleep immediately. Exercising for thirty minutes per night will allow your body to develop a routine of getting tired and wanting to sleep.
Moisture Wicking Sleepwear. What you sleep in may also affect how relaxing your sleep will be. Changes in body temperatures during the night may hinder you from getting to the deep sleep stage. Using moisture wicking sleepwear will help you regulate your body temperatures during your slumber time.
The need for getting enough sleep is important so that your body gets to enter deep sleep. The above tips may give you a chance to get there.
