Sleep is controlled by sleep drive and cardiac rhythm. Sleep drive is the force that makes you feel heavy-eyed. It rises throughout the day. It is similar to hunger and the body will force you to doze even if it is for a few seconds.
The body cannot stay awake if you are exhausted. Even if you are driving or on a site such as a vulkan vegas pl placing bets, it will force the body to go to nap.
Cardiac rhythm is a clock-like mechanism located in the brain that responds to light. It produces melatonin during the night and it is sensitive to light. Once it detects light, it drops its production allowing you to wake up.
Types of Sleep
There are two different types of sleep:
- Rapid Eye Movement commonly referred to as (REM)
- Non-REM nap.
Napping consists of a pattern of activities that go through four main stages. The first stage is between when you are awake and when you doze off, the second stage is light sleep and the third and fourth stages are deep sleep.
Studies show that during a siesta the brain conducts various activities that are important for your development and well-being. A siesta is therefore a cyclic process with you moving through these four stages and your breathing and temperature alternating accordingly.
Importance of sleep
Studies show that a bit of shut-eye is crucial to the development of the human body. Previously, scientists believed that there is no brain activity when you are napping.
However, recent studies show that there are vital processes going on in your brain as you nap that promote your general well-being. Thus, slumber is important because:
- Allows your brain to learn and retain new things. Whenever you have a good night snooze, your cerebrum is able to internalize what it learned during the day. This also increases its chances of remembering this information in the future.
- It removes waste from the brain. Studies show that when you have dozed off, your encephalon is able to rejuvenate and discard waste matter produced by its cells.
- Overall physical health. When you do not get enough rest, your body is susceptible to illness and other anomalies. These include high blood pressure and depression. Other diseases may also attack your body as your immune systems are compromised.
- Effects on your metabolism. The body requires adequate rest in order to perform functions such as digesting effectively. Should this be missing, you can develop diseases such as diabetes and heart problems.
- Lower stress. By getting your beauty rest, you can reduce your stress levels. This is because the rest allows your body time to process emotions and gives you a break from things that may be causing you to worry and overthink.
How to Improve Sleep
Bearing in mind how important a kip is, it therefore is paramount to find ways to maximize the amount of rest we get.
Doctors recommend that adults should rest for an average of seven hours or more while teenagers, children, and infants need more shut-eye time. Here are some tips on how to improve your kip time:
- Maintain a routine. It is important to set a specific regimen for when you go to bed every night. This should be adhered to religiously so that you are able to slumber at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. All these processes form habits that allow your body to relate them to snooze time
- Unwind. Before bedtime, you should have a process you go through to help your body slow down and know it is time for some shut-eye. This can include taking a shower and wearing some cozy pajamas.
- Have a cozy environment. You need to create an atmosphere that promotes dozing off. This includes switching off the light, having nice clean soft sheets on your bed, and a quiet space to help you lull off.
- Maintain a good diet and exercise. Having a well-balanced meal as well as engaging in some sort of physical activity is sure to boost your ability to relax thus making you nap better. However, do not have a large meal or a heavy workout too close to bedtime. It is also not advisable to consume stimulants such as alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine before going to bed as this will negatively affect the quality of your kip.
- Journal and Meditate. This is an excellent way to dump your thoughts and ideas before taking a siesta. It helps empty your mind and allows you a more relaxed and calm feeling as you wind down.
In today’s ever-busy world, it is important to slow down and get adequate rest. This will improve your quality of life and general well being allowing you to live a fulfilling life.
