HOW TO GET MORE DEEP SLEEP

Deep sleep, alternatively called slow-wave sleep, is a term that refers to the third and fourth stages of sleep. The heart and respiration rate will be the lowest throughout these periods, brain waves will calm, and the muscles and eyes will rest.

This sleep period is sometimes referred to as the ‘restorative' phase since the body repairs tissues and boosts its immune system during this time. While sleeping, the body goes through many stages of the sleep cycle. Deep sleep is required to wake up feeling rejuvenated. The quantity of deep sleep we obtain each night declines as we age. This is because our bodies are completely mature and do not require the same amount of growth as children.

What Is Deep Sleep

Deep sleep, alternatively called slow-wave sleep, is a term that refers to the third and fourth stages of sleep. The heart and respiration rate will be the lowest throughout these periods, brain waves will calm, and the muscles and eyes will rest. This sleep period is sometimes referred to as the vital phase since the body repairs tissues and boosts its immune system during this time. While sleeping, one goes through many stages of the sleep cycle. Deep sleep is required to wake up feeling rejuvenated. The quantity of deep sleep we obtain each night declines as we age. This is because our bodies are completely mature and do not require the same amount of growth as children.

What Are The Sleep Stages?

Initiation

Stage one of the sleep cycle is when the body is just getting started relaxing. People may feel dizzy, have jerky motions in their muscles, or even roll on the floor. A person is vulnerable to being roused when in this state.

Stage Two

Calm eye movements will cease, the heartbeat will slow, and body temperature will begin to fall during this phase. The muscles will constrict and relax as you fall deeper into slumber.

Stage Three

Stage three is the deepest stage of sleep when the body goes into hibernation. The brain waves slow down and change to delta waves during this stage of sleep, making it more difficult to wake you up. This stage of sleep is critical since it is the most vital. Bone and muscle growth and healing take place during this time, as well as tissue regeneration.

Stage Four

REM sleep, the final and deepest stage of sleep, occurs with arousal from a deep sleep. Memories and vivid dreams are formed during this period as your brain gets more active. The heart rate and respiration speed up during this phase, and eye movements.

What Is The Importance Of Deep Sleep?

"Sleep-dependent memory processing" refers to the consolidation of new memories during deep sleep. Consequently, those who have primary insomnia will have a hard time remembering things after a night's sleep, and they won't be able to perform as well as their peers. Slow-wave sleep also improves declarative memory, which encompasses semantic and episodic memory. According toBero et al. (2014),the link between the hippocampus and neocortical networks is thought to facilitate long-term memory storage. The density of human sleep spindles increased considerably after subjects had been instructed to learn a declarative memory task compared to the non-learning control task. Involuntary oscillations of cortical and thalamic neurons' intracellular recordings cause this.

Avoid Caffeine At Least Seven Hours Before Bedtime

Caffeine is a stimulant that can make falling and staying asleep more difficult. Additionally, it may decrease the quantity of deep sleep you obtain. According to O’Callaghan et al. (2018), caffeine consumption seven hours before night lowered sleep by one hour. Instead, opt for water, tea, and other decaffeinated beverages.Taştan et al. (2013) stated that Certain beverages, such as warm milk and chamomile, can aid sleep induction.

Refuse To Take That Nightcap

With their eyes closed, a person pours a glass of wine. Brower (2001) noted that while an alcoholic beverage before bed may help an individual sleep, it is unlikely that they will stay asleep. When you have a nightcap before bed, your body processes the alcohol. It loses its sedative effect and frequently produces a rebound effect, waking you up at night and interfering with deep sleep. If eliminating alcohol from your nightly routine seemed unattainable, consume a glass early in the evening to avoid a 3 a.m. wake-up call.

Establish a Calming Bedtime Routine

Stress from a hectic workday or an exhausting afternoon with the kids might make it tough to switch off and relax. Developing a customized nighttime ritual will assist your body in relaxing and alleviate any approaching sleep anxiety. Your nighttime routine should last between 30 and 60 minutes, and the goal is to maintain consistency. This will assist the mind in associating the habit with sleep and prepare one for a productive day the following day.

Work Out Every Day

It's well-known that regular exercise improves sleep quality. Working out during the day helps people fall asleep faster than those who don't. According to Roskoden et al. (2018),those who work out 150 minutes a week are twice as likely to get a good night's sleep. However, it is important to avoid strenuous exercise before going to bed, which can lead to a restless night's sleep.

Eat A Lot Of Fiber

A better night's sleep is a side effect of eating a healthy diet rather than the other way around. According to Zhao et al. (2020), people who eat more fiber are more likely to fall asleep quickly. Make a conscious effort to include more fiber in your diet throughout the day and other foods that help you sleep better.

Find Your Yogi Within

Yoga can help you relax and unwind and improve the quality of your sleep.Patra& Telles (2009) showed that Cyclic meditation (yoga poses with rest periods of lying on your back) increased the likelihood of deep, slow-wave sleep in one study. Yoga can be incorporated into your daily workout or right before sleep. Use yoga poses that relax the body and mind as a sleep aid.

Conclusion

The benefits to the body and mind of a good night's sleep cannot be overstated. If you know how deep sleep works, you can figure out how to get more of it. Start by examining your daily routine. Start with daily exercise if you haven't been. Simply going for a 30-minute walk in the fresh air can significantly impact. No two people are indeed exactly alike. Yoga may have a greater impact on some people than others. It doesn't matter what you're looking for in a mattress; make sure you pick one right for you and your body.

References

Bero, A. W., Meng, J., Cho, S., Shen, A. H., Canter, R. G., Ericsson, M., & Tsai, L. H. (2014). Early remodeling of the neocortex upon episodic memory encoding. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(32), 11852-11857.

Brower, K. J. (2001). Alcohol’s effects on sleep in alcoholics. Alcohol research & health, 25(2), 110.

O’Callaghan, F., Muurlink, O., & Reid, N. (2018). Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning. Risk management and healthcare policy, 11, 263.

Patra, S., & Telles, S. (2009). Positive impact of cyclic meditation on subsequent sleep.

Roskoden, F. C., Krüger, J., Vogt, L. J., Gärtner, S., Hannich, H. J., Steveling, A., ... & Aghdassi, A. A. (2017). Physical activity, energy expenditure, nutritional habits, quality of sleep and stress levels in shift-working health care personnel. PloS one, 12(1), e0169983.

Taştan, K., Isik, M., Sebnem, R., Avsar, U. Z., & Set, T. (2013). Complementary-Alternative Methods and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies in the Management of Sleep Disorders. Euras J Fam Med, 2(3), 101-106.

Zhao, M., Tuo, H., Wang, S., & Zhao, L. (2020). The effects of dietary nutrition on sleep and sleep disorders. Mediators of inflammation, 2020.