Researchers have proved that exercising is an essential aspect that you should be focussing on when it comes to your sleep.
There are a number of ways exercise can put you to sleep. Exercising exhausts your body, it needs rest and it needs to recover, this automatically activates your sleep receptors and pushes you into a serene slumber. One of the main reasons you cannot fall asleep easily is that your mind is not at rest. It is anxious and stressed out. When you exercise you relieve this stress both physically as well as mentally. A hormone called cortisol that makes you put on weight is released when you exercise. The loss of this hormone is what helps you snooze. Research suggests that people who exercise sleep 1.2 hours more than those you don’t. They also wake up fresh in the morning and are ready to take up daily tasks without hesitation.
A regular sleep cycle is a result of numerous factors and exercise is a crucial part of it. Not many of us know this by there are 3 types of sleep
1) Slow Wave sleep. This kind sleep is absolutely necessary for your body to repair and maintain itself
2) The second type of sleep is Rapid eye Movement (REM) sleep. Nights filled with dreams and nightmares is included in this kind of sleep.
3) The third type of sleep is N2 sleep. This includes more than half of our overall sleep time.
Studies proved that exercising increases slow wave sleep time, decreased REM sleep time and showed a great improvement in the overall N2 sleep.
You can hit the gym, join a dance fitness class, go for aerobics, try swimming, do a few quick sit-ups, crunches or lunges. You can also join a sport like a tennis, badminton or basketball. Choose an exercise you like and stick to it. Yes, that’s the next point I am getting too. You need to most definitely stick to it
Now that you have picked the exercise of your choice you need start being consistent. Don’t exercise for a day and expect yourself to fall asleep easily that night. It takes a while for exercise to affect your sleep cycle. Research suggests it takes at least 16 weeks for exercise to help you fall asleep.
Although studies suggest that you should exercise first thing in the morning or in the afternoon it is not entirely true. There are a number of people who exercise post work and are able to get a good night’s sleep just make sure you exercise at least an hour before bedtime and make it a regular habit. Exercise is as it is good for you, so you are not really losing anything by pushing yourself to spend at least 30 minutes a day on something that will help you in the long run.
An Exercise Guide for a Good’s Night Sleep
The older you get the harder it is to fall asleep. As you age, sleep becomes a rare luxury. The main cause of sleepless nights is a tensed mind. All the above exercises aid the relaxation of the mind. Once your mind is at peace your body will automatically calm down. So if sleep is a guest that hardly visits you then check out a list of exercises that will relax your mind and help you sleep like a baby.
There are a number of ways exercise can put you to sleep. Exercising exhausts your body, it needs rest and it needs to recover, this automatically activates your sleep receptors and pushes you into a serene slumber. One of the main reasons you cannot fall asleep easily is that your mind is not at rest. It is anxious and stressed out. When you exercise you relieve this stress both physically as well as mentally. A hormone called cortisol that makes you put on weight is released when you exercise. The loss of this hormone is what helps you snooze. Research suggests that people who exercise sleep 1.2 hours more than those you don’t. They also wake up fresh in the morning and are ready to take up daily tasks without hesitation.
A regular sleep cycle is a result of numerous factors and exercise is a crucial part of it. Not many of us know this by there are 3 types of sleep
1) Slow Wave sleep. This kind sleep is absolutely necessary for your body to repair and maintain itself
2) The second type of sleep is Rapid eye Movement (REM) sleep. Nights filled with dreams and nightmares is included in this kind of sleep.
3) The third type of sleep is N2 sleep. This includes more than half of our overall sleep time.
Studies proved that exercising increases slow wave sleep time, decreased REM sleep time and showed a great improvement in the overall N2 sleep.
What are the kinds of exercises you should do to fall asleep?
Now that you have picked the exercise of your choice you need start being consistent. Don’t exercise for a day and expect yourself to fall asleep easily that night. It takes a while for exercise to affect your sleep cycle. Research suggests it takes at least 16 weeks for exercise to help you fall asleep.
When should I exercise?
Although studies suggest that you should exercise first thing in the morning or in the afternoon it is not entirely true. There are a number of people who exercise post work and are able to get a good night’s sleep just make sure you exercise at least an hour before bedtime and make it a regular habit. Exercise is as it is good for you, so you are not really losing anything by pushing yourself to spend at least 30 minutes a day on something that will help you in the long run.
An Exercise Guide for a Good’s Night Sleep
The older you get the harder it is to fall asleep. As you age, sleep becomes a rare luxury. The main cause of sleepless nights is a tensed mind. All the above exercises aid the relaxation of the mind. Once your mind is at peace your body will automatically calm down. So if sleep is a guest that hardly visits you then check out a list of exercises that will relax your mind and help you sleep like a baby.
Yoga
Studies show that those who practice Yoga for 8 weeks are more likely to fall asleep faster and get a good night’s sleep. Yoga poses make you stretch your body thus relaxing it in the process. The breathing exercises calm your mind and release your body of all the anxiety and tensions that have accumulated throughout the day.Cardio
A 10-minute run, swim, jog or cycle will definitely help you fall asleep. 10 minutes is a bare minimum as you consistently keep exercising you need to push it to at least an hour. Cardio increases your heart rate and your body temperature. As this cools down post-exercise your body starts to relax. This helps you sleep better.Strength Building Exercises
Strength Training has been an amazing cure for insomnia. Hitting the gym once a day is a superb way to make sure you snooze well. Exercises like shoulder press, bicep curls, triceps dips, leg curls, help build your strength and also raise your body temperature and heart rate. Once your body begins to cool down, sleep starts to set in. Please make sure you do this an hour before bedtime.Quick Fix
Time is a luxury very few can afford and if you are one of those people who are extremely busy with and can hardly take out long hours of exercising then this is for you. Quick fixes like situps, crunches, leg raises, lunges are a great way to relieve your body and the tightness. If you are just starting off make sure you start with a set of 20 and gradually increase the count. Don’t just start with 50 or 100, this will make you sore and kill your will to go for it next time.Breathing Exercises
The whole idea of exercising so that you get good sleep is so that you can relax your mind. If you relax your mind your body will automatically release all the tension and help you drift off into a sweet slumber. To benefit from this breathing exercise make sure your spine is straight. You can lie down or sit up in which ever position that you feel comfortable in. Now take a slow, deep breath that starts at the bottom of your diaphragm and start filling your stomach with air now slowly release this breath. You will instantly feel your body relax as you release the breath. Breathing exercises help push a good amount of oxygen inside your body. This helps you relax your body and put yourself to sleep.Stretches
Stretching your hips and back is extremely important. You can also do a couple of butterflies stretches an hour before bed. This releases the tension of your day and helps your doze off faster.What you eat determines how you well you sleep!
Some of the super healthy list of food and drinks that will catalyze the production of melatonin ( the sleep-inducing hormone) in your body.
Fish :
Fish are rich is B6, an important factor that helps produce melatonin and serotonin. Salmon, halibut, and tuna produce the highest amount of B6, hence are exactly what you need for a good night’s rest. You can eat it a few times a week. Just make sure you balance out the rest of the days with other food items.
Fruits:
Fruits are refreshing and contain a high melatonin content, thus helping you fall asleep faster. It also reduces the number of times you wake up in the middle of the night and assures a good night’s sleep. If you are someone who likes cherries, then tart cherry juice and whole tart cherries are for you. You can also take bites of bananas, pineapples, and oranges. Eating two kiwis before bed helps cure insomnia. Now that you are clear about fruits that help you sleep better, make sure you eat them at regular intervals throughout the day.Green Leafy Vegetables :
Green vegetables are loaded with calcium. Calcium aids your brain in developing tryptophan that in turn helps manufacture melatonin. (So, doctors suggest us to have milk before sleep)
Whole Grains :
Whole grains are not only rich sources of protein but also rich in magnesium which calms your nerves and induces sleep. So before you completely rule out eating whole grains, remember that you are also harming your sleep cycle.
Indulging yourself in a peaceful nap has a good number of advantages. Let’s have a look at them. Reasons 5 & 6 are unbelievable.
1) Glowing Skin
Yes, that is the first and one of the most loved benefits of beauty sleep - clean, clear and glowing skin. Lack of sleep decreases the blood flow to the skin surrounding your face, this makes you look dull and lifeless. When you sleep your skin cells regenerate and blood flow to your face increases, thus making you glow
4) Great Mood
The amount of sleep you’ve had directly determines the kind of day you will have. Anxiety and irritation cling on to you like two ugly pieces of dead weight. Disorientation is another symptom of a sleepless night. You obviously don’t want to deal with all of this. And the best way to fight it is by getting some shut eye.
1) Glowing Skin
Yes, that is the first and one of the most loved benefits of beauty sleep - clean, clear and glowing skin. Lack of sleep decreases the blood flow to the skin surrounding your face, this makes you look dull and lifeless. When you sleep your skin cells regenerate and blood flow to your face increases, thus making you glow
2) Say Bye! To fine Lines
Since sleeping also relaxes your muscles there are no visible lines on your face. The lines are smoothed out when you sleep well. This delays the onset of wrinkles. Good amount of beauty sleep keeps you looking young for years.3) Glossy, Shiny Hair
When you don’t sleep well, your hair starts to break and fall. This is because the hair follicles (root of your hair) to not get enough nutrients, minerals or vitamins. So when you compromise on sleep, enough blood does not flow to your scalp, thus making your hair look undernourished and dull. The best way to tackle this is to get a good’s night sleep. There is no medicine that is better than a peaceful nap.4) Great Mood
The amount of sleep you’ve had directly determines the kind of day you will have. Anxiety and irritation cling on to you like two ugly pieces of dead weight. Disorientation is another symptom of a sleepless night. You obviously don’t want to deal with all of this. And the best way to fight it is by getting some shut eye.
5) Weight Loss
Sleepless nights can drastically slow down your metabolism and when your metabolism is slow your body obviously takes more time to burn calories. Which is why experts recommend you to sleep well, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
Sleepless nights can drastically slow down your metabolism and when your metabolism is slow your body obviously takes more time to burn calories. Which is why experts recommend you to sleep well, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
Wake Up To The Truth Behind These Five Sleep-Related Myths
- If you can get it, more sleep is always healthier.
Some studies have found that people who slept more than eight hours a night died younger than people who got between six and eight hours. What scientists don't know yet: Whether sleeping longer causes poor health or is a symptom of it, says Najib Ayas, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia. Long sleepers may suffer from problems such as sleep apnea, depression, or uncontrolled diabetes that make them spend more time in bed. - Some people function perfectly on four hours of sleep.
Legendary short sleepers — including Bill Clinton, Madonna, and Margaret Thatcher — don't necessarily do better on fewer Zs. "They're just not aware of how sleepy they are," says Thomas Roth, Ph.D., sleep researcher at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Too little sleep is bad for your health and your image: It can make you ineffective (it impairs performance, judgement, and the ability to pay attention), sick (it weakens your immune system), and overweight. In fact, women who slept five hours or less a night were a third more likely to gain 33 pounds or more over 16 years than women who slept seven hours, according to a Harvard Nurses' Health Study. Oddly, cutting too much sleep and getting less than six hours is associated with the same problems as sleeping too long: a higher risk of heart problems and death. And, of course, cheating on sleep hurts you behind the wheel: "Wakefulness for 18 hours makes you perform almost as though you're legally drunk," says Walsleben. - Waking up during the night means you'll be tired all day.
When 15 people in one of his studies lived without artificial lights for a few weeks, they wound up sleeping three to five hours, waking up for one or two, then sleeping again for four or more hours — and they said they had never felt so rested. - You can make up for lost sleep on weekends.
Binging on Zs over the weekend and not sleeping during the week — what Harvard sleep expert Robert Stickgold, Ph.D., calls "sleep bulimia" — upsets your circadian rhythms and makes it even harder to get refreshing sleep. Sleeping until noon on Sunday generally prevents you from hitting the sheets by 10 that night. So instead of correcting your deficit from the week before, you set up a no-sleep cycle for the week to come. "The body loves consistency," says Donna Arand, Ph.D., spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Best to rise around the same time every day, even on weekends.
Learning better sleep habits, such as going to bed at the same time every night, avoiding TVs and computers before bed, staying away from caffeine at least six hours before sleep, and other lifestyle changes
Thus Retrain your perceptions of sleep and get better sleep for a healthy living..
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