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The importance of sleep
Sleeping well is essential for the health and well-being of the body. Although the role of sleep has not been fully understood, we know that during the night our body and mind rest and regenerate themselves, guaranteeing the energy necessary to face the commitments of the next day.
In addition, while we sleep, our brains re-elaborates the acquired information during the waking hours and, if necessary, organizes them in the long-term memory, an indispensable process for fixing notions learned during study or at work and the memories of every experience lived during the day. Sleep is also important for supporting the immune system, for the mood and to maintain or achieve ideal weight. For all these reasons we dedicate, or should devote, about a third of our day to rest.
Those who suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia are familiar with them negative repercussions of insufficient or inadequate rest: tiredness and exhaustion during the day, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering notions and commitments, irritability and nervousness are just some of the symptoms experienced by people who struggle to sleep well. So let’s see some tips and remedies to sleep well.
Tips for sleeping well
It might seem trivial or obvious but to sleep well it is essential take care of the environment in which he rests.
The bed, the mattress, the pillows, as well as the bed linen, are essential for rest. In particular, the bed, the slatted base and the mattress should be chosen so that they guarantee at the same time body support – in particular to the spine – and comfort. Clearly there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but everyone will have to opt for the best one for themselves among the various options available on the market. Beware of position in which you fall asleep, especially if you have back or neck problems such as back pain, sciatica or neck pain.
Although an ideal position cannot be identified able to guarantee rest, it seems that sleeping on your side has less impact on the spine and neck. In case of osteoarticular disorders it is then possible to evaluate cexit and specific backups to relieve any pain. In addition to support and comfort, as regards the mattress it is important to evaluate the breathability, an aspect also valid for pillows and linens, to prevent sleep from being disturbed by excessive night sweats. For sheets and blankets, these should be chosen in natural materials, obviously considering the season and the temperatures outside and in the house.
During the night and early in the morning, it is good to rest well eliminate any sources of disturbance, especially light and noise, such as darkening windows with heavy curtains, blinds or roller shutters and turning off the TV. If you find it hard to fall asleep, one tip is to do not stay at your computer, tablet or smartphone until just before bedtime, as the light from monitors and displays may have a negative impact on sleep.
In the summertime, beware of mosquitoes, which can irreparably disturb sleep with their buzz and their stings: to remove them, it is useful to diffuse a mixture of essential oils of lemongrass, lemon and lavender into the environment.
Another tip is to take care of nutrition: in addition to following a healthy and balanced diet, it would be good to choose easily digestible foods especially at dinner and eat the meal at least two to three hours before bedtime, to prevent digestive processes from negatively affecting rest. If you still have difficulty falling asleep and resting adequately, you can resort to remedies that promote relaxation and help you sleep better.
Remedies
Those who have difficulty falling asleep or sleeping continuously for six to eight consecutive hours can resort to some remedies capable of promote physical and mental relaxation and facilitate sleep.
One of these is the relaxing bath, to be done from sixty to thirty minutes before going to sleep: hot water, combined with sedative essences such as lavender and lemon balm, helps to relax the muscles, reduce tension and find calm and tranquility. The essential oils of lavender and lemon balm they can also be used to prepare a massage oil with the same properties, to be applied all over the body before going to bed. Alternatively, the essences can be spread throughout the bedroom with an electric diffuser or with a burner, so as to also help you breathe better when you have a stuffy nose.
In case of insomnia herbal teas prepared with the root of valerian, hops, passion flower, hawthorn and lemon balm, plants that act on anxiety, agitation, nervousness and palpitation, relieving discomforts that do not allow you to sleep adequately.
Finally, when you get under the covers, dedicating a few minutes to simple breathing exercises or meditation can offer considerable help for free your mind, ward off thoughts and relax deeply.
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