"Medical expert challenges common beliefs concerning weekend sleep duration, suggesting it should be approximately eight hours"
Daytime naps, even as brief as 20-30 minutes, can leave you refreshed, boost energy levels, and heighten cognitive performance. These quick power-ups will also stimulate your brain, enhance creativity, and amp up your speedy reactions. If you're feeling stressed, a nap during travel might be just the ticket for unwinding.
It's no secret that a solid night's sleep feels great, but its benefits go beyond just waking up refreshed. According to sleep specialist Dr. Daría Lebedeva, your body recuperates, memory and immune systems strengthen, and vital hormones like leptin, melatonin, and somatotropin are produced during those night-time hours.
Nazareth, however, sleep remains a subject tainted by misconceptions and myths. Here, a few urban legends get debunked:
Myth Buster 1: Snoozing during the daytime means sleepless nights
- Nope. A well-timed nap can actually improve the quality of your nighttime sleep, supercharge your memory, and skyrocket your creative and quick-thinker abilities, says Dr. Daría Lebedeva. Enhancing what energy you've got is especially helpful during commuting, instead of wasting time staring at your phone. Research has even proven this.
- If you fancy a rest during the day, shoot for that timeframe between 1 PM to 3 PM, but be mindful - your chronotype might dictate an earlier or later moment. Napping for over 30 minutes, however, may give you sleep inertia, leaving you sleep-walking through cognitive and physical tasks for a few minutes to half an hour.
Myth Buster 2: Catching up on sleep during the weekends can make up for lost sleep during the week
- While it's not completely untrue, it carries a grain of salt. Chronic sleep deprivation can throw a wrench in your health and mood, making you irritable, jeopardizing relationships, and making you a moody-dud. Establishing a regular sleep schedule and nixing "social jet lag" is key to maintaining good health for the long run.
- But if you only need 6-7 hours of sleep during the week, additional weekend snoozes might not be a bad idea, as studies have shown they can lower the risk of depression and stroke. So, if your body demands rest, it'll take it, but limit those extra hours to one or two beyond your weekday wake-up time.
Myth Buster 3: The perfect amount of sleep for everyone is 7-9 hours per night
- It's true that this range benefits most folks, but it's an individual indicator depending on factors like age, physical health, and life demands. Elderly people often need less sleep, but during intense physical or mental stress, illness, or special conditions like pregnancy, the need increases.
- To check if you're getting enough sleep, be alert and ready to tackle your day within half an hour of waking up, feel wide-awake during the day (with the exception of a lunchtime siesta) and doze off quickly, ideally within 15-20 minutes of hitting the sack.
Myth Buster 4: Don't eat anything before bedtime
- There's a nugget of truth here, but eating later can also be stressful for the stomach. Limit your last meal at least two to three hours before bedtime to prevent stomach discomfort, but don't skip a meal entirely. What you eat before bed should avoid triggering gas, such as dairy, whole-grain products, carbonated beverages, or products that increase gas production (like legumes). Steer clear of caffeine during the second half of the day as well, as it can disturb sleep. Opt for tryptophan-containing foods, such as oatmeal cookies, milk, bananas, cherries, turkey, and a decaffeinated herbal tea right before bed (hour max.)
- So, what if you're returning home late and famished? Don't push yourself until you're sleep-deprived to the point of tossing and turning. Opt for something light, like yogurt with banana, and relax before hitting the hay.
Before bed, it's natural to analyze the day's events, think about the future, or count sheep to drift off. Here's a tip to fall asleep faster and wake up energized:- In the evening, avoid watching news or hopping online an hour and a half before bed.- Steer clear of caffeine-containing drinks like coffee, tea, dark chocolate, energy drinks, and news before bedtime.- Try some breathing exercises, like the "4-7-8" technique: inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This will help quiet your mind.- Keep a strict sleep schedule, work out before bed, create a cozy, cool, and dark resting space, and make a point not to go to bed hungry.
And if sleep problems persist for more than three months, they may evolve into a chronic condition. Seek professional help since self-medicating isn't the best solution in the long run, as sleep drugs can lead to addiction. Consult a doctor, find the underlying cause, and get the right treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (working with a psychotherapist) is often the solution to insomnia.
- Daytime naps, even brief ones, can improve the quality of nighttime sleep, supercharge memory, and enhance creative and quick-thinking abilities, according to Dr. Daría Lebedeva.
- If you nap for over 30 minutes, however, it may leave you with sleep inertia, potentially affecting cognitive and physical tasks for a few minutes to half an hour.
- While catching up on sleep during weekends doesn't completely make up for lost sleep during the week, extra weekend snoozes can lower the risk of depression and stroke, according to studies.
- The perfect amount of sleep for everyone is individual, depending on factors like age, physical health, and life demands.
- Eating a light meal before bed can help prevent stomach discomfort and promote better sleep, but it's crucial to avoid caffeine during the second half of the day and establish a regular sleep schedule for healthier mental and physical well-being.
