Do you know what is the cheapest and most effective medicine I often recommend to my patients? It’s sleep. Does this sound strange to you? In fact, this is the pure truth. Sleep means life, like food and water.
Every living thing needs sleep to survive. Adequate and restful sleep protects mental and physical health and improves the quality of life. It helps the brain and body develop harmoniously and function well. Therefore, when we sleep a little, we are less efficient, we get tired and nervous, we make more mistakes, we are less creative and get sick much faster.
Let me also provide some official data from various studies in case you still have any doubts. One night without sleep increases a person's anxiety level by 30% and shortens life by 30 minutes.
Now that you are convinced of the importance of this process, let's find out if you get enough sleep.
Experts say most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Women sleep worse than men, and they need to sleep an additional 20 minutes a night. But the quality of sleep in women improves with age, which is not the case for men. The average sleep quality of an 80-year-old man is 60% lower than that of a 20-year-old man.
To determine if you are getting enough sleep, I suggest you answer a few simple questions:
Do you fall asleep as soon as you put your head on the pillow?
On average, it takes a person 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you fall asleep right away, you are tired, if you cannot sleep for a long time, you either sleep too much or feel stressed.
Does the alarm wake you up?
If your biological clock is normal, you should wake up a little earlier than the alarm. Continued use of the snooze button indicates a lack of sleep.
Do you sleep more on weekends?
If so, your body is trying to make up for the lack of sleep. If you're on the right sleep schedule, you don't need extra hours of rest.
How do you feel at 11 o'clock in the morning?
The correct answer is cheerful and energetic. If you are overwhelmed at this time of the day, you are clearly having trouble sleeping.
Does fatigue affect your mood?
Whatever the reason for fatigue, it shouldn't affect your emotions. If you get annoyed when you are tired, this is a sign of sleep deprivation.
If you find that you are not getting enough sleep answering these questions, try reconsidering your regimen. It will not be easy and will take time. For example, start going to bed 15-20 minutes earlier than usual, gradually adapting your body to your new daily routine.
I think you will understand why I originally said that sleep is the best medicine when you learn about its effects on the body:
- It stimulates immunity;
- Maintains body weight;
- Improves mental performance;
- Prevents diabetes,
- Reduces the risk of heart disease;
- Stimulates fertility;
- Improves memory.
Do you know of any other medicine that has such a positive effect? I do not. And then, why end up taking medication when you can prevent many diseases just by getting enough sleep.
But here comes an obstacle – insomnia. In recent years, more and more people have faced this problem.