[LifeStyle] Good sleep habits for good health

[#Steeven.™]

Get the rest you need

Sometimes the pace of modern life barely gives you time to stop and rest. This can make getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis seem like a dream.

But sleep is just as important to good health as diet and exercise. Sleeping well improves brain performance, mood and health.

Not getting enough quality sleep on a regular basis increases the risk of many diseases and disorders.

These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.

Getting a good night's sleep is about much more than time spent in bed, says NIH sleep expert Dr. Marishka Brown. "Healthy sleep encompasses three important things," she explains. "The first is the number of hours you sleep. The second is sleep quality: getting restful, uninterrupted sleep. The last is a regular sleep schedule."

Sleep quality can be a bigger challenge for people who work the night shift or irregular hours. And times of great stress, like the current pandemic, can disrupt our usual sleep routines. But there are many things you can do to improve your sleep.

 

Sleep to repair
Why do we need sleep? People often think of sleep as just "down time" where a tired brain rests, explains Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester.

"But that's not so," she says. While you sleep, your brain works. For example, sleep helps prepare your brain to learn, remember, and create.

Nedergaard and her colleagues discovered that the brain has a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep.

"When we sleep, the brain completely changes function," she explains. "It becomes almost like a kidney in that it removes waste from the system."

In studies with mice, her team found that the drainage system removes some of the proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease. These toxins were cleared twice as fast from the brain during sleep.

Everything from your blood vessels to your immune system uses sleep as a time of repair, explains Dr. Kenneth Wright, Jr., a sleep researcher at the University of Colorado.

"There are certain repair processes that occur in the body primarily, or most effectively, during sleep," he explains. "If you don't get enough sleep, those processes will be disrupted."

 

Myths and truths about sleep
The amount of sleep you need changes with age. Experts recommend that school-age children get at least nine hours of sleep a night, and teens, eight to 10. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep or more each night.

There are many misunderstandings about sleep. One is that adults need less sleep as they get older. That is not true. Older adults still need the same amount of sleep. However, sleep quality can worsen as you get older. Older adults are also more likely to take medications that interfere with sleep.

Another sleep myth is that you can "catch up" on your days off. The researchers found that this is largely not the case.

"If you sleep poorly one night, taking a nap or getting more sleep the next night may benefit you," explains Wright. "But if you get very little sleep during the week, the weekend isn't enough to catch up. That's not healthy behavior."

In a recent study, Wright and his team looked at people with consistently poor sleep. They compared them to sleep-deprived people who got to sleep in on weekends.

Both groups of people gained weight from lack of sleep. Their bodies' ability to control blood sugar levels also worsened. The weekend did not help to catch up on sleep.

On the other hand, getting more sleep isn't always better, Brown says. For adults, "if you're sleeping more than nine hours a night and still don't feel refreshed, there may be an underlying medical problem," he explains.

 

Sleep disorders
Some people have conditions that prevent them from getting enough sleep, no matter how hard they try. These problems are called sleep disorders.

The most common sleep disorder is insomnia. "Insomnia occurs when you have repeated difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep," explains Brown. This happens despite having time to sleep and a suitable sleeping environment. It can make you feel tired or restless during the day.

Insomnia can be short-term, where people have a hard time sleeping for a few weeks or months. "A few other people have experienced this during the pandemic," Brown explains. Long-term insomnia lasts three months or more.

Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder. In sleep apnea, the upper airways are blocked during sleep. This reduces or stops airflow, which wakes people up at night. This condition can be dangerous. If left untreated, it can lead to other health problems.

If you often have trouble sleeping, talk to your health care provider. You may be asked to keep a sleep diary to track your sleep over several weeks. They may also perform tests, including sleep studies. They look for sleep disorders.

 

Sleep better
If you have trouble sleeping, it can be frustrating to hear how important it is to do so. However, there are simple things that can improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep. See the Wise Choices box for tips to help you sleep better.

Treatments are available for many common sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help many people with insomnia sleep better. Medicines can also help some people.

Many people with sleep apnea benefit from using a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. These machines keep your airways open so you can breathe. Other treatments may include special mouth guards and lifestyle changes.

For everyone, Brown recommends "trying to prioritize sleep as much as possible." "Sleep is not something disposable, but a biological necessity."

 

https://salud.nih.gov/recursos-de-salud/nih-noticias-de-salud/buenos-habitos-de-sueno-para-una-buena-salud