• Healthy living These are the best and worst sleeping positions according to experts

  • LifeStyle What to do to get a good night's sleep?

  • LifeStyle Sleeping well is possible;

    five tips and six foods to achieve it

Something that we humans tend to have in common is the deep and unshakable belief that our sleeping habits are forever.

Checking it is easy in any conversation at the bar: "I'm a late sleeper", "Well, if I don't sleep nine hours I'm nobody", two

classics

.

But it is enough to introduce a significant

change

in our lives - having a child, even a pet - to effectively challenge such belief.

The person who writes this, for example, had spent his whole life turning off the light at one o'clock at

night

, but for a year and a half he has not been able to 'survive' at 11:30 am.

What happened?

Well, a puppy has passed that has to go for a walk at seven in the morning, neither more nor less.

That sleeping well is vital even the sheep know.

That getting to do it the right number of hours (the latest research, carried out jointly by the

University of Cambridge

and the

Shanghai Foundation,

on more than half a million people, puts perfection at seven) and with quality (without waking up every two to three , for example) is not that simple.

A study that was carried out in 2019 by

Ipsos

in collaboration with the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), revealed that

Spaniards sleep

an average of

6.8 hours a day

.

Not bad, if we take into account that only two tenths separate (the average) from 'perfection'.

But alas, 75% of those surveyed said they wake up at least once a night and a third said they suffer from insomnia.

Sleeping problems

Some sleep problems that especially affect

women

, because "in many cases they are related to the different hormonal changes that your body has, both during the menstrual cycle and throughout your life", according to

Ariadna Farré

, a nurse who works in a

Sleep Unit

and author of the paper 'Woman.

Sleep.

Stages of life'.

"During

premenstrual syndrome

you may have trouble falling asleep", explains Farré, and it is not easy to sleep during

pregnancy

either : "In the first trimester, the increase in the hormone progesterone causes a

dream

fragmented and therefore of poor quality". And although it improves in the following months, it is only a mirage, because "in the third trimester between 75% and 84% of pregnant women have difficulty sleeping due to physical discomfort", ensures.

Does the thing improve with

menopause

?

On the contrary, "80% have insomnia among the side effects" of this stage, says the expert.

That is to say, sleeping badly seems to be a women's thing, especially in

summer

.

How to get a good night's sleep when night temperatures are almost tropical?

Because while it is true that the body has thermoregulators that stabilize temperature, situations of extreme cold and heat completely condition

sleep cycles

, and this makes summer one of the times when you sleep the worst.

The torrid nights, those in which the thermometer oscillates between 20 and 25ºC, can become the worst

nightmare

of the Spanish.

Specifically, according to a recent study by AdSalutem Sleep Institute, 60% of the population has sleep problems during those nights.

Optimize the schedule

And not only the heat, but also the season of the year makes us sleep worse.

"Due to the time change that occurs with the arrival of the summer

solstice

, the hours of exposure to the sun are increased. This measure, which is carried out with the aim of reducing energy consumption, has a direct impact on the

quality of sleep

since the human being takes longer to perceive the arrival of night and, consequently, to start the relaxation process before going to

sleep

", explains Dr. José Casermeiro, from the Ysonut Laboratories Medical Department.

In other words, in summer everything turns against you, and although night rest is vital for both the body and the brain to function properly, "there is no magic formula" to achieve it, "and not even the

drugs

that are prescribed they are capable of solving the problem if it is not accompanied by a

change in habits

", explains Dr.

Antonio Hernández

, specialist in sports medicine and founder of the wellness startup Be Levels.

It is about "giving coherent orders to the body so that it recovers its circadian balance. In summer we tend to forget about schedules and change our habits. Getting up at 7 am on weekdays and 11 am on weekends disorients your watch intern," says Dr. Hernandez.

And to improve the

quality of sleep

and rest better, you have to

optimize

your schedule.

"Routines are very beneficial; as much as possible, we should try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even in summer," he says.

The objective is to try that "the

difference in the hours of sleep

is not greater than one hour", add the experts from the Mayo Clinic.

And they give a clear guideline against insomnia: "If you don't fall asleep after 20 minutes, leave the bedroom and

do some

relaxing activity

. Read or listen to soft music and go back to bed when you're tired. Repeat this procedure as many times as you like. "

you need".

A quality sleep is also essential to keep the immune system in shape.

When you sleep, "

proteins called

cytokines

are released , which should increase when you have an

infection, inflammation

or when you are stressed. In addition, the antibodies and cells that fight infection decrease during periods in which you do not get enough sleep," they point out from the

Mayo Clinic

.

Also, this long-term problem can lead to the risk of

type 2 diabetes,

obesity, heart and

cardiovascular diseases

.

Healthy habits for a good night's sleep

In this sense, Dr. Hernández has drawn up a list of five tips that help achieve restful sleep, even on the hottest summer nights.

  • Do not use the mobile before sleeping.

    It is a great enemy of sleep because "it emits blue light (of short wavelength) that reduces the production of melatonin, a hormone whose levels regulate the circadian rhythm, something like the internal biological clock that indicates when we should sleep and when we should be active It is not a banality, it is a serious problem that is not typical of adolescence, but rather occurs to more and more adult people, and has a name: '

    technological vamping

    ' It is best to leave it in another room, because even if it be silent the notifications keep coming.

  • Keep the room cool.

    According to science, the ideal temperature for sleeping is between 18 and 22 degrees.

    Exceeding these degrees, or not reaching them, encourages the appearance of microarousals during the night.

    It is important to ventilate the room well, turn down the bed in advance to cool it down and even invest in a good fan if you do not have air conditioning.

  • Never nap longer than 20 minutes.

    Long naps can alter our sleep, it is not recommended to extend them more than 20 minutes.

    Stay active during the day and rest at night!

  • Take care of the previous hours.

    Not only is the time to go to sleep important, but you also have to pay attention to the pre-sleep routine.

    Two hours before going to sleep, Dr. Hernández advises not to drink caffeine, a small cup of coffee can rob you of sleep for hours;

    vaporize with lavender, one of the most powerful aromatic plants to induce rest and promote sleep;

    take a relaxing bath, to break the hustle and bustle of the day and indicate to the body that it is time to slow down, and avoid alcohol, because although it can induce sleep, it will not be restful.

  • Say yes to natural supplements.

    Some compounds can improve moments of rest and also help reduce anxiety and stress caused by not sleeping well.

  • Learn to breathe to sleep well

    According to Dr. Hernández, "

    breathing

    is one of our most powerful weapons to promote relaxation of the nervous system", and therefore to help us sleep, specifically

    abdominal breathing.

    "If you always breathe through your chest but want to

    relax

    , start breathing with your abdomen," says the expert explaining how to do it:

    • Place your right hand on your abdomen, with your little finger above your navel.

      Relax your shoulders and chest.

    • Breathe in slowly through your nose, inflating your abdomen.

    • Exhale the air through the mouth slowly, slightly tucking the abdomen in.

    • Try to hold the air a little more each time, counting to 5 and then expelling it slowly and deeply.

    What to eat to combat insomnia

    The hours of sunshine and vacations completely change day-to-day habits;

    we have more social life, which directly affects our

    diet

    .

    In general, the diet is usually heavier, which influences, for the worse, our quality of sleep.

    However, it is something that can work in our favor since, according to

    Dr. Casermeiro,

    we can "take advantage of the

    nutritional

    contribution of certain foods both to stimulate the body during the day and to prepare it for the hours of sleep at night."

    Thus, to be active even if we do not rest well, the expert recommends consuming "foods rich in

    tyrosine

    " during the day.

    This amino acid, "a key substance for

    mood

    and to enhance daily physical and intellectual activity", it is present in dairy products, legumes, nuts, red meat, poultry and fish.

    On the contrary, to fall into the arms of Morpheus, in the afternoon-night you have to "eat foods with a high content of

    tryptophan

    ", an amino acid that helps the production of

    serotonin and melatonin

    and therefore promotes relaxation and serenity.

    "It is ideal for the body to prepare for the hours of sleep," says the expert.

    It is found in eggs, milk, banana or avocado.

    And the last tips.

    In addition to having dinner in a healthy way, you have to do it soon.

    According to a study carried out in 2022 by the

    University of Murcia

    , in collaboration with

    Harvard

    and the

    Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)

    , eating less than two hours before bedtime increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 50%. And if you are an athlete , avoid playing sports late in the day, that is, shortly before going to bed;

    In order not to suffer the effect of high summer temperatures, it is much better to carry out physical activity in the morning.

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