When the topic of sleep comes up, most people are usually bored or indifferent.

And not without reason, I would say.

Sleep is not sexy. We don't fully understand it, and usually what we don't understand we tend to despise and relegate to the bottom shelf of our priorities.

Even when we deal with our sleep habits, we do so superficially.

For example, we read an article about how important it is to sleep 8 hours every night and we decide to go to bed a little earlier than usual.

Our partner complains to us that we snore at night and we decide to lose some weight and visit a sleep clinic to deal with it.

But sleep is not as simple as dieting or losing weight. It is much more complicated.

In this article, we will analyze two of the most complex sleep issues and provide 3 solutions that you can implement immediately.

If you sleep 7 or 8 hours every night, don't suffer from sleep apnea, and still feel tired, then it would be a good idea to continue reading.

The myth of 8 hours of sleep

A good night's sleep doesn't begin and end with "8 hours" or choosing a good mattress.

Think about this – if you went to bed tonight at 10pm and woke up at 7am, but in between you were woken up every half hour, would that count as a good night's sleep?

A good night's sleep is defined by getting adequate sleep in well-balanced sleep phases.

[Read: How many hours of sleep do you really need? ]

The 2 problems

There are two issues to discuss here – 1) not sleeping in full cycles and 2) not sleeping deeply enough.

1. Sleeping in full cycles

The fact that we have to go throughcomplete sleep cycles for optimal rest is becoming somewhat commonplace for most health-conscious people, so here we will simply reiterate the basic facts and move on to what is our main point of interest – DEEP SLEEP.

How long does a complete sleep cycle last?

The duration of a complete sleep cycle is 90-110 minutes. The fact that it varies from person to person complicates the planning of a complete sleep cycle.

What can we do to make sure we have complete cycles?

Calculate how many hours you will sleep, keeping in mind that you need to complete 4 to 5 sleep cycles.

How to plan it correctly?

1. Consider purchasing a sleep tracker to determine the length of your sleep cycle.

2. Do the math.

Let's say your sleep cycle is about 90 minutes. If you are going to bed at 12:00 AM and you have set your alarm for 7 AM, then you will wake up in the middle of the 5th sleep cycle. To wake up naturally and more rested, it would be better to set your alarm for 7:30 AM (5 sleep cycles x 90 minutes (1.5 hours) = 7.5 hours)

If you can't change your wake-up time, then what you need to do to avoid feeling tired the next morning is simply to go to bed earlier. For example, if you wake up at 7am, then go to bed at 11pm. This will allow you to wake up naturally and restedly as your 5th cycle ends around 6:30am.

[Read: 10 ways to become a morning person ]

2. Imbalanced sleep phases

At this point we won't bother with wavelengths and other scientific chatter because we don't need it.

We will be concise and clear.

There are two main phases of sleep, non-REM and REM (Rapid Eye Movement).

NREM sleep

Stage 1

Your eyes are closed and moving slowly from side to side, but it's still easy to wake up.

Your muscles are relaxed and your body temperature drops slightly.

This stage lasts 5-10 minutes.

Stage 2 – light sleep

Your heart rate slows and your body temperature drops even further. Your body is still and preparing for deep sleep.

This stage lasts about 15-20 minutes and we spend about half the night in “light sleep.” You can still be awakened by low-level stimuli (such as the sound of a door closing).

Stage 3 – Deep sleep

Your brain slows down and there is minimal brain activity. You breathe slowly and your heart rate and blood pressure drop even further.

Now you are in deep sleep and this is where all the magic of your body's recovery happens.

While the brain is dormant, your body regenerates tissue, sheds dead cells, builds bones and muscles, and replenishes the immune system.

[Read: How to increase deep sleep ]

REM sleep

The brain is active and your body is still.

We are in this stage when we dream.

Just as your body needs to repair itself and get rid of unwanted cells, during REM sleep your brain clears out all the "junk" of information we've been exposed to during the day and refreshes neural pathways.

We spend about 20% of the night in REM sleep.

The problem is that you don't get enough deep sleep. So, even though you sleep 8 hours a night, you wake up tired.

Most people might consider this symptom as "chronic fatigue."

No, we're not saying you don't work hard. We're saying that even with long working hours, without frequent breaks for rest, and assuming you don't suffer from depression, a good night's sleep means you'll wake up every morning full of energy.

The underlying problem may be a sleep phase disorder.

To be more precise – you may be spending more time in light sleep, a time that affects periods of deep sleep.

The sleep tracker mentioned above can give you some idea of ​​what's going on. If the data it collects gives you enough reason to visit a sleep clinic and it turns out that you have a problem with unbalanced sleep phases, solving it is not simple.

Not so simple, probably, that it can be solved with turmeric tea, milk, and honey...

You will need to review some things and redesign your nightly (and some of your daily) habits.

Most of what we say is common sense and you probably know it, but here, we emphasize how big an impact certain habits have on how we ultimately sleep at night and on our quality of life in general.

3 tips to fix the problem

1. Avoid caffeine after certain hours

Yes, yes, you've heard it before, but few of us know more about the subject than the old rule of science that says "don't drink coffee late."

The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine published a study about the exact effects of caffeine on sleep patterns.

The study observed two groups of people, one receiving caffeine 3 hours and the other 6 hours before bedtime.

Both showed significant abnormalities in sleep patterns.

The study measured the results not only by monitoring sleep patterns but also subjectively, by asking participants to keep a diary.

This is the interesting part…

While the machines that monitored their sleep found that those who consumed caffeine 6 hours before bed lost about 1 hour of sleep, the participants did not notice any difference in sleep quality.

The sleep monitor showed that they were not reaching normal levels of deep sleep, while they themselves reported that they were sleeping just fine.

How to fix your caffeine habit

Something many of us don't know about caffeine is how long it takes for it to have an effect on our bodies. Caffeine takes 5 to 6 hours to lose half of its initial effect and 10 to 12 hours to lose ¾ of its effectiveness and be metabolized by our bodies.

In other words, if you drink a coffee at 12:00 noon, then at 00:00 midnight ¼ of the caffeine will still be circulating in your brain.

This means that drinking a double cup of espresso 5-6 hours before bedtime will have similar effects on your sleep as consuming a single shot right before bed.

If you want more energy, don't look for the solution in caffeine, drink less of it, and if you can't completely stop this habit, at least enjoy it only in the mornings.

2. Optimize the digestion process

After scientists discovered that the gut has the same number of neurotransmitters as the brain, they rightly called it "the second brain."

But what is the relationship between the gut and sleep?

One of the most important players in the game of good sleep is melatonin, which regulates sleep and wake cycles.

The building block of melatonin is serotonin, and 95% of our serotonin is found in our gut. It is produced there by the intestines.

So, healthy intestines and good digestion create healthy serotonin levels.

Melatonin is known as a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in our brain, however, discoveries arising from recent research show that our intestines retain 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland.

Furthermore, if the pineal gland is surgically removed, melatonin levels in the gut do not change, meaning that the cells in our digestive system are extremely efficient at producing the hormone.

Correcting digestion

How can you make sure your digestion is at a good level before bed?

1. Minimize foods and chemicals that "confuse" your digestive system, such as:

• Processed foods
• Chlorinated water
• Additives and preservatives
• Antibiotics
• Chemicals used in agriculture

2. Eat more sleep-promoting nutrients, such as:

• Tryptophan (found in chicken, eggs, turkey, chia/hemp/pumpkin seeds, almonds, bananas and leafy greens)
• Magnesium (dry nuts, seeds, leafy greens, fish, beans, dark chocolate, bananas, avocados, whole grains)
• Selenium (beef, chicken, sunflower seeds, oysters)
• Vitamin C (citrus fruits, kiwi, leafy vegetables, strawberries, peppers)
• Potassium (bananas, leafy greens, broccoli, avocado, potatoes)
• Calcium (sesame seeds, sardines, kale and mustard greens, cabbage)
• Vitamin D (in addition to sunlight, you can get this valuable vitamin in food form by eating salmon, mackerel, tuna, shiitake mushrooms, and oysters)
• Omega 3 (pumpkin, hemp and flax seeds, salmon, walnuts, olive or flax)
• Vitamin B6 (bananas, peanuts, almonds, spinach, eggs, avocado)
• Prebiotics and probiotics (pickles, yogurt, kefir, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha)

The list may seem long, but you will notice that most of the foods complement each other, which means that a well-planned and balanced diet will include all food categories without over-planning.

3. Create a peaceful sleep environment

We are creatures of habit and perception.

Your eyes may be closed and the bedroom may be dark, but the "feel" of the room makes all the difference.

A well-designed bedroom is not about luxurious furnishings or an expensive mattress, but about the feeling of entering a different dimension when you cross its threshold. You enter a "sacred" space where the purpose is to enjoy a deep and refreshing sleep. Nothing else.

The four basic rules for designing a bedroom that will exude tranquility are:

1. Decongestion

Have you ever wondered why you feel so relaxed in a nice hotel room?

Is it because the sheets are better than the ones you have at home? Is it the mattress?

No.

It's the simplicity and absence of clutter that makes hotel rooms calm you.

So, if there should be one room in the house where "Less is More" applies, it's the bedroom.

2. Focus on purpose

The bedroom is the room for sleeping.

So sleep should be the focus of this room and nothing else. And sex. Nothing else.

If you are used to studying, eating, or watching TV in the bedroom, then the brain associates it with these activities and begins to create patterns that are not conducive to achieving quality sleep.

3. Colors

Nothing affects the feel of a room more than the color of the walls.

We know you would expect us to continue here about earth tones, blacks, whites and greys.

But no.

Blue is the warmest color.

A survey conducted at leading hotel chains in the UK found that guests who slept the longest (7 hours and 52 minutes on average) were those in rooms painted in pastel shades of blue, such as aqua or eggshell blue.

A study found that aqua blue is the most sleep-promoting bedroom color. The same study identified the “worst” color combinations for a bedroom: purple, brown, and gray.

These are the exact results:

Purple – 5 hours and 56 minutes on average
Coffee – 6 hours and 5 minutes
Gray – 6 hours and 12 minutes at night

Here are the full results of the survey:

4. Gravity blanket

The easiest and completely natural way to upgrade your sleep quality is to invest in a Prosleep gravity blanket .

It is a therapeutic blanket weighing 6 to 14 kilograms, which is designed to exert an equal and constant pressure throughout the body, known as Deep Tactile Pressure. This pressure naturally relaxes your nervous system, increases serotonin (and therefore melatonin) levels, while reducing cortisol levels in the body, the stress hormone.

By choosing a blanket weight close to 10% of your body weight, you will enjoy a unique experience of grounding and peace that will lead you to deep and uninterrupted sleep for the whole night. We don't say this, but our customers in the reviews. 😊

Epilogue

The reality is this: we spend a third of our lives sleeping, and the remaining two-thirds are significantly influenced by how well we sleep.

Sleep is a skill that you have to learn.

Study it, act on your findings, and you will be amply rewarded.

Tackle stress and insomnia with a gravity blanket

Gravity blankets are the most effective way to deal with insomnia and stress without medication, as they have been used for many decades to help people suffering from anxiety disorders, autism, and other sensory disorders.

How do they work?

They are designed to apply gentle, steady pressure to the entire body, which occupational therapists call “ Deep Tactile Pressure .” This steady pressure relaxes the nervous system and helps the body naturally increase levels of serotonin and melatonin (the hormones of happiness and sleep) while reducing levels of cortisol, which is responsible for stress.

As a result, the mind stops "racing", the heart rate drops, the mood improves and the body enters a state of complete relaxation.

Choose the one that weighs closest to 10% of your body weight and upgrade your sleep from the very first night.