The key to a good night's sleep

A good night's sleep is the greatest gift you can give to both your mental and physical health. After all, during your sleep, you are recovering from it. All kinds of neurological processes take place. Scientists Lopuveau and Aspelund discovered that our brain has its own cleansing system and your brain is “flushed” during sleep. Your brain cells shrink so that brain fluid can wash away the toxic waste products (proteins) of biochemical processes. The longer you sleep, the more waste products can be cleaned up and the better your brain can function.

Furthermore, your immune system is highly dependent on the amount of sleep you get per night. If you sleep less than 6 hours a night, the risk of a cold is much higher than if you sleep 7 hours or more. When you get little sleep, your pain threshold goes down. The fact that fatigue is a symptom of illness and when it comes to pain is yet another proof that our body intuitively senses the whole power of sleep.

You could say that we are currently struggling with poor sleep worldwide. Polar has done a large-scale global study. More than 6 million (!) respondents participated in the survey from 28 different countries. Here are some interesting results that we would like to share with you:

• Globally, people sleep an average of 6 hours and 53 minutes
• In Estonia, people sleep the longest, an average of 7 hours and 36 minutes
• In Japan, people sleep the shortest, an average of 6 hours and 33 minutes
• In Hong Kong, people sleep 6 hours 46 minutes and in Brazil 6 hours 53 minutes.
• In the Netherlands, people sleep an average of 7 hours and 29 minutes
• On average, women sleep 7 hours and 35 minutes
• On average, men sleep 7 hours and 13 minutes

We are dealing with a lot of stimuli these days, we have the feeling that we need to be “on” constantly. The to-do lists are updated every day. Stripping off can sometimes be difficult because of the many distractions we have. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep calm and ways to improve your sleep:

1. Set a consistent sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. This can help tune your internal clock to a healthy sleep-wake rhythm.
2. Create a restful sleeping environment: Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Avoid electronics such as TVs and phones in your bedroom because the blue light can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
3. Make relaxation and sleep a priority: Try to develop a routine to relax before going to sleep. This can include taking a hot bath, meditating or relaxation exercises does.
4. Limit stimulating activities before bed: Avoid stimulating activities such as working or exercising right before bed. Instead, you can read or listen to soothing music to help you relax.
5. Limit caffeine and alcohol: Limit caffeine and alcohol intake, especially in the evening and at night. Caffeine can interfere with sleep and alcohol can reduce sleep quality.

Talk to an expert in this area. If you regularly have trouble sleeping, it may be advisable to seek professional help. A coach can help you determine the underlying causes of your sleep problems and may recommend treatment options. Look at us;offerings!

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