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What’s More Important For Good Health: Sleep or Exercise?

sleep or exercise

Have you found yourself in a predicament where you stayed up too late, got only a few hours of sleep, woke up groggy and went half asleep to the gym? But what is actually good for you – is it sleep or exercise? Both, actually! Sleep and exercise are key components of a healthy lifestyle. You can’t choose between sleep or exercise, as you need both. Slacking on either one of them can affect the other.

What Happens When You Sleep Late and Wake Up Early?

Due to minimal sleep, your circadian rhythms shifts. This means you’re “exercising during your biological night” when you should still be sleeping and that’s counterproductive. Your muscle cells, which also have circadian rhythms, recover and perform better during your body’s biological daytime than they do during the biological night.

Obviously, working out when your whole body is awake is crucial when it comes to your muscles and getting a proper amount of sleep also helps prevent injuries during exercises. In fact, a lack of sleep can weaken your immune system (which prevents you from working out) and can also lead to weight gain and health issues like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, i.e. precisely what exercise aims to prevent. But on the flipside, regular exercise promotes more restful sleep. So, working out at the right time can actually bank you some quality shut-eye rather than curb it.

How To Sleep Better For Better Exercise?

Whether you need to set an earlier bedtime or find a different window for working out, make sure you’re not putting yourself in the position to decide between these two titan pillars of wellness. Consider revolutionizing your to-do-list routine in a way that makes you happier to achieve these goals.

Stay away from heavy and oily foods before bed for better sleep. Also, keep away from electronics an hour before you go to bed as the back-light from your cellphones can affect your sleep. Try to be as comfortable as possible, which means wear loose clothing and keep yourself warm.

Try these tips to sleep better. In fact, you can also try breathing exercises to help you get better sleep: Click here to know more.

We hope this article has helped you and you don’t need to choose between sleep or exercise! To get more information like this from certified experts, subscribe for GOQii’s personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Sleep Well Without Electronics

Sleep Well Without Electronics

I am not here to quote articles to tell you that radiation from electronics wrecks sleep. I am here to tell you that it really does. Period. And for the current generation, it is a bad scenario!

Why Should You Believe Me?

Well, after reading this article, put off your WiFi, network and call connection for 2 hours before going to bed. Try and gauge the quality of your sleep. Ask yourself, if you slept deep or if you were disturbed during bedtime? It’s tried and tested, you sleep much deeper and better.

Using TVs, tablets, smartphones, laptops or other electronic devices before bed delays the body’s internal clock & might suppress the release of melatonin which induces sleep.

Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep and causes headaches and confusion. The “glow” from electronics is at work against quality shut-eye. The small amounts of light from these devices pass through the retina into a part of the hypothalamus (the area of the brain that controls several sleep activities) and delay the release of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin.

Many of us are into binge-watching television shows. Research shows that those who are identified as binge-watchers report more fatigue, symptoms of insomnia, poorer sleep quality and greater alertness prior going to bed. Further analysis found that binge-watchers had a 98% higher likelihood of having poor sleep quality compared to those who did not consider themselves to be binge-watchers.

Gaming is the worst of all for all age groups. Video games appeared to contribute to sleep problems as well, even if the kids watched or played them during the daytime. Activities like TV, gaming, etc. gets you excited, and in many cases, you end up sleeping late, with disturbed sleeping patterns. In case you’re in your 20s and 30s and manage to sleep well with this scenario, my suggestion is to stop now. TV and computer monitors can keep melatonin levels from rising normally because of the brightness of the screens. Around bedtime, adults and the young should be winding down.

 Why Should Anyone Bother About Good Quality Sleep?

Sleep is important because it enables the body to repair, be fit and ready for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration. It is extremely essential part of healing well. 

Am I suggesting that we all stop using electronics? Hell No! However, you can do the following

  1. Put your WiFi off 4-5 hours before sleeping
  2. Try to decrease and eventually stop using all electronic items 4-5 hours before bed. Get back to the landline maybe!
  3. Gaming & play outside the house is a YES, and on the phone is a NO for all age groups
  4. Read a book, a newspaper or chat up with friends
  5. Meditating is one of the best options before bed as it induces your healing process and recuperates your body, mind and emotions.

If you really want to experience perfect sleep try to be away from technology for those 6 to 8 hours so you spend 16-18 hours of the other part of the day where you really need it!

We hope this article helps you sleep well. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more on sleep, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Tips to Help You Sleep Better!

sleep better

Sleep! You might have already so many articles about this especially when you’ve not been getting quality sleep. Before we go deeper into how you can sleep better, let us first understand how we define sleep! As per the world’s sleep research, William Dement (Author of promise of sleep) defines sleep as the ‘Moment when the brain starts producing theta waves’.  

Too technical! What exactly are theta waves? I don’t want to get too technical, so I will talk about medical jargon in the most simplest way possible.

The Brain Produces ‘Waves’ All The Time!

While you are awake (concentrating), your brain produces beta waves. When you are daydreaming, relaxing or lying around, your brain produces alpha waves. While your body is in the transition from relaxing to sleeping, that’s when your brain starts producing theta waves. When your body is in deep sleep, your body produces delta waves. sleep better

During this period, your body starts producing growth hormones. I always tell this to my patients. Your body undergoes repairs when you enter deep sleep which is very crucial for overall well being.

When I was learning more about sleep, the one question that often came to mind was, “How and when do we get dreams?”

After theta waves, there is one interesting thing which happens. It is called as REM Sleep or Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. This is when your eyes are moving with closed eyelids. You might be dreaming but you will not remember your dreams completely the next day.

According to me, these are just basic things about sleep which everyone should be aware of (and with good reason).

Do you ever get a feeling of waking up tired after sleeping for almost 9 hours?

When I ask this question to my patients, they say, “I am tired all the time!”

This is called as Sleep Deprivation.

How Do You Know That You Are Sleep Deprived?

I read a lot! One of the books that I read on sleep is the Promise of Sleep. The book spoke about a very cool way of figuring out if we are sleep deprived or not. Check out the steps below:

  • Go to bed with a spoon in your hand
  • Your hand should be in a position where the spoon is over the floor and not over the bed
  • Note the time when you plan to sleep
  • As soon as you fall asleep, your hand muscles will relax. Once this happens, the spoon will fall on the floor and the noise will wake you up.
  • Note the time when you wake up. That’s your own sleep latency.

There are many other sleep tests which are done as well to figure sleep deprivation out.

Now that we understand what happens when we sleep,

Follow These Tips to Sleep Better

As always, we go back to our basics: Sleep Hygiene

  • Restrict Tea/Coffee/Green Tea and other caffeinated drinks. Caffeine circulates in the system for at least 7.5 hours. Taking caffeinated drinks close to bedtime can mess your sleep schedule.
  • Make sure you create a sunset kind of environment post sunset with yellow dim lights so your body realises that it’s the time for you to relax, rest and sleep. Same thing goes for the gadgets! Blue light from your devices block the sleep hormone production. If you have long screen hours, try using blue blocking glasses post sunset.
  • Make sure that your room temperature is around 19-20. Usually, our body temperature tends to fall when we sleep. This will help you in maintaining an ideal body temperature when you wake up.
  • Try to avoid exercising, watching exciting/horror movies which will keep your mind active for a long period of time.

Apart from the basics,

Try the Sleep Restriction State Method

  • If you think you sleep 4 hours per night, then sleep for 4 hours only
  • Go to bed at 1 AM and set your alarm clock for 6AM. You’re not allowed to go to bed earlier than 1AM, or wake up later than 6AM.
  • You will be tired the following day. Extremely tired! That’s a good thing. You will be wondering, what is good in being tired but this will drive you to sleep earlier the next day
  • The next day, you add ½ hour to the sleep time. You go to bed at 12:30AM instead of 1 AM and wake up at 6AM.
  • Keep increasing your sleep window by ½ hour per day till you feel the sleep debt is paid off.

Why are we doing this? It’s because during this time of the sleep window, you won’t be allowed to use stimulants to keep yourself up. No coffee or any kind of caffeinated beverages. We are doing this so that your body starts building up the fatigue, drowsiness and eventually you will end up sleeping. This will help in recovering your sleep debt.

Sometimes, stiff neck muscles will decrease the blood supply to the brain, which results into fragmented sleep. Getting a physio evaluation for the same will also help in improving sleep quality.

We hope these tips help you sleep better! Do type your thoughts and queries in the comments below!

To read more on sleep, check out Healthy Reads. To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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How The Circadian Rhythm Affects Your Health

circadian rhythm

Circadian Rhythms are 24 hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, which aid essential functions and processes. For instance, the sleep-wake cycle is a well known circadian rhythm. Different parts of the body follow circadian rhythms that are connected to the master clock of the brain. The master clock is affected by the environment, which is why the circadian rhythm is tied to the day and night cycle. While following your body’s natural clock can help you reap some amazing benefits, doing the opposite can create many health problems. Researchers also believe that circadian rhythms play an important role in the diverse aspects of physical and mental health.

How Does It Affect You?  

Circadian rhythms work best when the body processes are optimized at various points during a 24-hour period. It works with the mental and physical systems throughout the body. The digestive system produces proteins to suit the timings of the meals, and the endocrine system regulates the hormones to suit normal energy expenditure. 

During the day, when you are exposed to sunlight, the master clock sends signals to generate alertness which keeps us awake and active. As night falls, the master clock helps in the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and sends signals that helps us to sleep through the night. When we sleep well at night, it helps us be active during the day.

Straying away from your body’s clock can give rise to serious sleeping problems. Without proper signalling from the body’s internal clock, a person can struggle to fall asleep and wake up during the night, or being unable to sleep as long as they want in the morning. This leaves a person with little energy, attentiveness, focus, etc. 

In addition, studies have found out that Circadian rhythm disruptions as potential contributors to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder marked by repeated lapses in breathing. OSA reduces the body’s oxygen levels and causes numerous sleep interruptions through the night.

Types of Sleep-Wake Disorders 

  1. Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: This type of circadian rhythm disruption is associated with people who stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning. The main cause is unknown but may be related to genetics, underlying physical conditions and a person’s behaviour.
  2. Jet Lag Disorder: This happens when a person crosses a lot of time zones in a short period of time during intercontinental flights. They are likely to suffer from sleeping problems and fatigue from jet lag.
  3. Irregular Sleep–Wake Disorder: People with this rare disorder have no consistent pattern for their sleep and may have many naps or short sleeping periods throughout the day. It may affect the brain and cause dementia. 
  4. Shift Work Sleep Disorder: commonly affects those who work non-traditional hours, outside the typical 9am to 5pm work day. Shift work schedules go against most people’s internal body clocks or circadian rhythms. 
  5. Non 24 hour Sleep-Wake Disorder: This condition occurs in people who are blind and are not able to receive light. Their body follows a 24 hour cycle, but their sleeping hours change backwards by minutes or hours at a time.

Tips To Maintain Your Circadian Rhythm 

  • Exposure to sunlight: It is good to walk early in the day so that you can get good exposure to natural light and take in some Vitamin D.
  • Avoid caffeine: Stimulants like caffeine can keep you awake and can disturb the circadian rhythm. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine after noon. 
  • Eat a protein rich breakfast: Protein gives you the strength to be active throughout the day.
  • Avoid stress: Keep a positive attitude. Be assertive instead of aggressive, meditate, do yoga and eat healthy well-balanced meals.
  • Get daily exercise: Take a brisk walk early morning and keep yourself active throughout the day. This can help your internal clock and make it easier to fall asleep at night.
  • Take a short nap in the afternoon: Short naps can relax us while long naps throw our sleep off schedule.
  • Limit light before sleep: Artificial lighting can interfere with the circadian rhythm. Therefore, dim the lights and turn off all electronic devices one hour before bedtime.

Researchers believe that chronic disruptions in circadian rhythms could affect the immune system leading to weight gain, impulsive slower thinking and other physiological and behavioral changes from the observation made in people who work in shifts and those who are often jet lagged. 

If this article intrigued you and you’d like to know more, check out our article on the Circadian Rhythm Diet and how it helps. To balance your sleep-wake cycle or ensure better sleep quality, reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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