Sleep Archives - Page 3 of 7

March 31, 2022 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 3 Comments

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

Put your WiFi off 4-5 hours before sleeping
Try to decrease and eventually stop using all electronic items 4-5 hours before bed. Get back to the landline maybe!
Gaming & play outside the house is a YES, and on the phone is a NO for all age groups
Read a book, a newspaper or chat up with friends
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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February 17, 2022 By GOQii 2 Comments

How The Circadian Rhythm Affects Your Health

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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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January 26, 2022 By GOQii 9 Comments

2 Breathing Techniques For Better Sleep

Do you have trouble getting sleep despite the fact that you are tired? Sleeping well is an art. It needs a perfect blend of healthy habits and control of mind. A clean body and mind, relaxed mood, physical exercises, and perfect dietary control are some of the basic sleep-inducing methods. However, one of the best ways to bring the body into its relaxed state is – BREATHING! How do breathing techniques for better sleep work? Let’s find out!

Breathing Techniques For Better Sleep

Breathing deeply has been proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system and even the expression of genes. Research has shown that breathing exercises like Pranayama can have immediate effects by altering the pH of the blood, or changing blood pressure. But, more importantly, they can be used as a method to train the body’s reaction to stressful situations and dampen the production of harmful stress hormones and help induce sleep.

Here are 2 important breathing methods to calm the mind and induce sleep naturally.

1. The 4-7-8 Technique

How To Do It?
This process is recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, a practitioner and teacher of integrative medicine for the last thirty years. To do this exercise, sit up in bed with your back straight or lie down on a straight back and press the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth right behind your front teeth. Maintaining that position, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four counts, hold that breath for seven counts, and then exhale through your mouth around your tongue for eight counts. Repeat this pattern until you have completed four full breaths.

How It Works?
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is effective because it encourages the fast removal of carbon dioxide. Doing so equates into a better preservation of the bicarbonate pool; our reservoirs for helping maintain an appropriate pH balance. Also, it allows the lungs to become fully charged with air, allowing more oxygen into the body, which promotes a state of calm.

2. Left Nostril Breathing

How To Do It?
Simply take your right hand and with your fingers outstretched, block off your right nostril by putting gentle pressure on it with your right thumb. Be sure to keep the rest of your fingers straight and pointing up. With a long, slow, deep breath, gently inhale through your left nostril. Then, just as gently, exhale long, slowly and completely, again through the left nostril. Do this for at least 3 minutes; chances are you might doze of even before that!

How It Works?
When we’re under stress or feeling anxious, we tend to breathe mostly out of our right nostril, which is connected to our left brain. This activates our sympathetic nervous system, the channel responsible for the classic stress response – dilated pupils, increased core temperature, sweating, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. And when we start breathing through the left nostril the parasympathetic system gets activated which slows us down and helps our body automatically run its day to day jobs of digestion, elimination, sleep cycles and more.

Apart from these 2 breathing techniques for better sleep, you can also try meditation or mindfulness by just observing your breath as it goes in and as it comes out. Connecting with this rise and fall of the breath, and noticing where you feel that breath move within the body can help you begin the process of relaxing tense muscles and create a coherent heart pattern which brings an instant state of tranquil and helps you drift off to peaceful deep sleep.

We hope this article helps you sleep better! Do you meditate before you go to bed? What helps you sleep better? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on sleep, check out Healthy Reads or you can get tips directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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November 25, 2021 By Sunita Arora 1 Comment

How To Improve Sleep and Sleep Quality

With the pandemic still looming over us, it has become increasingly imperative to boost our immunity. While a healthy diet, exercise and hygiene play an important role, we should also focus on adequate sleep! Getting good quality sleep every night helps the T-Cells in our body fight off infections. Poor sleep increases inflammation and there’s a likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases as well.

How to Improve Sleep Quality

In case you are not getting adequate rest or aren’t getting any quality sleep or are facing issues falling asleep, we have some tips to help you out:

Bedtime and wake up time should be the same. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time daily. Practice the same routine on weekends too.
Maintain Sleep Hygiene: Do not consume alcohol 6 hours before bedtime. Also avoid caffeine 4 hours before sleeping and do not smoke before going to bed.
Limit Screen Time: Stay away from your gadgets and mobile phones at least an hour before sleeping. Put your phones on DND mode for uninterrupted rest.
Environment Is Everything: Keep your bedroom environment clean, calm, dark and quiet. Make sure that your mattress and pillows are comfortable.
Eat a Light Dinner: Strictly avoid heavy meals at night and finish your dinner 2-3 hours before going to bed. If possible, go for a light walk after dinner every day.
In case you find it difficult to fall asleep, you can listen to light to soothing music 45 minutes before bedtime. Music generally soothes our nerves, reduces stress levels, and helps us fall asleep faster.
Deep breathing is a very effective tool for inducing good quality sleep. Do deep breathing 10 minutes before bedtime daily to improve your sleep and reduce stress levels. You can also try these breathing techniques: https://goqii.com/blog/breathing-techniques-for-better-sleep/
A Lukewarm Shower 1-2 hours before bed is a well-known remedy for sleeplessness. It significantly improves sleep quality and reduces anxiety.
Lavender oil is used for aromatherapy which improves sleep quality, especially for people who are fighting with insomnia, depression, and anxiety. You can put 2-3 drops of lavender oil on your wrist or pillow at night, it will soothe your nerves and help you fall asleep easily.

If you’ve tried the above techniques and still face issues with sleeping, start drinking warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg or turmeric 30 minutes before bedtime. It should help. If sleeplessness issues persist, consider speaking to your doctor.

For more techniques on how to sleep and to learn about sleep-related issues, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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