Why we require sleep still remains a medical mystery, but we all know how we feel when we don’t get enough of it. Maintaining your energy levels throughout the day and looking good can be achieved only after a proper night’s rest. Your friends will be the first to tell you that you look tired, even when you may not feel it.
According to research by the US National Commission on Sleep Disorders, one in every three people on any given night has difficulty falling or staying asleep. If you take it a step further, one in every three people is not at their best the next day. Pay attention to the signs. Keep track of the periods of the day when you can’t stop yawning or have very low energy levels to help you determine whether you are getting the proper rest, try to choose a zijslaapkussen slaapcity pillow and a good quality mattress.
There is only so much overdraft or sleep debt that the body’s bank will allow. Because of the stimulating effects the light and our environment have on us, we may not know it. A sleep debt can become so great that we cannot resist falling asleep, sometimes in potentially dangerous situations like when driving a car.
We all have different sleep patterns and need different amounts of sleep, so it could be that too much sleep for you is not enough for others. Your body will give you the signs – listen to it.
Sleep patterns
If you have a difficult time getting to sleep, keeping a sleep diary over a period of 1-2 weeks can help you to analyse what is causing it and whether you are accumulating a sleep debt. Make sure you have the right Snoozel Green mattress to avoid back pain and to sleep better.
Before you go to bed, write down the time and how sleepy you feel using a scale of 1-10, 10 being the sleepiest. Write down any particular worries you may have and what foods you ate during the day. When you awake, write down when you think you fell asleep, whether you got up during the night and what time you awoke. Think about whether you were woken by light or noise and whether you were hot or cold. All these factors influence your sleep patterns.
If you find that your energy levels are high and your concentration is normal despite sleeping problems, then you are a rare individual who can survive with less rest. It may not last for ever. Most of us require seven and a half hours of sleep to feel well rested. Only 2 per cent of the population can get by with five hours. The older we get, the more sleep our bodies require.
If you find that you are sleepy during the day and have less energy than you need, your body needs more rest. Read your diary and look for common themes that may be contributing to your restless nights.
