When I was reading over the various diseases and conditions I chose one that, first, I can best relate to, and second, that is not too gross. So, the die was cased, I decided to do the interactive tutorial on the sleep disorders topic. The reason why I chose this topic is because I used to have difficulties to fall asleep myself. Just to make it clear, I had no sleeping disorder in this sense but it did affect my health to some degree.
This is exactly the same thing what my brain would do before falling asleep. (and from time to time still does)
Here is a summary what I learnt doing the tutorial.
Apparently, sleeping is one of the most crucial things to do in order to stay healthy. Sleep affects not only our physical health but also our mental health. During the night we go through five phases of sleep, namely drowsiness, light sleep, deep sleep, slow-wave deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement). Depending on how old we are and on our individual needs, 7-8 hours is the average amount of sleep.
Sleep deprivation affects our immune system, our concentration and memory, our growth, our mood etc. The most common sleeping disorders, which all can be cured once they are diagnosed, are:
- insomnia (mild insomnia can easily be cured only be changing one's sleeping habits)
- sleep apnea (interruption of breathing during sleep, therefore very often awaking during the night)
- RLS (restless leg syndrome, affected people have a prickling sensation in their legs and have the urge to move them in order to relief the sensation)
- narcolepsy (the brain is not able to regulate sleep-wake cycles properly, so the affected people fall asleep randomly and suddenly in the middle of being awake)
The next thing I want discuss here is how you can get a healthy amount of sleep but at the same time become a morning person. You would say: "What? A morning person??? No way!" But trust me, there is a way.
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| change from this... |
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| ...to this! |
First, I want to mention that I am the last person you would call a morning person. However, I noticed that getting up early after having sufficient sleep is a really pleasant thing. It has a lot of advantages, for example, you can get work done earlier or you can go to fetch your breakfast in the morning sun.
In order to be able to wake early you have to get enough sleep first! But how do you do that if you can't fall asleep!!?? Here are some tips that I applied in order to change my sleeping habits.
- The reason why I was not able to fall asleep was because I was thinking about what I have to do the next day. So I got me a small organizer (I have two, one for everyday matters and the other one for before-going-to-bed-notes). In this organizer I wrote down everything I have to finish or do the next day, included all the personal things e.g. what I should do better the next time I'm confronted with a difficult situation. This way, I can clear my mind from those distractions.
- It is advisable to stop using all electronics, such as phones or laptops, 30 minutes before bedtime.
- After setting the alarm clock, I usually make a cup of tea (no black or green tea!!!) and I hop into bed with a book and the mug in my hands. It is more advisable to put the mug down first, though.
- Taking a warm shower or letting some air in the bedroom before going to bed is also very helpful.
After doing all this "preparation" waking up early does not came magically either.
- First it is essential not to hit the snooze button! Because hitting the snooze button means that you will fall asleep again and reach the light sleep phase before the alarm wakes you up again. This way you will have interrupted your circle and will be more tired then before you hit the snooze button.
- Start slowly changing your waking habits. If you usually set the alarm at 10 o'clock, change it to 9h45 and move it down every day for 15 minutes.
Good night, sleep well and sweet dreams!!!
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