Sleeping is an essential function for the human body. But it is not always easy to get enough sleep and quality sleep. Whether it's because we're stressed or because we don't keep a good sleep preparation routine (more about it in a little while), it's common to wake up and feel that we needed another night's sleep to be really awake, right? And in the case of women, the need and difficulty of having a good night's sleep can be even greater.
What happens when we sleep?
Sleeping is essential for our brain and physique to recover, allowing us to be fit for the next day (and in the long run as well). When we don't sleep enough, we compromise concentration, mood, energy levels and reasoning. And yet, sleep badly and/or little, consistently:
- increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes;
- Increases the cravings During the day;
- Increases insulin resistance and can make weight loss (or even contribute to its increase);
- contributes to greater prevalence of depression, anxiety and even dementia;
- Increases the risk of inflammation and oxidative stress in the body;
- decreases libido;
- compromises our autoimmune function.
Why are women different?
Hormonal changes. Whether the most regular in life, such as menstruation or ovulation, or the most punctuals such as pregnancy and menopause, all change the sleep architecture and the duration and quality of sleep cycles. Moreover, while men's physical and mental recovery depends above all on testosterone, women is more impacted by crucial hormones in sleep cycles, namely insulin and growth hormone
Lack of continued rest. Women tend to accumulate more functions and there are even studies that prove that female brain activity is greater, much to our account Multi-Tasking. This ends up not allowing us to turn so easily at bedtime. In addition, if it was a mother, you know that the night awakenings to take care of their children dramatically change our posture during sleep, even after they are already grown.
Greater tendency to suffer from insomnia. It is estimated that we are 40% more subject to insomnia than men. In puberty, for example, hormonal changes in the female body make them 3 times more susceptible to insomnia, compared to boys of the same age.
How to prepare the body to sleep better?
Apart from the end of the day, a good night's sleep is preparing… Since we woke up!
Natural light when waking up. When we expose the sunlight upon waking up, we are giving our body a sign decrease melatonin production (important to fall asleep) and increase cortisol production, Responsible for giving us power in the morning. If you can, Pick up 10 minutes of sunshine upon waking, In the window, on the porch or even on a quick ride.
Do not have coffee from lunch time. Caffeine stimulates our body and can deregulate cortisol production, which will affect the quality and consistency of sleep. Try to have coffee only in the first part of the day (preferably 1h30 after waking) and then opt for other drinks. If you really feel that you need something stimulating, opt for a matchasince its caffeine release in the body is quite different.
Support sleep through food. Unsurprisingly, we eat it is essential for our general health, so we can also choose some foods that make sleep easier, rich in potassium, vitamin D, magnesium, melatonin and tryptophan. Almonds, walnuts, bananas, fatty fish, cherries, eggs and yogurt are some of them.
Adjust the room temperature. Try to keep the room between 15ºC and 20ºC. Very hot bedrooms or bedding will affect your body temperature, creating difficulties in falling asleep (or making it wake up at night). If you sleep in a very hot space, taking a colder shower before bed can help (and if you use the Exfoliate Relax It is a bonus, since the lavender's aroma is highly relaxing).
Supplements with soothing medicinal plants. Especially in the second part of the day, you can start Take some supplements with medicinal plants and adaptogeneous mind -soothing, reduce cortisol levels, improve mood and relax muscles. Change the afternoon coffee or finish the day With a cup of calm and take the Drops At dinner time, preparing the night's sleep.
