28 January 2020 | Conseil du bien dormir
« Did I sleep well last night ? » This is certainly one of the first questions we ask ourselves when we wake up. So that this does not become a daily worry, some good habits are necessary.
Sleep is such a neglected activity! Sleeping well has become an everyday concern, even a nightmare for some. For those who go to bed late, sleep is fragmented and light, and bedtime sometimes even becomes a sort of chore. Sleep takes up ⅓ of our life, and it is a vital component of our well-being and health. Good sleep is restorative: the body and the brain rest, cells regenerate, the immune system is reinforced and tensions dissipate. When waking from good sleep, the feeling of strength makes us want to leap up and move mountains! A good night’s sleep also makes us more efficient and allows our brain to memorize the information acquired during the day more precisely.
« Did I sleep well last night ? » This is certainly one of the first questions we ask ourselves when we wake up. So that this does not become a daily worry, some good habits are necessary. Several factors disturb the quality of sleep: poor bedding, ambient noise, stress, temperature, magnetic waves and more. Other lifestyle factors are also just as important: an unbalanced diet, alcohol or tobacco consumption just before bedtime.
Each individual is unique. To apply significant changes to the quality of your own sleep, it is recommended that you understand your own physiological needs and how sleep responds to these. Follow these 3 tips to gradually recover the sleep you need.
CHOOSE SUITABLE AND HIGH QUALITY BEDDING
The golden rule of good sleep is a great mattress! A good mattress is essential for optimal support of the spine, to promote muscle relaxation by dissipating tensions accumulated during the day, to reinforce blood circulation thus augmenting cell regeneration and to maintain a suitable body temperature.
In order to avoid health problems due to worn bedding, we recommend changing mattresses every ten years. Studies demonstrate that good quality bedding increases sleep continuity: subjects fall asleep faster and there are fewer nocturnal awakenings, translating into the equivalent of one hour of additional sleep every night. It is important also to ensure that the bedding in which you will invest is well ventilated. Each night, a sleeper eliminates more than a quarter litre of sweat through skin pores and it is necessary to evacuate this perspiration. If you suffer from asthma for example, special attention must be given to the ventilation of the mattress.
Take the time to choose your mattress! Try different firmnesses and various material compositions to discover your ideal mattress. Why not use our mattress selector to help guide you in your search. At Elite, the wide range of mattresses combined with our great experience and know-how concerning sleep will guide your quest for the perfect mattress adapted to each morphology and sleeping habits. Moreover, Elite mattresses are guaranteed for life and Ecolabel certified. This unique European certification distinguishes products whose components are durable as well as respectful of the environment while being risk-free for consumer health. Our certified bedding is our commitment to your health and that of the planet.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
AND OPTIMISING SLEEP CYCLES
Sleep needs are individual. Some people need less while others need much more but sleep must fulfil everyone’s needs, because good sleep hygiene is as necessary on a physical level as it is on a mental level. To take care of your sleep is to take care of your health.
Sleep works in cycles. The sleeping/waking rhythm is regulated in the brain by the thalamus and calibrated to the circadian rhythm, a sort of internal biological clock. It is important to listen to this and go to bed as soon as the first signs of relaxation or fatigue appear, such as yawning. To reveal if your sleep rhythm is adequate, simply observe your body upon waking and throughout the day. If you wake up tired, a limp body, irritability and lack of concentration will follow you throughout the day. On the other hand, if you wake up full of life and your day begins with a real energy, then your sleeping rhythm is perfectly suited to your needs and you should carefully protect your bedtime ritual.
For those who have sleep pathologies, one of the priorities is to understand their underlying reasons then to define the most suitable biological rhythm to remedy them. Maybe even a consultation with sleep specialists is a first step towards possible recovery, such as the Center for Investigation and Research in Sleep at the CHUV. For mild disorders, energy practices such as yoga or meditation could help improve the bedtime ritual. During the day, a short nap could be a blessing !
REDUCE ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
AND AVOID SCREENS
Electronic and electrical devices such as mobile phones produce electromagnetic waves that travel through the air. In the long term, these waves cause stress and headaches, prevent the production of melatonin and erode the tightness of the blood-brain barrier. Imagine these waves in a bedroom, a room dedicated to rest and relaxation !
To protect your sleep, one must seek to establish the best possible conditions at bedtime. It is recommended to avoid the presence and use of electromagnetic devices such as televisions, game consoles or laptops in the immediate vicinity of the bed. These create too much excitement and stimulation for the brain. When there is too much blue light from screens, it resets our biological clock to zero and blocks the regulation of the sleep hormone melatonin. It is recommended to quit screen time about 1 to 2 hours before bed as this is already good for relaxing the eyes while helping prepare the body and brain for sleep.
