The science behind a better night’s sleep

It is no secret that a good night’s sleep plays a crucial role in mental and physical health and well -being. The way you feel during your awake for hours depends strongly on how you sleep, say sleep experts.

A pattern of insufficient or unsatisfactory sleep over time can increase the risk of chronic health problems and can influence how well we think, respond, work, learn and get along with others.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, and one in three adults does not regularly get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep that is needed to protect their health.

Many factors play a role in preparing the body to fall asleep and wake up, according to the National Institutes of Health. Our internal “Body Clock” manages the sleeping and waking cycles and runs on a 24-hour repeating rhythm, called the circadian rhythm. This rhythm is checked, both by the amount of sleep-inducing connection called adenosine in our system and signals in our environment, such as light and darkness. This is why sleeping experts propose to keep your bedroom dark during your favorite sleeping hours.

Sleep is also governed by two main hormones, melatonin and cortisol, which release our bodies in a daily rhythm that is controlled by the body clock.

Exposure to clear artificial light – such as from television, computer and telephone screens – can disrupt this process in the evening, making it difficult to fall asleep, explained Sanjay Patel, director of the UPMC Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Clinical Program and a Professor In medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

By keeping our body clock and hormone levels more or less regulated, the best ways to achieve good sleep consistently are Patel. He encouraged people with sleeping struggles to concentrate more on behavioral changes than the search for quick solutions, such as with freely available sleep supplements such as melatonin or by increasing alcohol intake to feel sleepy.

Patel said that there is not much clinical evidence that melatonin supplements work very well, and that “many of the clinical tests with melatonin have not shown consistent evidence that it helps with insomnia.”

He did point out that the supplement is not particularly harmful, except when “people begin to increase and increase the dose. And in particular we are concerned about the high doses that many children are given by their parents, where it really IS can cause problems, “he said. Taking more than three to five milligrams does not increase the sedative effects, “and yet we see people showing up at the clinic who take 20 milligrams all the time.”

Sleeping drinks

Many have suggested that warm milk, chamomile tea or sharp cherry juice can cause a somniferous effect. Although Patel said there is no evidence that they are working, he pointed out that they prefer a sleeping cap.

“Alcohol is really bad for your long -term sleep, for a number of reasons,” said Patel. Firstly, alcohol can relax the throat muscles and sleep apnea and snoring can make worse for patients. Secondly, the body metabolizes alcohol fairly quickly, so that the sedation effects do not last all night.

“So although it can put you asleep, is what happens three or four hours later, the alcohol is metabolized, and now you will wake up by not having alcohol in your system,” he said.

Evening lengths can also increase the sour reflux and drink for a long time can “cause changes in your brain chemistry and is a major cause of insomnia,” he said. Heavy drinkers who suffer from insomnia will often increase their intake of alcohol in an attempt to fall asleep, creating a dangerous cycle that can lead to alcohol consumption disorder.

Cannabis is not much better, Patel said.

Although a handful of pot users – in particular those who use it to treat anxiety – can see what sleep benefits can see, cannabis often does not help chronic insomnia and will probably make it worse.

“They actually see many people whose sleep gets better when they stop using (cannabis),” said Patel.

Instead of turning to sleeping aids – naturally or otherwise – Patel said that developing a routine before bed that promotes relaxation and settlement is a much better route to a good night’s sleep.

Whether it is a warm bath, reading a book, meditating or even tuning for nightly news, the brain will associate a often repeated bedtime ritual with the relaxation needed to fall asleep, he explained .

You can watch television, but stay out of social media, he said. “The algorithms on social media are designed to keep us involved and ultimately contribute to people who close their eyes not much later than they had planned.”

Other common reasons that sleep can be unsatisfactory or elusive are stress, worries and the simple fact that many people do not give themselves enough time for rest.

“We see all the time that people are planning to go to bed at a certain time, but once they go to bed, they do other things and keep their mind active”, such as responding to e -mails, it Paying bills or scrolling on social platforms.

Aging

The rhythm and timing of the body clock changes with age, said Patel.

People need more sleep early in life when they grow and develop. For example, newborns can sleep more than 16 hours a day, and children for toddlers have to take naps.

In the teenage years, the internal clock shifts so that they fall asleep later in the night, but then let sleep. This is difficult for teenagers because “they have to go to school at 6.30 am and that causes many problems,” said Patel.

Some school districts in the region, including Pittsburgh Public in 2023, have shifted to later start times with this in mind.

For adults, sleep in middle age can be difficult with young children in the house who disturb the sleep patterns of parents. This is also a time of life when stress and worries are increased, he said.

Older adults often go to bed and wake up earlier, but they have their own unique challenges, Patel said.

“Many physical problems mean that people often wake up more at night as they get older. They have to get up to the bathroom. They have chronic pain and pains they wake up. They often take on medicines that .. have side effects that influence your sleep, “he said.

Ask for help

The peace of a bad night continues to a chronic condition when it really starts to influence how you function during the day, said Patel. That is when it might be time to talk to your doctor about what is going on.

A sleep specialist can help patients find remedies for everything, from stress and sour reflux to sleep apnea.

“In general, if things are going on for more than three months, then we consider it a chronic problem that probably won’t get better,” said Patel.

The NIH also recommends different ways to achieve a better night’s sleep:

• Go to bed and wake up every day at the same time.
• Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weekly nights and at the weekend.
• Use the hour before bed for a calm time, avoid intense exercise and clear artificial light.
• Avoid heavy meals and alcohol within a few hours after bed.
• Avoid stimulating agents, nicotine and caffeine.
• Spend time outside every day and be physically active.
• Keep your bedroom still, cool and dark.
• Take a warm bath or use relaxation techniques before bedtime.

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