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Sleep-Deprivation Is ACTUALLY Ruining Your Life.

frequently asked
questions

What happens to your brain when you sleep?

After slow-wave sleep, your brain progresses into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, in which it becomes a lot more active. This is when your brain runs through all the sleep cycles sequentially about every 90 minutes, then starts over again at the beginning. When you don’t sleep contiguously, your sleep is less restorative to your brain. You'll feel it the next day even though the number of hours you slept may be OK.

Quality sleep is about good habits.

What are good sleep hygiene habits?
  1. Don't nap during the day. If you're having trouble sleeping at night, it's probably not a good idea. Naps can disturb your normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
  2. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime. Caffeine disrupts the sleep cycle and reduces the quality of your sleep. Alcohol can speed up the onset of sleep; it disrupts sleep later as the body starts to metabolise the alcohol, causing arousal.
  3. Exercise early and often. Physical activity improves sleep by helping to synchronise circadian rhythms, reducing stress, decreasing REM sleep, and causing many favorable neurochemical changes in your brain. But when exercising too close to bedtime can rev you up and keep you awake. Vigorous exercise is best in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed without problem.
  4. Limit food and drink before sleep. Stay away from large meals close to bedtime as digestion can interfere with sleep. If you are struggling with a sleep issue, it's probably not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes.
  5. Get more natural light. Getting out in the sunshine during your day will boost serotonin, a neurochemical, which improves melatonin release, allowing your brain to shut down and sleep. Avoid bright lights and electronic screens after the sun goes down.
  6. Establish a regular bedtime routine. This can be brushing your teeth, washing your face, or reading for a few minutes. Try to avoid heavy conversations and emotional activities before bed. You need a calm brain for quality sleep.
  7. Associate your bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use your bed to surf the net, check your phone, watch TV, or listen to music. If you use the space only for sleeping, your brain will associate it with sleep.
  8. Ensure that your sleep environment is relaxing and free of disturbances. Make sure your bed is comfortable and the room temperature isn't too hot or cold. An uncomfortable brain is an active brain. It will also help if your bedroom is really dark with no LEDs emitting light to disturb your subconscious brain. White noise is OK, but other noise, like a TV or music, will hurt your sleep quality because your brain registers it even if it doesn't wake you.


Frequently asked questions

What happens to your brain when you sleep?

After slow-wave sleep, your brain progresses into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, in which it becomes a lot more active. This is when your brain runs through all the sleep cycles sequentially about every 90 minutes, then starts over again at the beginning. When you don’t sleep contiguously, your sleep is less restorative to your brain. You'll feel it the next day even though the number of hours you slept may be OK.

Quality sleep is about good habits.

What are good sleep hygiene habits?
  1. Don't nap during the day. If you're having trouble sleeping at night, it's probably not a good idea. Naps can disturb your normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
  2. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime. Caffeine disrupts the sleep cycle and reduces the quality of your sleep. Alcohol can speed up the onset of sleep; it disrupts sleep later as the body starts to metabolise the alcohol, causing arousal.
  3. Exercise early and often. Physical activity improves sleep by helping to synchronise circadian rhythms, reducing stress, decreasing REM sleep, and causing many favorable neurochemical changes in your brain. But when exercising too close to bedtime can rev you up and keep you awake. Vigorous exercise is best in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed without problem.
  4. Limit food and drink before sleep. Stay away from large meals close to bedtime as digestion can interfere with sleep. If you are struggling with a sleep issue, it's probably not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes.
  5. Get more natural light. Getting out in the sunshine during your day will boost serotonin, a neurochemical, which improves melatonin release, allowing your brain to shut down and sleep. Avoid bright lights and electronic screens after the sun goes down.
  6. Establish a regular bedtime routine. This can be brushing your teeth, washing your face, or reading for a few minutes. Try to avoid heavy conversations and emotional activities before bed. You need a calm brain for quality sleep.
  7. Associate your bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use your bed to surf the net, check your phone, watch TV, or listen to music. If you use the space only for sleeping, your brain will associate it with sleep.
  8. Ensure that your sleep environment is relaxing and free of disturbances. Make sure your bed is comfortable and the room temperature isn't too hot or cold. An uncomfortable brain is an active brain. It will also help if your bedroom is really dark with no LEDs emitting light to disturb your subconscious brain. White noise is OK, but other noise, like a TV or music, will hurt your sleep quality because your brain registers it even if it doesn't wake you.