[ad_1]
Do you feel alone trying to choke a yawn in the office?
"Most of society is actually deprived of sleep," says Dr. Linda Schachter, a specialist in sleep medicine and sleep disorders.
"We get on with it and with our 24-hour lifestyle, we try to catch up on our weekends, which does not always work out fully. Our natural body clocks do not like to sleep during the day, [so] shift workers tend to be even more sleep-deprived than others, "said Schachter, based at Sleep Services Australia.
Signs that you are not getting enough sleep
"Even if everyone is not in the morning, if you wake up and do not feel refreshed, if you keep pressing the snooze button, it's a sign that you have not slept enough," said Schachter.
"During the day, you are not as sharp as you are. It can be as simple as sitting in front of your computer, getting tired, taking a nap or finding new tasks difficult.
Vigilance, concentration and coordination are diminished. "
Simple ways to sleep better
According to Schachter, relaxing activities before bedtime are essential for improving the quality of sleep. It means do not switch to another episode on Netflix, tidy your smart devices and do not check your work email.
"Instead, you should tell your brain that it's time to sleep. This can be by taking a shower, listening to soft music or reading a book. A Kindle in the shelter of the blue light is a good reading device as an alternative to an iPhone or an iPad.
"The devices and the blue light increase the activity of our brain waves. it wakes us up, increases our vigilance and delays [the release of melatonin, the ‘sleep hormone’], which delays the time of the beginning of sleep.
"Coffee is a stimulant, so it can improve productivity and alertness, but can also affect your sleep. If you are going to drink it, drink it in the morning and limit yourself to a maximum of 400 milligrams of caffeine a day. It's about four coffees, but it depends on the type of coffee. Instant coffee is weaker. It usually takes between eight and ten hours to get out of your system. Take your last cup of coffee around noon. "
Is this little extra sleep really important?
"If we are tired, we often do not exercise and we also tend to make poorer food choices," Schachter said. "Tired people tend to look for sugar and fats to get a quick energy boost, but this increases the risk of gaining weight.
"There is also an increased risk of road accidents related to fatigue and work-related accidents. After 16 hours without sleep, a person will have the equivalent of an alcohol level of .05. "
Do you sleep enough and always wake up tired?
"It's important to talk to your doctor because you may have a sleep disorder," Schachter said.
"Sleep apnea is very common and becomes so as society grows. [If] you are choking at night or your partner notices that you stop breathing for more than 10 seconds, which may indicate illness.
"We have to sleep enough. We all need a certain amount of sleep to wake us up with a feeling of freshness. Everyone usually needs seven to nine hours, but this can be [slightly] shorter or longer than that.
"Most people know how much sleep they need to feel good and have enough time to fall asleep."
- For more information, visit Healthshare, a joint venture with Fairfax to improve the health of Australians in the region. Or you can find a specialist near you using the health tool below.
[ad_2]
Source link
