How to improve sleep quality naturally

What is sleep? The dictionary definition is “a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.” But actually, sleep equals rest. And it’s an important part of your daily life — most of us spend approximately one third of our lifetime sleeping. Without sleep you can not survive, and it’s important for a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. And it also plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake. Sleep affects almost every type of tissue and system in the body — from the brain, heart, and lungs to our metabolism, immune function, mood, and disease resistance. Many studies have shown that a chronic lack of sleep, or simply poor sleep quality, can increase the risk of disorders including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. There are four stages when we sleep. Stage 1 is the transition between being asleep and awake. Stage 2 is light sleep. Stage 3 is deep sleep, which is the most refreshing and the time for the body to repair its tissues. And stage 4 is REM sleep. This 4th phase is also known as paradoxical sleep, and it is the sleep state during which we have most of our dreams, and is also involved in the regulation of emotions and memory consolidation. REM sleep disturbances are common in mood disorders, such as depression. Did you know, however, that our body actually does not really require sleep? It really only requires rest. That’s why the […]

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