How many hours of sleep does it take to stay healthy during the day?
Resting six hours a night for two weeks is equivalent to losing two full nights of sleep and equivalent slumps in attention.
Teens who sleep less than eight hours a night have a 70% higher risk of getting injured while exercising.
A single night of sleep in fits and starts makes the following day's attention, memory, and learning ability noticeably drop.
46% of those with disturbed sleep make mistakes at work and risk gaining more weight than those who rest well because the lack of sleep affects the hormones that regulate appetite by igniting the feeling of hunger.
These are the data of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (Wasm) which has organized the
World Sleep Day
since 2008
that this year falls on March 19.
The 2021 edition attracts the attention of the whole world affected by the pandemic because
insomnia, together with anxiety and depression, are the evils of the year
, decree the members of the Wasm.
There are many apps defined by sleep technology,
read what they are
Here is
a handbook of tips for a healthy rest
(through the hashtags #SleepResearch and #WorldSleepDay which in the 2020 edition have accumulated over 41K posts on instagram).
Establish a regular time to go to sleep and wake up.
If you are in the habit of taking a daytime nap, do not exceed 45 minutes.
Avoid drinking alcohol 4 hours before bedtime and do not smoke.
Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime.
Applies to coffee, tea and many mixed drinks.
Avoid chocolate too.
Avoid heavy, spicy or sweet foods 4 hours before bed.
A light snack before going to bed is allowed.
Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
Use comfortable and inviting bedding.
Find a comfortable setting for yourself for the bedroom temperature and keep the room well ventilated.
Block out all annoying noises and eliminate as much light as possible.
Use your bed for sleeping and for making love, avoiding its use for work.
To promote fragmentation-free and balanced sleep, Dr.
Roberto Cilia, Neurologist of the Foundation IRCCS Carlo Besta Neurological Institute in Milan, may also want to:
Restore a sleep routine of regular and small gestures relaxing times before falling asleep
Eliminate the use of electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime
Associate l ' falling asleep for example when reading a book or listening to relaxing music or white noises (the sounds of nature, the sounds of the sea, the forest)
We also need to sleep better in Italy where at least 9 million people suffer from chronic insomnia (15% of the total).
Insomniacs are mainly women and the elderly (60% of the total), according to the Italian Association for Research and Education in Sleep Medicine.
In the first five months of 2020, 2.77 million searches on insomnia were performed on the Google search engine, 58% more than the previous year, also highlights a research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
The lockdown changed the sleep rhythm significantly for 53% of Italians, also according to a survey conducted on 885 adults (a survey carried out by Dorelan Research).
Uncomfortable mattress, noises, wrong room temperature are the most common reasons for bad sleep.
"
The lockdown and social isolation have strongly influenced our lifestyle, also affecting night rest
, - explains Jacopo Vitale, Director of the Movement and Sports Sciences Laboratory at IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute in Milan and head of the Dorelan Scientific Committee .
Some elements in particular, such as the decrease in social relationships, the increase in sedentary lifestyle and the decrease in daily physical activity such as the simple movement to move during the day, have had a significant impact on sleep ".
The great need for rest led to an increase in sales of 'do-it-yourself' remedies for anxiety and insomnia which increased by 16.5% (Nielsen market tracks 2020 data).
On the shelves of supermarkets and pharmacies there is a
boom in new drinks aimed at the people of insomniacs and anxious ones
such as herbal teas and chamomile 'reinforced' with melatonin (the latest in
Sweet
dreams) and magnesium to sleep better or with new recipes of relaxing herbs and vegetables ;
calming and relaxing infusions and supplements (from the art of leading brands such as Twinings, Bonomelli, Star, L'Angelica).
The offer of beauty remedies in a 'rest' key has multiplied with creams and products that, in addition to being good for the skin, seem to facilitate the start of sleep: among the international innovations suggested by Abiby, for example, silk masks for sleep in the dark while moisturizing and soothing the skin (by Francine Hair Care), spray to be sprayed on the face and pillow before bed based on relaxing aromas such as lavender and chamomile (mist by Blooming Blends), gels and creams for the night containing essential oils that act according to the principles of aromatics for relaxing purposes (such as Sound sleep Cocoon by Dermatologica).
In addition to supplements in capsules, also to be dissolved in water, based on melatonin (by Sleep.Ink).
Lush focuses on the soothing benefits of lavender and neroli essential oil with an entire line, Sleepy which includes sparkling wine, face and body mask, massage oil, powder, in addition to Sleepy body cream and Twilight body Spray, for a relaxing beauty ritual characterized by an unmistakable and distinctive ingredient: lavender.
