Rest from Stress
Sound nights rest is one of the precious gifts that the good nature has bestowed on us. You do not know the value of sleep till you start to suffer from the dreadful condition called insomnia. This can take a big toll on your health and daily life. Imagine a person who has to go to work and earn a living or a child who has to go to school and follow the instructions of the teachers without a proper night's rest. Imagine a mother who has to attend to day to day household chores who is fatigued because of the lack of sleep.
Sleep and rest are very important ingredients in life. Physicians recommend at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep for a healthy adult. Sleep requirements for the children and infants are even more. Their growth and development will be stunted if they are sleep deprived. In prisons for terrorists or other hard core criminals sleep deprivation is used as part of torture procedure and as a weapon to get information and plans about their nefarious activities.
Sleep cycle is part of the circadian rhythm which triggers the pineal gland in the midbrain to secrete a substance called melatonin. Inducting sleep is one of the functions of melatonin. Melatonin in combination with a neurotransmitter called GABA ( gamma-aminobutric acid) brings us to a state of somnolence. These induce us to hit the bed to get restful sleep.
Avoid Stimulants
Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee and cola drinks, nicotine, the main ingredient of cigarettes can disrupt this rhythm and keep us awake. We must avoid drinking such stimulants three or four hours before going to bed. Darkened and cool environment could be a plus to induce deep sleep. Physical exercises, such as walking or jogging, yoga or Thai Chi during the day or in the evening can help you to sleep well. Modern psychologists suggest meditation, deep breathing, and relaxation techniques and prayer as methods to put you into a state of somnolence. Some cannot go to sleep because of pain. The physicians advice them, before they go to bed to take pain relievers.
There are several stages of sleep. Stage one and two are pre-sleep stages. These are the stage of getting into sleep and the stage when the brain waves are slowing down. Stage three and four are the periods of deep sleep when you dream and make rapid eye movements (REM). During this stage of deep sleep your immune system is enhanced, which protects you from viruses and bacteria. The enhanced immune system also has cancer prevention properties. At this stage of sleep our growth hormones are increased and this has a positive effect on the growth of infants and children. In adults it has weight regulation properties.
If you can sleep before you hit the pillow, you should be thankful for that. Millions of inhabitants in this world are not so lucky. If you are one of those unfortunate ones before you head to the physician to get a prescription for sleeping pills try the methods that we suggested above such as exercise, meditation, deep breathing and relaxation techniques.
(If you have physical or psychological problems, or are on any medications or under the care and the supervision of any physician, psychiatrist or therapist, please consult your physician, psychiatrist or therapist, before you start any life style changes.)