Sleep to your heart's content!

On 14 March, the world celebrates World Sleep Day as a reminder of the importance of good rest. The quality of sleep directly affects the health and overall well-being of a person, regardless of age.

Why sleep is so important

Sleep is not just a rest, but a fundamental component for maintaining physical and mental balance. Lack of sleep can lead to: decreased energy and concentration, mood and memory impairment, and systemic sleep problems increase the risk of chronic diseases, among other things:

• type 2 diabetes mellitus;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• overweight and obesity;
• depression and other mental disorders.

Adults recommended sleep 7-9 hours every night. At the same time, sleep problems have become a global epidemic, affecting up to 45% of the world's population.

Three components of quality sleep:

• duration - sufficient time for the body to fully recover;
• Continuity - sleep periods should flow seamlessly into each other;
• depth - sufficient to restore strength.

How to improve your sleep quality

Our behaviour throughout the day, and especially at bedtime, affects the quality of our rest. International Sleep Society recommends A few simple rules:

• Stick to a routine - go to bed and wake up at the same time (even on weekends);
• limit daytime sleep - no more than 45 minutes;
• Give up alcohol and smoking - especially before bed;
• Do not consume caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate) 6 hours before bedtime;
• light dinner - yes, heavy meal - no - do not eat fatty, spicy, sweet foods 4 hours before bedtime;
• Physical activity is good, but not before bedtime;
• Choose comfortable and pleasant bedding - mattress, pillows, linen;
• optimise the environment - ventilate the bedroom, create a comfortable temperature, minimise light and noise;
• use the bed only for its intended purpose - do not work or watch TV in bed.

Stress is an inevitable part of modern life, but it takes very little effort to improve your sleep quality and protect your health.