Excellent day dear community. We all know that in Venezuela, with the country situation that is happening, we are people, in struggle standing with the hope that the socio-economic crisis that hits us, will not last a lifetime, we have dreams and projects very much desire to get ahead, grow and fight for our families to maintain and recover the lifestyle we had before. This situation has considerably affected the heads or heads of households such as myself, who have maintained extracurricular activities, additional and different from those originally performed, to resist this situation.
Our body and mind go through constant storms, situations and events that hit the deepest part of our souls, causing the foundations of our body to stir like bricks of ancient ruins that are desisting little by little with the passage of time.
Anyway today I bring you the theme of rest and sleep, same or different?
Some people thought they were the same, because that's not the case here. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines the word rest as "Stillness, rest or pause in work or fatigue" and the dream "Act of sleeping", which represents a state of rest that consists of inaction or suspension of the senses and of all voluntary movement.
Complementing my previous topic "healthy habits of life", we continue to get up every morning 15 or 20 minutes before normal and carry out our habits routine, and then join the work activities, pressures physical, psychological and daily stress that subjects our body to constant physical exhaustion and wear.
We need to recover energy and recharge our body, mind and spirit through rest and sleep, which has become a challenge today. Let us admit that rest and sleep are biological necessities that allows to restore the physical and psychological functions essential for a full performance; to include them as an integral part of daily life in our daily routine, has become a dilemma, because if we look at our calendar, I assure you that most of us have made family plans and commitments, work projects and even set the deadlines for debts, without giving importance and space to rest; This is caused by the fact that the society in which we live encourages us to work and to become more productive. It is our responsibility to make sure we rest because our mind and body require rest and sleep to enjoy good health.
Health in this time, is the main objective in our life struggle, because without it we lose physical and emotional stability; that's why pausing at work or home during the day to rest and sleep during the night is vital and making them an important part of our daily habits, gives us the opportunity to stay healthy.
What happens when we sleep?
When we sleep 2 hormones are secreted: GH (growth hormone) and testosterone. Both hormones help the muscle to regenerate. There is a third hormone, cortisol, which during sleep stops segregating to increase its levels when we are awake.
GH (growth hormone or Growing Hormone): It is a perfect hormone that is stimulated by sleep and exercise, has among other functions: - Favor muscle regeneration by stimulating protein synthesis and increasing muscle mass - Encouraging the regeneration of cartilage and tendons - Encourage bone mineralization.
Testosterone: Promotes muscle regeneration after exercise and gives physical and mental energy. Interestingly there is more release of testosterone when we sleep. With inadequate rest, the secretion of testosterone is up to 10% lower.
Cortisol: Cortisol does just the opposite of GH, decreases muscle mass and decreases bone mineralization. The levels in the organism change throughout the day, rising at dawn and falling at midnight. In addition to the sleep-wake cycle, aerobic exercise, laughter and music decrease blood levels, coffee or lack of sleep on the contrary increase blood cortisol.
And how does the body know the time of day it is to go segregating one or another hormone?
The key is in melatonin. Melatonin secretes in an area of the brain called the pineal gland. The pineal gland receives information from the retina of the eye. When there is no light, there is more melatonin release (this is why it is called the "hormone of darkness") and it is melatonin and its relationship with the GH that regulates the circadian cycle.
Circadian cycles are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle, and respond mainly to light and darkness in the environment of an organism. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day is an example of a circadian rhythm related to light. Circadian rhythms are found in most living things, including animals, plants and many tiny microbes. The study of circadian rhythms is called chronobiology.
Tips to improve your sleep quality!
Avoid using technology before going to bed. Today, we have the bad habit of using your mobile or laptop before going to sleep, and that is actually one of the worst things you can do for your circadian rhythm. The blue light emitted by the screen makes our levels of melatonin (the sleep hormone) decrease, making us feel more awake. Create a relaxing routine before going to bed that does not interrupt your sleep cycle, such as reading a book before going to bed.
Eat foods that increase the production of melatonin, helping you sleep better and deeply, such as oats, almonds, cocoa or banana.
-Create a tranquilizing ritual before going to sleep. Add some lavender to a diffuser or on your pillow to inhale the relaxing effects of this plant. Lavender is one of the most effective essential oils to relax.
-Plan a time to go to bed. Our body works best when we stick to a routine. Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, to balance your hormonal levels and let your body know when it's time to go to sleep.
-Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugar several hours before going to sleep, because they activate the stress hormone, cortisol, and do not allow you to sleep well.
-Avoid heavy meals that are difficult to digest at night, as they will alter your sleep cycle.
-Following these healthy tips to sleep better, you will notice that you rest better and you will feel more relaxed and balanced throughout the day.
