Let's understand the importance of a consistent sleep routine for a healthy living  13^th June 2022

Be it the wealthiest man in the world or a celebrity singer of all time, we have heard influential and successful people talk about the importance of a good night’s sleep. Several studies have proved it humans need to rest for the mind and body to work at full potential the next day. The ignorance of sleep is not a healthy sign, yet, we are so caught up in the rat race that we end up compromising sleep.

A sound sleep is important to your personal and professional well-being. This article will highlight how and why a consistent sleep routine is necessary and what we can do to achieve the same.

A regular sleep routine is one way of ensuring the proper functionality of your body. The body’s heart rate and blood pressure follow the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioural changes the body follows in a twenty-four cycle. When you sleep on time, your body automatically recognises the need to rest.
When you do this over a period of time, you start noticing changes such as more active brain activity in the morning, sleeping easily at night, and better digestion. Research has shown that people who stick to a sleep schedule perform better tasks and have better cognitive skills.

People with erratic sleep schedules often find it challenging to go to rest and eventually oversleep. This is because the body fails to recognise the difference between exhaustion and sleep. Staying up late can leave the body and the brain exhausted. To combat this, the body overcompensates with sleep.
Midnight snacking is another unhealthy habit that people develop over time. Ideally, one should go to bed after two hours of dinner. Allow your body to have ample time to digest the food. We have often heard people talk about burning sensations in the morning. This happens when you lie down immediately after dinner, allowing the digestive juices to flow back up the oesophagus, causing an acid reflex.

Now, let us take note of a few ways to develop a consistent sleep routine for healthy living:

1. Set aside 8 hours from your schedule for an undisturbed night’s sleep. Going off to sleep and rising up at the same time is the first step to maintaining a healthy sleep cycle. Avoid snoozing the alarm. The extra five minutes after hitting the snooze will make you tired and lazy. Instead, wake up at the first ring of the alarm to feel fresh and rejuvenated.

2. Stick to light and non-greasy food options to avoid discomfort. Having dinner at least two hours before you sleep is ideal. Stick to light and non-greasy food options to avoid discomfort. Hot herbal tea is an excellent way to calm your body before bed.

3. Avoid using laptops, mobiles, or other electronic gadgets in the bedroom. The blue light from screens makes it difficult for people to fall asleep. A well-made bed, dark curtains, and night lights can help ease your sleep faster.

These are a few techniques that you can try out to maintain a disciplined sleep cycle. The important thing to remember here is that sometimes lack of sleep can result from inappropriate lifestyle choices or other latent health problems. Under such circumstances, it is best to visit a doctor.

Your doctor might suggest some medications or tests to help you with your concerns. A thorough full body check-up might help with the diagnosis of the problem. Invest in a health insurance policy with the best health insurance company in India to avoid losing your sleep over the expenses of check-ups and medicines.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.