6 tips to improve sleep quality

Several guidelines to take advantage of the rest time and allow our brain to recover.

Just a couple of centuries ago, if human beings slept less than 9 hours at a time, it was considered a sleep disorder and an indication of a mental disorder that could be associated, as it is today, with a general malaise due to one's personal situation.

Nowadays we are extremely exposed to electrical stimuli and impulses by the very light we use in our homes, the means of transportation we use and the bad habits we have before going to bed. Many psychologists warn of this increasingly disturbing problem, and it turns out to be the second concern of most patients who go to be treated by a professional, only behind eating disorders. So... how to improve the quality of sleep? To understand it, we must first know the basics of our biological schedule.

Excessive activity as a cause

We live in times of great human activity, whatever type it is, which directly relates to our moments of rest. Long working days that in some cases exceed the night, after-school activities and the little time we have left to practice sports (usually at biologically inadequate hours), cause the sleep equation to be altered.

Through the circadian rhythm, it marks the activation times of the human body throughout the 24 hours of the day, the brain responds to light stimuli associated with physical activity, while in the opposite period, the brain responds to light stimuli associated with physical activity.In the opposite period, these inputs are inhibited by the body. In the dark, which reaches its peak between 2 and 6 a.m., is when our organism asks us for a rest.

Thus, people who are forced to spend their professional time during these hours are those who suffer serious biological disorders that indirectly affect their health.** The same happens to those who work late** (working hours until 8 or 10 pm), since, once they finish their office hours, they devote their time to leisure activities, such as watching a movie or playing sports.

8 Recommendations to improve the quality of sleep

Professional psychologists warn of the increase in this problem, estimating the hours of sleep in Western society at no more than six hours a day on average. Here are some of the most recommended tips to improve the quality of your sleep.

1. Do not use your cell phone in bed.

The little use of the mobile device takes the number one on the list of measures. As it has become a tool with which we wake up and say goodbye during the day, it has been seen as the biggest culprit for the poor quality of sleep we suffer. Texting, chatting, reading email or watching a video, as well as the light from the screen, lead to attention and concentration that stimulate our attention and concentration, lead to attention and concentration that stimulates brain activity.. It is advisable not to use the phone even two hours before going to sleep.

2. Avoid doing sports at night

According to the biological clock the body starts to lower its Blood Pressure late in the evening, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m..between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Many people sign up to practice sports between those time slots, which again causes an activation of reflexes and brain reaction that is required. Therefore, it is recommended to do it exclusively during daylight hours (even in summer) to perform any type of physical training, being no later than 17h.

3. Keep regular schedules

It is very important to follow a regular schedule, so that the body adapts to these rhythms. Otherwise, the circadian rhythm will get out of sync, falling asleep too late and waking up too early for our body.

4. Reading a book or magazine

One of the worst habits today is to turn on the computer to watch an online series or gamble during the sleep phase in front of the TV. Any digital screen creates a negative impact on sleep. Concentrate on silence and the pages of a book.Alternatively, they will help to better reconcile the time of rest.

5. Turn off all the lights in the room

It may seem silly, but it is extremely effective. Many people keep on a dim light to sleep because it alludes to the tranquility that it gives off. This is negative. Any ray of light, no matter how small, disturbs sleep before going to sleep.

6. Lower the brightness of the screen of the mobile device.

We must insist on the different elements that improve the quality of life that have to do with the telephone or mobile devices (Tablets and computers), such as the calibration of the brightness of the screen that everyone has. During the day, a medium/high brightness level can be maintained, but it is advisable that from the daytime onwards it is advisable to activate any saving mode on the screen after 16h. on the screen.