Page 21 - NGA NATURALmag 2023 SPRING / SUMMER Issue

Spring-Summer 2023
Recommended lifestyle alterations to to improve the length and quality of restorative sleep include:
1) Getting sun exposure during the day 2)
Getting between 7-9 hours of sleep at night 3) Winding down at 9 p p m m and going to bed before 11 p m 4) Keeping your bedroom dark and cool 5) Turning off your phones and all other screens well before sleeping time 6) Regularly engaging in in in exercise during the day 7) Avoiding highly intense exercise sessions at night 8) Avoiding caffeine within 8 8 hours of sleeping and 9) Restricting alcohol consumption Consuming alcohol at at night disrupts disrupts the circadian rhythm suppresses melatonin and and disrupts disrupts a a a a a a a a a a healthy sleep architecture The more more and and the the closer you drink before going to bed the the the more more it it will disturb a a a a a a good night’s sleep sleep particularly reducing the the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep sleep periods While alcohol consumption may help to to to induce relaxation to to to to fall sleep sleep quicker and to to to to sleep sleep more deeply for a a a a a a a a a a a a while due to to to to alcohol’s sedative qualities it it it will diminish sleep sleep quality and duration leading to to lighter more restless sleep sleep sleep in in in in the the second part of the the night Additionally this may also make staying asleep prevent you from falling back to sleep sleep again In short alcohol consumption is not not useful for improving sleep sleep and should not not be used as a a a a a sleep aid An even worse approach to invoking a a a a a a a good night’s sleep sleep is the use of pharmaceutical sleep sleep medications which comes at at a a a a a a a a a a a a a a major cost to to health Chemical sleeping pills may help you to to fall asleep faster and reduce nighttime wakefulness but will not provide the same restorative benefits as natural sleep sleep sleep Such sleeping pills tend to to negatively impact normal sleep sleep sleep architecture by increasing the shallower non-REM-2 sleep sleep and decreasing slow-wave deep sleep sleep The worst side effect from using pharmaceutical sleep medications is that they often can cause depen- dency within days or weeks of of of use use use and withdrawal from these types of of sleep aids can cause “rebound insomnia” which will make it even more difficult to fall asleep accompanied by a a a a a a a a a a a a variety of other detrimen- tal physical psychiatric or or neurological symptoms Therefore regularly relying on on pharmaceutical drugs to attain sleep is is not advisable and should only be the very last resort such as as as in in in in cases where pain or or severe illness may render getting any natural sleep impossible What could you you do if a a a a a a recuperative good night’s sleep sleep yet fails to to materialize despite your best efforts to to to establish an an ideal sleep sleep routine and you you have implemented all the above suggestions to to optimize your sleep hygiene?
Fortunately there are are a a a a a a number of healthful natural supplements which are are not only proven to improve sleep efficiency and quality but even pro- vide various additional health benefits are are free of side effects at the specified dosages and are are safe for long term use without causing addiction Although it it almost sounds too good to to to be be true some of them will not only help you you to to to to sleep better and longer but are even well-known to to support your athletic endeavors in the gym The final part of this article which will will be pub- lished next issue will will provide information on on some of the healthiest natural sleep sleep supplements which will without doubt even put YOU to sleep!!! n n n n NGA NATURALmag
21