Try this simple technique to get deep sleep tonight
For many, uninterrupted deep sleep has become a luxury with hectic lifestyles and erratic eating habits messing up with our schedules. But, one must not ignore lack of sleep because sleep deprivation is linked to a host of mild and chronic illnesses. “Deep sleep is one of the most powerful healing medicines that exists and allows the environment within us to support the intelligence of our body to protect and heal us at a cellular level,” Luke Coutinho, a lifestyle coach, wrote on Instagram.
So, what can one do to ensure restful sleep? Pay attention to your sleeping environment! Just like one may find it difficult to sleep in a noisy environment, sleeping in too much light can lead to disturbances, too.
“Dark rooms are better for the sleep cycle than rooms with light,” Dr Diptarka Bhattacharyya, Otorhinolaryngologist (ENT), Apollo Spectra Hospital, Bangalore said, adding that several studies have shown pitch dark rooms to enhance sleep quality and help one sleep better.
He added that darkness also promotes relaxed sleep along with a few other added benefits. Agreeing, Dr Majeed Pasha, Consultant Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital, Nagarbhavi said that pitch-dark rooms help us sleep better.
Why does this happen?
Darkness promotes the generation of melatonin hormone in large numbers, experts said. Explaining how it aids sleep, Dr Bhattacharyya said, “Melatonin aids in the sleep quality and uninterrupted sleep cycle. The hormone is produced at night time, and a proper amount of the hormone is required to get quality sleep. The human brain is sensitive to light and can detect the slightest light even when asleep. The light will stop the production of melatonin and thus hamper sleep.”
You can use an eye mask to sleep better (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
As such, when there’s too much light in the surrounding area, the hormone levels come down and there’s a state of arousal, Dr Pasha said. “If sleep is somehow disturbed due to light, melatonin production is decreased which leads to a disturbed sleep cycle,” Dr Manira Dhasmana, Associate Consultant, Internal Medicine, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Dehradun concurred.
In a dark atmosphere, on the other hand, our brain sends the signal and the person starts feeling sleepy,” Dr Pasha added. Agreeing, Dr Bhattacharyya explained that darkness sends an internal signal to the body that it is time to sleep and necessary actions are stimulated.
How can you ensure darkness when you sleep?
“You don’t have to create a separate dark room to sleep better,” Dr Pasha said, adding that one can dim the lights of their room and stay away from gadgets such as mobile phones and laptops to sleep better.
Additionally, Coutinho suggested using a simple eye mask. “I don’t like anything tight around my head. So, I roll up a t-shirt and place it over my eyes, creating darkness. Unusually, I fall asleep within five minutes or less. So, even if the t-shirt falls off after, you are already in a deep sleep,” he said.
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