CEnjoying a moment of relaxation in the middle of the day is one of life’s little luxuries. Yet, if that the need to close your eyes becomes a daily and constant necessity, it may not be simple tiredness. A recent sleep study conducted by scientists at Mass General Brigham of Boston turned the spotlight on the night and day habits of a sample of adults, discovering that the frequency and, above all, the time of day in which one falls asleep make a huge difference to cardiovascular and brain health.
Sleepy, morning naps can be a wake-up call
The data that emerged speaks clearly: an increase in daytime sleep hours and the tendency to do naps during the morning hours were found to be related to a higher risk of cardiovascular problems.
There Dr. Chenlu Gaocoordinator of the study, however, called for calm when speaking to the US media: «It is important to underline that this is a correlation, not a cause-effect relationship». In other words: it’s not the nap itself that’s bad, but the fact of continually seeking it could be warning sign of an underlying disorder (such as sleep apnea or insomnia) or a night spent tossing and turning in bed.
The real secret to sleeping well? Regularity, not quantity
If up to now the mantra of well-being has been «you need to sleep at least eight hours a night»chronobiology is changing course. Today we know that the most reliable indicator of longevity and health is regularity.
“For decades we have focused on the quantity of sleep,” explained Dr. Neil Stanley, a well-known sleep consultant and former director of sleep research at the University of Surrey, in an interview with the British press. «However, the message today is different: going to bed and waking up almost always at the same time, even on weekends, is the most important factor».
Going to sleep at constant times stabilizes ours circadian rhythma sort of internal biological clock that coordinates cell regeneration, hormone production and insulin metabolism. On the contrary, treating yourself to a good night and then “recovering” by staying in bed until late on Sunday morning creates the so-called social jet laga shock to the body which, in the long run, can make the arteries work harder.
The 4 mistakes that break your sleep rhythm (and how to fix it)
To get back on track and wake up truly rested, experts suggest correcting some small daily behaviors:
- Abusing the “Snooze” button: putting off the alarm for five or ten minutes doesn’t give you real rest. On the contrary, it fragments the awakening and prolongs that feeling of numbness that we carry with us for hours. When the routine is regular, the body begins to release cortisol (the hormone that gives us energy and alertness) already 90 minutes before the natural wake-up call.
- Eating dinner too close to sleep: if the digestive system is busy working on a heavy meal, the body temperature fails to lower. This prevents the body from slipping into deep sleep phases. Research from Northwestern University has shown that eating your last meal at least three hours before bedtime improves blood pressure and heart rate, without the need to tighten your belt on calories.
- The stirrup glass: Alcohol can make you initially drowsy, but ruins the second part of the night. Just like food, it keeps the body temperature high and alters sugar metabolism, as well as forcing us to wake up frequently at night.
- “Do it yourself” naps: A power nap occasional 15-20 minute sessions are great to memory and mood. “But if you sleep for more than an hour every day, you risk compromising your rest the next night, entering a vicious circle,” warned Dr. Tony Cunningham of Harvard Medical School. The advice? If you feel sleepy after lunch, it’s best to opt for a short walk in the open air.
Prevention comes from listening to biological rhythms
The quality of rest can no longer be measured only through the mathematical calculation of the hours spent in bed. Scientific evidence invites us to consider sleep as a complex system in which the regularity of schedules and the stability of the circadian rhythm they play as crucial a role as diet or physical activity in the prevention of cardiovascular and cognitive pathologies.
Learning to recognize anomalies, such as a sudden need for sleep in the early hours of the day or the need for prolonged daytime rest, represents a spontaneous and accessible monitoring tool to protect the body in the long term. Profound well-being, therefore, is not achieved by forcing recovery on weekends, but by supporting the internal biological clock on a daily basis through constant and conscious habits.
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