AND one of most powerful allies of our well-being but perhaps also what, throughout life, we struggle most to preserve. Let’s talk about sleepwhich represents a real worry for many people. And if the miracle remedy (unfortunately) does not exist, it does exist some small, unexpected measures that they can do difference to go back to sleeping well.
Explained in the new book ‘Sleep better, live better’ (published by DeAgostini) is the Dr. Christian Benedict, neuroscience expert but also of sleepless nights – as a father of four children. In the volume, Benedict, professor of Pharmacology at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences of Uppsala University, Sweden, guides the readers to discover the secrets of this biological prodigy, starting from an assumption: in defiance of the famous saying ‘he who sleeps never catches fish’, the time dedicated to sleep is not wasted time at all but rather the most effective way – and free – to reset your mind and body. Science has now proven it: during sleep our brain works to consolidate memory, cleanse itself of toxins and regulate emotions. So how can we defend the hours of rest we need to feel good? In the book, the neuroscientist offers some useful tips…
The bedroom designed for sleep
First rule: never underestimate the bedroom. It seems banal, yet, compared to other rooms in the house, the one in which you sleep and which plays a fundamental role in improve the quality of rest, it is also the one in which we tend to invest the least. It is essential to choose a comfortable bed, of course, but also and above all the right mattress. The golden rule? It must be «suitable for the shape of our physique and distribute the weight in the best way, from an orthopedic point of view”, but also, a more overlooked aspect, being able to effectively dissipate heat and moisture. «A mattress that retains too much humidity and heat», warns the expert «can create the ideal habitat for the proliferation of mites», with negative effects on breathing and therefore on the quality of sleep. Without forgetting that the mattress also has a life cycle: «with the passage of time it becomes deformed and loses the ability to distribute weight correctlywhich in turn can increase the risk of muscle tension and incorrect pressure on the skeleton”, explains Benedict in the volume.
Sleep well: how to orient the bed
Still on the subject of bed, your orientation in the room could also affect the quality of your sleep. And no, it’s not a question of Feng Shui. In the book, the neuroscientist reveals in fact the results of a rather curious study. Some researchers decided to check if the invisible magnetic field of the Earth affected sleep. They thus measured the brain activity of twenty-one people who slept in identical rooms, but in two different situations: once with the bed oriented along the north-south axis and once along the east-west axis. The results? THE participants slept better when the bed was oriented along the north-south axis. It seems that the Earth’s magnetic field therefore influences the quality of our sleep.
The cover of the book ‘Sleep better, live better’ (DeAgostini) by Christian Benedict
Change the air (or keep the door open)
Another good rule for sleeping well is to air out the bedroom before going to sleep so as to lower the room temperature. The reason? «A cool environment helps the skin of the feet, hands and face to disperse heat and, consequently, to cool the body, creating the most suitable preconditions for falling asleep and to sleep as best as possible. If it is too hot, the body struggles to disperse the heat and instead begins to sweat, which can disturb sleep.” And if you really don’t want to open the window before sleeping, However, it may be useful to keep the bedroom door open. «It may seem strange, but the fact is that science has shown that those who rest with the door open sleep longer, and describes the sleep experience as far better than when the door is closed”, explains the neuroscientist.
Sleeping well: the role of perfumes
To make the bedroom an oasis capable of facilitating sleep, also the perfume it might help. «According to science», the expert says in the book, «it seems that the odors are able to make deep sleep even more intense. In one experiment, for example, participants were exposed to lavender scent. What could be seen during the test was that, in the deep sleep phase, the subjects slept even more deeply.” Another helpful tip? “Use a pleasant scent while awake, by associating it with some activity that makes us particularly comfortable or that even calms us down, so as to promote sleep when we expose ourselves to the same smell while we sleep.”
The power of kiwis
If the bedroom plays a crucial role in sleeping well, it is no less important nutrition. Some foods, in fact, as is now known, they can represent instant remedies to improve sleep. Among these, surprisingly, also i kiwi.
It has in fact been demonstrated, explains the neuroscientist, that, consuming two kiwis about an hour before going to bed, after four weeks it was noticeable an improvement in sleep efficiency (i.e. the proportion between time spent in bed and time spent sleeping). The phenomenon could be explained by serotoninpresent in kiwis, and capable of increase the production of melatonin in the pineal gland. «But it must be said that There are no studies that have verified whether serotonin is taken with food and assimilated in the intestine, from which it then enters the circulation, it actually reaches the brain”, specifies the expert. In essence, it is not possible to say with certainty that it is really serotonin that makes kiwis valid bedtime allies.
Sleep well: ever experienced the train effect?
Among the many curiosities revealed in the book ‘Sleep better, live better’also the well-known ‘train effect’which often leads to dozing when traveling. Why does this happen? “A’team of Swiss scientists investigated the issueasking some young participants to lie down on a bed that rocked very slowly, from right to left”, explains Benedict. “When the bed rocked at the same rate that neurons supposedly turn on and off during deep sleep, the subjects fell asleep more quickly. And they also slept more soundly.” It may be that the same happens when you are on a bus or a train, precisely, due to the monotonous movement, the noise of the engine, etc. This might also explain because it is much easier to fall asleep in a hammock. Before trading the good old bed for an alternative solution, it is good to know that Swiss researchers conducted the same experiment on some older subjects, finding who didn’t get the same benefit from swinging, and what not they experienced deeper sleep. And this, in the end, reveals a fundamental truth: sleep-saving remedies are not always valid for everyone. «Each», Benedict explains further, «must find out what is best for yourself».
