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Junk sleep: Here’s why we’re tired when we get enough sleep
The quality of sleep is essential to be in good shape during the day. Here are some tips for a restful night’s sleep.
The alarm clock rings, we repeatedly press the button snooze, before getting up, completely exhausted. A state that lasts all day: you are tired and you feel like you haven’t slept all night. And this, even though we slept between seven and nine hours.
If so, you may be suffering from junk sleep, which is to sleep what the junk food (junk food) is to food, namely a quality issue. THE junk sleep prevents you from recovering and means that when you wake up, you are anything but rested.
After such nights, the person not only feels tired, but is also prone to anxiety and memory problems. She is more irritable and has trouble concentrating. If a person sleeps badly for a long period of time, they are likely to fall ill more often, have digestive disorders or tend to suffer from obesity.
If you regularly feel like you barely sleep a night and you suffer from junk sleep, the following tips may help you.
A calm environment
The junk sleep may, among other things, be due to frequent nocturnal awakenings. Although we are not necessarily aware of it, these micro-awakenings can interfere with the quality of sleep. For this reason, harmful light sources should be kept away, an eye mask should be worn or opaque curtains installed if necessary.
It is also advisable to check the temperature of the room, which should be neither too low nor too high. Sleeping with earplugs can also be a solution and, if you are dating someone who snores, you can consider having a separate room.
Good sleep hygiene
We can never repeat it enough: a good sleep is prepared long before falling asleep. Going to bed at regular times, giving up ultra-stimulating activities regarding two hours before bedtime (including screens) and ideally putting your cell phone aside prepares the body for sleep.
To make it easier to fall asleep and ensure a peaceful night, it is better to read a book, drink a relaxing herbal tea, listen to music or do a meditation session in bed.
Reduce consumption of energy drinks, coffee and alcohol
Heavy consumers of energy drinks and coffee tend to have poorer quality sleep. The same goes for alcohol: a small glass in the evening can first seem to promote sleep. But it has been proven that alcohol deteriorates the quality of sleep and is responsible for the lack of energy upon waking, despite having had enough sleep.
Analyze your dreams
Having troubled dreams or nightmares can disrupt restful sleep. In this case, it may be useful to keep a diary of dreams, to observe if they are recurring and to analyze their possible meaning.
A person experiencing poor quality sleep over an extended period of time is advised to consult a specialist. Because, in some cases, it can also be due to pathologies such as hypertension, cardiovascular disorders or depression.