Do you Know the Science behind deep sleep ? Know How to fall asleep fast.
In today’s always-on, always-connected world, sleep is often the first thing to go. We treat it like a luxury—an “outing” to be had during the week when the rest of the world sleeps because it’s the weekend. The truth about sleep is far different when it comes to the principles of bio-science.Scientifically speaking, sleep is an essential arm of health just like diet and exercise. Without it, our minds cloud, our bodies are susceptible to illness, and our moods go to hell.A New Attitude: New HealthTo seriously overhaul your health routine, you must overhaul how you think about nighttime. Below is an extensive look at how to rest better with the “elements” of the rest equation that were missing in your current routine to reclaim your life.
We spend one-third of our whole lives sleeping. However, we treat this as if it’s a “system shutdown.” The fact is your brain is actually more active in many respects when you’re sleeping than when you’re actually awake. Of all the stages of this process, Deep Sleep is the “holy grail” of recovery.
If you have ever woken up feeling like a “zombie” even after eight hours of sleep, chances are you may have missed this vital phase. Here’s the science behind the big sleep and the ways to acquire it within record time.
Neuroscience of Deep Sleep
Among the biggest revelations in the field of neuroscience in recent times is the existence of the Glymphatic System. While you are in deep sleep, the space between your brain cells expands by as much as 60%. This allows cerebrospinal fluid to wash through your brain to remove beta-amyloid, the protein responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
"Your brain’s nightly janitorial service. What happens when you don’t go through a full night of deep sleep? The 'trash' just sits in your head."
The main time for the release of the Pituitary Gland’s Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is during deep sleep. This is necessary for
- Healing muscles after a workout.
- Bone Growth: Very important in children, even more so in maintaining bone density in adults
- Immune Strength: This is where your body releases cytokines, which are proteins responsible for fighting off infections and inflammation.
Memory Consolidation ; motions are dealt with during REM sleep. Deep Sleep is the phase during which “fact-based” memories are transferred from the hippocampus’ temp storage to the long-term cortex’ permanent “hard drive.”
The "Fall Asleep Fast" Toolkit
If your mind is racing or your body is wired, trying to sleep often makes it harder. Instead, try using these science-backed techniques to literally force your nervous system into a relaxed state.
1. The Military Method Under 2 Minutes
Designed to help pilots fall asleep in combat zones, the procedure emphasizes the overall relaxation of one’s body in a systematic process.
Let Go of the Face: Close your eyes. Release the tension in your forehead, let go of tension in your cheeks, even your tongue should be at rest. Let your jaw drop.
Let Go of the Shoulders: Let your shoulders drop as low as possible. Release your upper and lower arms, one side at a time.
Exhale and let the chest drop. Allow your chest to fall toward the bed.
The Legs: Let go of your thighs, then your calves, ankles and feet.
Unclutter the Mind: For a duration of 10 seconds, visualize yourself in a velvet hammock in a darkened room. When there comes a thought, repeat the following mantra to yourself, “Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think.”
2. The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
It is a kind of “rhythmic hack” to your autonomic nervous system.
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Puff out your breath hard through your mouth (to make the sound ‘whoosh’) for 8 seconds.
The Science: The long exhale stimulates the Vagus Nerve, which activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System-or as people like to call it, the “Rest and Digest” mode.
3. Intellectual Shuffling
Give the brain some silly task to focus on, if it won’t stop “looping” through a list of concerns.
Select a word, such as “BEDTIME”. Visualize, in your mind, words starting with the letter ‘B’ until you run out of ideas: Beach, Bear, Balloon. Move to ‘E’ (Eagle, Egg, Elephant). The Science: This emulates the “micro-dreams” that occur right as we fall asleep, essentially tricking the brain into thinking the sleep process has already beg