On average, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping and that time is not in vain. During the recommended 8 hours of sleep, the information captured during the day is processed and stored. Lack of this number of hours of sleep generates tiredness, stress, difficulty concentrating and memorizing, weight gain, decreased response capacity of our immune system and increases the risk of pathologies such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and other diseases. psychiatric and neurodegenerative.
Insomnia, which is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep during the night, is increasingly a condition in society. Portugal is the leader in the European Union in the consumption of sleeping pills, with around 9% of teenagers taking sleeping pills and 8% taking stimulants.
In our brain we have ‘a biological clock’, in a structure called the hypothalamus, which tells us when we should be awake and when we should be sleeping. This natural clock is aligned with our planet’s light/dark (day/night) cycle and controls all of our body’s circadian rhythms (which repeat every 24 hours).
Melatonin, a hormone essential for sleep, is regulated in the hypothalamus and its production varies depending on the presence or absence of sunlight. The peak of melatonin production occurs at the beginning of the night, between 11pm and 3am, thus promoting the onset of sleep, which means that bedtime is set between 10pm/10:30pm.
When we are exposed to light, there is a decrease in the production of melatonin and cortisol comes into action, the stress hormone that is produced in the adrenal glands and its activity begins at 6 am, increasing glucose and blood pressure levels.
Given the importance of sleep, it is vital that we acquire a good bedtime routine and implement it from the moment we are born. It is imperative to avoid any spotlight in the room, look at your cell phone and/or tablet, when you wake up at night, look at the time or turn on a light. A fundamental help for this entire process is to take melatonin supplements according to medical indications and prescriptions.
Do not neglect the importance of sleeping well and preventing premature aging.
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