We are struggling to stay awake: myths and facts

Myth 1. Short naps will make it worse, and at night after all it will be difficult to fall asleep

Fact. A little rest will help disperse the drowsiness and will return you to the familiar active mode.

People are often afraid that if prilyagut sleep during the dayThen oversleep few hours after waking up, or will feel quite overwhelmed. In fact, it takes a nap is helpful, but not for long. Studies have shown that 10 minutes of sleep is enough to feel a surge of strength: participants experiments, which were carried out in the company's North Shore Sleep Medicine, showed excellent results in testing.

The time at which you decide to sleep is also important. If you stay too long or too late in the afternoon, gets off your circadian rhythm. So that you can sleep during the day, but not more than 20 minutes. Then you wake up in the fast phase of sleep and will not feel fatigue.

Myth 2. If the day for coffee, the evening will be difficult to fall asleep

Fact. A cup of coffee will survive the most challenging daylight hours. But just a cup!

About Caffeine say a lot of bad, but Lisa Shivs, spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, always tells his patients that moderate coffee consumption there is nothing to worry about. Even people who sleep enough, often feel tired in the afternoon, because it is a normal decline in the circadian rhythm.

It seems to me that afternoon someone throws a blanket on me and the coffee helps to drop it.

Lisa Shivs

Everyone reacts to caffeine differently. Perhaps, after drinking half a cup of coffee in the afternoon, you have difficulty falling asleep at night. If you feel that you are sleeping poorly at night, just tie with evening and afternoon coffee.

As is the case with day bed, in the use of caffeine most importantly - a sense of proportion. If you overdo it, you will find yourself in a vicious circle: the night can not sleep, because I drank coffee, drink coffee and in the afternoon, because all night tossed in bed. Experts almost unanimously advised to drink coffee before 14:00 and not after.

Myth 3. A chocolate bar or a can of soda will help to cheer up

Fact. Sugar provides a temporary burst of energy, for which then will have to pay more fatigue.

After lunch, vending machines with soda and candy bars attract people like magnets. Tired, weary body work require us to more fuel! And researchers have come to paradoxical conclusions.

If people suffering from lack of sleep, suggest to choose the food they prefer to eat a disproportionate amount of sweet and fatty. Body asks foods high glycemic indexBecause it provides a high energy output.

The catch is that when processed sugar, fatigue, bore down with double force. Just one hour after a glass of soda sleepy even stronger than before.

Participants in the experiment, who ate sweet and admitted more mistakes at tests concentration than patients in the control group who were treated without additional recharge.

So a light lunch consisting of protein foods and vegetables will work better than a set of greasy food and dessert.

Myth 4. From exercise I get tired even stronger

Fact. Training low intensity - a blow to sleepiness. Exercise will help to wake up and take a refreshing dip.

training block the negative effects of the recessions of the daily rhythm! This does not mean that immediately after lunch have to give all the best for the full program in the gym.

Best of all tones ten minute walk and easy charging after it.

Determine what time you feel the most tired. And just before the start of such period stroll and mash. It is important not to wait until exhaustion will cover you with his head. Force yourself to walk around the block and drag. And do it before the eyes begin to droop. Otherwise, and you can not get up from his chair.

Daily afternoon charging more and helps fight insomnia. If you increase the time to 20 minutes walk, and go out for 5-6 hours before going to bed, the night fall asleep faster and sleep quality significantly increase. Just before bedtime to play sports is not necessary, because it is bad for the night's rest.

Myth 5. Drowsiness - this is the norm. We need to accept

Fact. If you constantly feel tired, it may be a sign of the body of flowing pathological process. Consult your doctor.

Yes, now it is constantly want to sleep, this is a feature of modern life. But this does not mean that you also need to reckless attitude towards your body. If you constantly feel tired, can not concentrate during the day, then go through the examination. Drowsiness - a symptom of many fairly serious diseases.

For example, hypothyroidism, known as goiter - a disease of the endocrine system, which doctors suspect primarily in patients with complaints of constant fatigue. Depression and many other affective disorders signal itself sleepiness. What else is hidden behind daytime fatigue? Insomnia, Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, Ekboma syndrome. The stronger your fatigue and the worse you sleep, the higher your risk of strokes and heart attacks, diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Facing the facts: it is necessary to sleep

Obviously, if you constantly want to sleep, you just do not get enough sleep. And we need to change the mode so as to remove the sleep deficit. The quantity and quality of sleep affects the quality of their lives. Besides the fact that drowsiness causes disease, it is more and lowers productivity and creativity. And maybe fatally dangerous for drivers.

Never too late to make a useful habit to sleep well. Try to start tonight.