GM-Fitness focus on every aspect of health and wellness, we hope you are able to make some meaningful lifestyle changes that will help you to feel at your best all the time.
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SLEEP DIARY
SLEEP
Sleep is a naturally occurring state characterised by altered consciousness, we require sleep for recovery and repair, it helps us process memories and make repairs to our body.
Sleep has a number of functions including the release of hormones, this is why inadequate sleep can cause us to feel terrible.
Research into sleep deprivation has been shown that lack of sleep cannot cause insanity, whoever it can lead to depression in some individuals heightening unpleasant emotional states and can even interfere with our decision making processes making us more inclined to make mistakes and bad decisions.
Requirements vary from individual and tends to lessen with age, some people are able to function on as little sleep where as others need considerably more.
The human sleep cycle has four stages, cycling from one to four often occurring in 90 to 110 minutes cycles the deepest part of sleep is known as rapid eye movement or REM sleep.
STAGES OF SLEEP
Stage One:
Light sleep where you drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily. In this stage, the eyes move slowly and muscle activity slows. During this stage, many people experience sudden muscle contractions preceded by a sensation of falling.
Stage Two:
Eye movement ceases and brain waves become slower with only an occasional burst of rapid brain waves.
Stage Three:
Extremely slow brain waves called delta waves are interspersed with smaller, faster waves.
Stage Four:
Brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. Stages three and four are referred to as deep sleep or delta sleep, and it is very difficult to wake someone from them. In deep sleep, there is no eye movement or muscle activity.
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During stage four this is when some children experience bed-wetting, sleep-walking or night terrors.
In the year 2008 the sleep profession in the United States eliminated the use of stage four. Stages three and four are now considered stage three.
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Slow wave sleep comes mostly in the first half of the night, and REM in the second half. Waking may occur after REM. If the waking period is long enough, the person may remember it the next morning. Short awakenings may disappear with amnesia.
During the REM period, breathing becomes more rapid, irregular and shallow, eyes jerk rapidly and limb muscles are temporarily paralysed, the paralyses is thought to be evolution's way of protecting us from hurting ourselves during sleep preventing us from falling out of a tree or chancing fighting off a perceived threat.
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Brain waves during this stage increase to levels experienced when a person is awake. Also, heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, males develop erections, and the body loses some of the ability to regulate its temperature. This is the time when most dreams occur, and, if awoken during REM sleep, a person can usually remember their dreams. Most people experience three to five intervals of REM sleep each night.
Infants spend almost 50% of their time in REM sleep. Adults spend nearly half of sleep time in stage two, about 20% in REM and the other 30% is divided between the other three stages. Older adults spend progressively less time in REM sleep. New studies have proven that sleep helps with many functions of the human body from memory to learning new skills, research has even suggested that insomnia may have effect people’s ability to deal with emotionally taxing situations and memory retention.
SLEEP BENEFITS
Wake Up Feeling Fresh And Alert
Enhanced Positivity
Improve Concentration
Look Healthier
Feel Energised
Improve Immune System
Improve Sex Life
Improve Weight Management
Build Muscle
Improve Emotionally Stability
SLEEP HYGIENE
Good practice
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Go to bed at the same time each evening
Get up from bed at the same time each day
Exercise regulary
Get some fresh air, regular exposure to the outdoors daily or to bright lights
keep the temperature in your bedroom comfortable
Keep your bedroom Quiet
Keep your bedroom dark
Keep your bedroom for only sleeping and sex
Try to keep your hands and feet warm
Bad practice
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Avoid exercise before bed
Avoid stimulating activities such as playing computer games
Do not have caffeine after 6 pm
Do not go to bed too hungry or to full
Do not command yourself to go to sleep this will only make you feel more alert
Do not have any serious conversations before sleeping
Do not sleep with your mobile left on sound