Relahelp Dream

Good rest and achieving restorative sleep depend on several factors. One of the main ones is the mood. A hectic day, periods of worry due to family or work issues, stress, or depression can lead to greater difficulty in falling asleep at night and even difficulty having deep sleep or experiencing awakenings.

Changes in routine also trigger stress situations that affect the hours we can dedicate to sleep, and even environmental changes such as seasonal shifts can disrupt our circadian rhythms due to changes in daylight.

Age is also a determining factor, since as we age, our sleep progressively reduces, and it is from the age of 65 when the need for sleep drops to about six hours approximately, and the depth and continuity of sleep are affected.

Foods That Help You Sleep Better

• Foods rich in melatonin, the hormone involved in falling asleep. Although it is a hormone secreted by the body, its production gradually decreases as we age. Sources high in melatonin include bananas, oats, eggs, and nuts. Generally, cereals are a source of melatonin.
• A diet rich in fatty fish and vegetables has a positive effect on sleep.
• Milk and dairy products, due to their content of tryptophan and melatonin, are considered beneficial in improving the quality of nighttime rest.
• Herbal extracts such as Lemon Balm, Passionflower, California Poppy, and Valerian have been used in traditional medicine because they facilitate sleep onset and relaxation.
• L-Theanine has also been traditionally used in Eastern cultures for its natural relaxing properties.

Common Symptoms of Sleep Disorders / Daytime Disorders

Sleeping difficulties affect various health indicators and are very common disorders in today's global population. Generally, they can be differentiated into four categories based on how they affect different sleep stages and their symptoms:

• Problems falling asleep or staying asleep, such as insomnia.
• Difficulty staying awake, which includes excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue.
• Challenges in maintaining a regular schedule with sleep patterns when working inconsistent hours due to shift work, rotating shifts, or travelling across different time zones.
• Interrupted sleep or early awakening and the inability to fall back asleep.

As symptoms of sleep deprivation due to the inability to sleep properly, a state of stress in the body is created which can affect any activity.

Cognitively, lack of sleep can lead to attention deficits, decreased performance, and reduced productivity (in the workplace, this situation in the long term could translate into presenteeism). Also, other possible consequences include increased anxiety and irritability.

How to Relax to Sleep

Since many sleep disorders are caused by personal or work-related stress, it is highly recommended to promote a state of calmness, by leveraging the diet and daily routine guidelines.

• Eating foods rich in melatonin at night and other ingredients that promote relaxation such as Valerian, Lemon Balm, and Passionflower helps in falling asleep.
• Avoid heavy dinners or foods that are difficult to digest such as fatty meats or spicy foods.
• Create a routine that encourages sleep with small habits that promote relaxation such as a hot shower, avoiding screen use, and exposure to loud sounds at least an hour before going to bed.
• Relaxation techniques such as Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation, which reduces the level of activation that makes it difficult to fall asleep.