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How to Sleep Better

20 Mar 2023

How to Sleep Better

Tired of tossing and turning at night? These simple tips will help you sleep better and be more energetic and productive during the day.

How can I get a better night’s sleep?

Sleeping well directly affects your mental and physical health. Fall short and it can take a serious toll on your daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even your weight. Yet many of us regularly toss and turn at night, struggling to get the sleep we need. Getting a good night’s sleep may seem like an impossible goal when you’re wide awake at 3 a.m., but you have much more control over the quality of your sleep than you probably realize. Just as the way you feel during your waking hours often hinges on how well you sleep at night, so the cure for sleep difficulties can often be found in your daily routine.

Unhealthy daytime habits and lifestyle choices can leave you tossing and turning at night and adversely affect your mood, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and weight. But by experimenting with the following tips, you can enjoy better sleep at night, boost your health, and improve how you think and feel during the day.

Tip 1: Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle

Getting in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is one of the most important strategies for sleeping better. If you keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, you’ll feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times, even if you only alter your sleep schedule by an hour or two.

Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. This helps set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep. Choose a bed time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock, you may need an earlier bedtime.

Avoid sleeping in—even on weekends. The more your weekend/weekday sleep schedules differ, the worse the jetlag-like symptoms you’ll experience. If you need to make up for a late night, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping in. This allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm.

Be smart about napping. While napping is a good way to make up for lost sleep, if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, napping can make things worse. Limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon.

Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you get sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

Tip 2: Control your exposure to light

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark—making you sleepy—and less when it’s light—making you more alert. However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm.

How to influence your exposure to light

During the day:
Expose yourself to bright sunlight in the morning. The closer to the time you get up, the better. Have your coffee outside, for example, or eat breakfast by a sunny window. The light on your face will help you wake up
Spend more time outside during daylight. Take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night.
Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, and try to move your desk closer to the window.
If necessary, use a light therapy box. This simulates sunshine and can be especially useful during short winter days.

At night:
Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime. The blue light emitted by your phone, tablet, computer, or TV is especially disruptive. You can minimize the impact by using devices with smaller screens, turning the brightness down, or using light-altering software such as f.lux.
Say no to late-night television. Not only does the light from a TV suppress melatonin, but many programs are stimulating rather than relaxing. Try listening to music or audio books instead.
Don’t read with backlit devices. Tablets that are backlit are more disruptive than e-readers that don’t have their own light source.
When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. Use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask. Also consider covering up electronics that emit light.
Keep the lights down if you get up during the night. If you need some light to move around safely, try installing a dim nightlight in the hall or bathroom or using a small flashlight. This will make it easier for you to fall back to sleep.

Tip 3: Exercise during the day

People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep.

The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. But even light exercise—such as walking for just 10 minutes a day—improves sleep quality.
It can take several months of regular activity before you experience the full sleep-promoting effects. So be patient and focus on building an exercise habit that sticks.

For better sleep, time your exercise right

Exercise speeds up your metabolism, elevates body temperature, and stimulates hormones such as cortisol. This isn’t a problem if you’re exercising in the morning or afternoon, but too close to bed and it can interfere with sleep.
Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime. If you’re still experiencing sleep difficulties, move your workouts even earlier. Relaxing, low-impact exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching in the evening can help promote sleep.

Tip 4: Be smart about what you eat and drink

Your daytime eating habits play a role in how well you sleep, especially in the hours before bedtime.

Limit caffeine and nicotine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Similarly, smoking is another stimulant that can disrupt your sleep, especially if you smoke close to bedtime.

Avoid big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.

Avoid alcohol before bed. While a nightcap may help you relax, it interferes with your sleep cycle once you’re out.

Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night.

Cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs. Eating lots of sugar and refined carbs such as white bread, white rice, and pasta during the day can trigger wakefulness at night and pull you out of the deep, restorative stages of sleep.

Nighttime snacks help you sleep

For some people, a light snack before bed can help promote sleep. For others, eating before bed leads to indigestion and make sleeping more difficult. If you need a bedtime snack, try:

Half a turkey sandwich
A small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal
Milk or yogurt
A banana

Tip 5: Wind down and clear your head

Do you often find yourself unable to get to sleep or regularly waking up night after night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. Taking steps to manage your overall stress levels and learning how to curb the worry habit can make it easier to unwind at night. You can also try developing a relaxing bedtime ritual to help you prepare your mind for sleep, such as practicing a relaxation technique, taking a warm bath, or dimming the lights and listening to soft music or an audiobook.

Problems clearing you head at night can also stem from your daytime habits. The more overstimulated your brain becomes during the day, the harder it can be slow down and unwind at night. Maybe, like many of us, you’re constantly interrupting tasks during the day to check your phone, email, or social media. Then when it comes to getting to sleep at night, your brain is so accustomed to seeking fresh stimulation, it becomes difficult to unwind. Help yourself by setting aside specific times during the day for checking your phone and social media and, as much as possible, try to focus on one task at a time. You’ll be better able to calm your mind at bedtime.

A deep breathing exercise to help you sleep

Breathing from your belly rather than your chest can activate the relaxation response and lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels to help you drift off to sleep.

Lay down in bed and close your eyes.
Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

To follow along with a guided deep breathing exercise, click here.

A body scan exercise to help you sleep

By focusing your attention on different parts of your body, you can identify where you’re holding any stress or tension, and release it.

Lie on your back, legs uncrossed, arms relaxed at your sides, eyes closed. Focus on your breathing for about two minutes until you start to feel relaxed.
Turn your focus to the toes of your right foot. Notice any tension while continuing to also focus on your breathing. Imagine each deep breath flowing to your toes. Remain focused on this area for at least three to five seconds.
Move your focus to the sole of your right foot. Tune in to any sensations you feel in that part of your body and imagine each breath flowing from the sole of your foot. Then move your focus to your right ankle and repeat. Move to your calf, knee, thigh, hip, and then repeat the sequence for your left leg. From there, move up your torso, through your lower back and abdomen, your upper back and chest, and your shoulders. Pay close attention to any area of the body that feels tense.
After completing the body scan, relax, noting how your body feels. You should feel so relaxed you can easily fall asleep.

For a guided body scan meditation to help you wind down and clear your head at bedtime, click here.

Tip 6: Improve your sleep environment

A peaceful bedtime routine sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s stresses. Sometimes even small changes to your environment can make a big difference to your quality of sleep.

Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet

Keep noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from neighbors, traffic, or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan or sound machine. Earplugs may also help.

Keep your room cool. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.

Make sure your bed is comfortable. Your bed covers should leave you enough room to stretch and turn comfortably without becoming tangled. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support.

Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. By not working, watching TV, or using your phone, tablet, or computer in bed, your brain will associate the bedroom with just sleep and sex, which makes it easier to wind down at night.

Tip 7: Learn ways to get back to sleep

It’s normal to wake briefly during the night but if you’re having trouble falling back asleep, these tips may help:

Stay out of your head. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over your inability to fall asleep again, because that stress only encourages your body to stay awake. To stay out of your head, focus on the feelings in your body or practice breathing exercises. Take a breath in, then breathe out slowly while saying or thinking the word, “Ahhh.” Take another breath and repeat.

Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you find it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Even though it’s not a replacement for sleep, relaxation can still help rejuvenate your body.

Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim and avoid screens so as not to cue your body that it’s time to wake up.

Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive after a good night’s rest.

Source:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm

How to Clean Your Pillow

20 Mar 2023

How to Clean Your Pillow

As an item that can make or break a good night’s quality sleep, pillows are an indispensable part of our bedding set, along with mattresses and bedsheets. Despite their essential role in helping you get quality sleep, the process of cleaning your pillow is likely to be overlooked by the latter two.

Consumer Reports recommended giving your pillows “a daily fluffing to restore their shape and remove dust,” for starters in cleaning your pillow. “If your pillow can withstand being laundered, you should wash it at least twice a year, or quarterly if you sweat a lot, eat in bed, or have pets sleep in your bed with you.”

Though Simply and other bedding industry experts recognized the need to maintain and cleaning your pillow for form and function, the urgency in doing so is often overlooked.

“Because they’re tucked into pillowcases, pillows are often forgotten when it comes to laundering bedding. Unfortunately, they can still trap dirt, dust mites and other unwanted allergens,” said the American Sleep Association in its website sleepassociation.org.

Good Housekeeping magazine suggested that pillows should “be washed at least two to four times a year to help them last longer.” The publication also highlighted the pillow’s content and care tag as a good place to start the process of cleaning your pillow.

Washing your pillow

Good Housekeeping also warned about generalizing the pillows’ cleaning process. “Most down and fiberfill pillows are machine-friendly, which means you can just them in the

washing-machine for a refresh. Be sure to wash two pillows at a time to keep the washer balanced, ensuring an all-around clean,” Good Housekeeping pointed out.

The USA Today newspaper agreed. They suggested to “tumble dry the pillows on low heat, fluffing and turning them often,” they added in their website usatoday.com. “Add a softener sheet for freshness, and add a couple of sneakers or tennis balls to help fluff them.”

However, the American Sleep Association urged a more cautious approach. “If your pillow is made with down or another high-end filler, professional dry-cleaning services may be the best option to avoid damage,” noted the Association.

On the other hand, experts pointed out that foam pillows should be cleaned differently. “Remove pillow covers or pillowcases and wash according to the care tag…stick the pillowcases and covers in the washing machine, select the normal or casual cycle, and wash in warm or hot water. To get rid of dust or dirt on the pillow, vacuum both sides, or tumble in the dryer on the no-heat or air-only cycle for 20 minutes,” suggested Good Housekeeping.

“Spot clean any soiled areas with a cloth dipped in a mild sudsy soap solution. Lightly rinse with a damp cloth. Allow the pillow to air dry completely before putting it back on the bed or couch.”

Drying your pillow

Bedding experts also pointed out that drying your pillow is just as critical as washing them. “It’s crucial to get the pillow completely dry - otherwise you risk mildew,” warned Consumer Reports. “Many pillows can be dried for a good hour on moderate heat. Adding a couple of dry towels…two fresh tennis balls or dryer balls and they’ll keep the filling from clumping.”

For down or feather pillows, Consumer Report suggested using “the no-heat air dry setting and dryer balls or tennis balls,” to deal with clumps, or making the most of good weather. “You can hang most pillows on the clothesline until they’re dried all the way through. Whichever drying technique you use, you still need to check for moisture inside the pillow.”

Consumer Reports also recommend using pillow covers to protect pillows from substances such as sweat, body oils, and face cream. They added that pillow covers and pillow cases should be put in the laundry on a regular basis, along with bedsheets.

Do Dreams Affect How Well You Sleep?

20 Mar 2023

Do Dreams Affect How Well You Sleep?

Whether you remember them or not, dreams are a normal part of sleep. Everyone dreams for a total of about two hours per night, and dreams can occur during any stage of sleep, although they’re most vivid during the REM phase. If you’ve ever woken up from a happy dream feeling relaxed and rested—or a scary one feeling on edge—you might have wondered whether the content of your shut-eye reveries can make a difference in your overall sleep quality.

Here’s what’s really going on:

Scary Dreams Linger into the Next Day

Dreams can be positive or negative, and there’s no question that nightmares have ramifications that last even after you wake up. Falling back asleep after awakening from a nightmare is tough, and those scary images can affect your mood and behavior the next day, causing the equivalent of a bad-dream hangover.

Dreams Don’t Change Sleep Structure

Despite how it may feel, though, disturbing dreams don’t always have a significant effect on your sleep architecture, meaning they won’t necessarily change how much time you spend in the different stages of sleep or the number of times you awaken. What they can change: How long it takes to fall asleep at night and how challenging it is for your body to switch between non-REM and REM stages of sleep, which may leave you feeling less rested.

Does Good Sleep Equal Happy Dreams?

The relationship between dream quality and sleep quality could be likened to the old chicken-and-egg scenario: No one is sure which comes first. Research shows that good sleepers often describe their dreams as being more pleasant and joyful, while people who suffer from insomnia tend to have fewer positive emotions associated with their dreams, but whether or not a happy or sad dream means you’ll sleep better or worse still isn’t clear.

Dreams Reflect Reality

Dream content often relates back to what’s happening in your waking life. If you’re experiencing low stress and plenty of satisfaction in your day-to-day life, you may have more positive dreams. By contrast, if you’re depressed or anxious during the day, you may have more unpleasant dreams and compromised sleep quality at night.

The good news is that while you cannot control your dreams directly, you can work on improving your state of mind during the day. This, in turn, may help improve the quality of your dreams—and perhaps sleep—at night.

Source:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/do-dreams-affect-how-well-you-sleep

Matras Terbaik Untuk Meredakan Sakit Pundak

20 Mar 2023

Matras atau Kasur Terbaik Untuk Meredakan S

akit Pundak

Pada saat bangun tidur pagi, idealnya Anda merasa lebih segar dan siap untuk menghadapi tantangan di hari yang baru. Namun, tidak jarang sensasi pertama yang dirasakan setelah bangun adalah rasa nyeri, khususnya di bagian pundak. Hal ini patut diwaspadai, karena efeknya dapat menjalar ke bagian badan lain seperti leher dan lengan.

Para pakar menyorot pundak sebagai salah satu bagian badan yang rentan terhadap rasa sakit. “Pundak adalah persendian badan yang paling mudah digerakkan. Pundak juga rentan pada berbagai masalah yang menyebabkan rasa sakit, karena [bagian badan ini] terdiri dari berbagai komponen individu dan rentang gerak yang bercakupan luas,” menurut situs sleepfoundation.org.

Penyebab dari sakit pundak

Situs sleepfoundation.org menyebut rotator cuff tendinosis sebagai salah satu penyebab sakit pundak yang paling umum.”[Rotator cuff tendinosis] adalah peradangan urat yang disebabkan bila pundak terlalu lama di satu posisi, khususnya bila posisi tersebut menyebabkan tekanan yang berlebihan kepada sendi-sendi.”

Situs healthline.com mendukung penemuan sleepfoundation.org. “Selain cedera rotator cuff, [sakit pundak saat tidur] juga disebabkan bursitis [penekanan kecil berulang dan berlebihan yang menyebabkan bursa atau kantung berisi cairan di dekat sendi membengkak dan teriritasi] dan osteoarthritis.” healthline.com juga menyebut posisi tidur sebagai salah satu penyebab sakit pundak saat tidur. “Tidur menyamping dapat memberikan tekanan tambahan kepada pundak sehingga menimbulkan rasa iritasi dan sakit. Sedangkan tidur di pundak yang sudah sakit atau nyeri dapat menambah parah rasa sakit.”

Selain cedera, sakit pundak juga disebabkan postur tidur. Postur tidur menentukan kemampuan otot dan titik tekanan untuk beristirahat pada malam hari. Bila tidur menyamping, misalnya, pundak dan leher Anda harus dalam posisi yang nyaman karena titik tekanan kedua bagian badan tersebut tidak sejajar. “Tanpa penopang atau bantalan yang memadai, tidur menyamping akan membuat tulang belikat dan otot-otot di sekitarnya berisiko mengalami ketidaknyamanan dan kompresi.”

Situs healthline.com juga menemukan keterkaitan antara posisi tidur dengan sakit pundak. “Penelitian yang dilakukan pada tahun 2012 menemukan bahwa subyek yang sedang mencari perawatan untuk sakit pundak lebih cenderung tidur di [pundak] yang cedera dibandingkan dengan pundak yang tidak cedera.”

Jenis kasur sebagai salah satu penyebab sakit pundak. “Ketidaknyamanan dan kompresi sering terjadi karena penggunaan kasur yang terlalu keras. Tidur menyamping di kasur yang terlalu keras mungkin memberi kenyamanan bagi pundak, namun bantal akan membuat posisi leher terlalu tinggi,” menurut situs tersebut.

“Kasur yang sudah tua atau basah juga dapat menyebabkan sakit pundak dan leher karena menyebabkan beberapa bagian terkompresi, sehingga tulang belakang atau bantal Anda menurun. Bagian-bagian kasur seperti ini membuat tulang belakang tidak sejajar dan menaikkan atau menurunkan pundak.” Kasur yang tidak cocok sebagai penyebab sakit pundak, karena memberikan kekurangan atau kelebihan bantalan yang Anda perlukan pada jangka panjang.

Kasur untuk meredakan sakit pundak

Para pakar tidur menganjurkan penggunaan tipe kasur yang dapat menopang pundak secara optimal. Hal ini penting mengingat posisi pundak sebagai bagian badan yang rentan dan kecenderungan sakit pundak untuk menyebar ke leher . “Kasur yang digunakan harus memberi kenyamanan sepanjang tidur di malam hari - sekalipun Anda menderita sakit pundak. Bila Anda mencari kasur yang baru, pilihlah [kasur] yang medium-firm adalah pilihan yang tepat,” menurut healthline.com.

“Menurut sebuah penelitian yang dilakukan pada tahun 2010 pada peserta yang mengalami nyeri punggung bawah dan sakit pundak yang menukar kasur yang mereka gunakan dengan kasur medium-firm mengalami pengurangan rasa sakit dan kaku. Di lain pihak, mereka melaporkan peningkatan kualitas tidur setiap malam.”

Selain kasur yang tidak terlalu keras, situs ini menganjurkan untuk mempertimbangkan posisi tidur. “Tidur di kasur yang dirancang untuk tidur menyamping akan membuat perubahan signifikan karena dapat meminimalisir rasa sakit pada titik tekanan. Namun bila Anda masih mengalami sakit pundak [saat tidur], sebaiknya posisi tidur disesuaikan sehingga tidak [tidur] di atas pundak yang sakit.”

Penggunaan kasur dan bantal medium-firm atau medium-soft karena dapat menopang tulang belakang dan kepala. “[Kasur dan bantal] yang menopang tulang belakang dan kepala akan mengurangi tekanan pada leher dan otot pundak, sehingga memulihkan bagian-bagian badan tersebut. Kesalahan yang dilakukan banyak orang dengan tujuan membuat tidur mereka lebih nyaman dan mengurangi rasa sakit pada leher dan pundak adalah menggunakan lebih dari satu bantal,”

“Menggunakan banyak bantal akan mengakibatkan rasa sakit kronis, postur tidur yang buruk, dan risiko menarik otot. Satu bantal medium-firm atau medium-soft cukup untuk meredakan rasa sakit jangka panjang.”

Pada situs sleep.org, pemakaian kasur medium-firm atau medium-soft ditentukan oleh berat badan pengguna. “Seseorang yang tidur telentang dengan berat badan di antara 130 sampai 230 pon [59-104 kg] disarankan untuk menggunakan [kasur] dengan tingkat medium-firm, karena tingkat kasur ini dapat mengurangi titik tekanan tanpa membiarkan pengguna untuk terlalu masuk ke kasur,” menurut situs tersebut. “Sedangkan pengguna kasur yang tidur

menyamping atau mempunyai berat badan di bawah 59 kg mungkin lebih cocok dengan kasur yang medium-soft, sedangkan pengguna kasur yang tidur tengkurap atau lebih dari 104 kg lebih memerlukan kasur yang lebih keras. Kasur yang keras juga mencegah penurunan bagian tengah badan di kasur dan menopang berat badan mereka.”

TIPS MELAWAN PANDEMI DIMULAI DARI TIDUR SEHAT BERKUALITAS

20 Mar 2023

TIPS MELAWAN PANDEMI DIMULAI DARI TIDUR SEHAT BERKUALITAS

Halo Moms, wabah dari pandemi Covid-19 ini pengendaliannya masih butuh waktu dan proses, lho. Agar kita dapat tetap menjalankan aktifitas di tengah pandemi ini, 5 M (Memakai Masker, Mencuci Tangan, Menjaga Jarak, Menjauhi kerumunan, dan Membatasi Mobilitas) menjadi cara hidup baru yang harus dijalankan.

Selain menerapkan 5M, bagaimana tips sehat bersama keluarga agar dapat berdamai dengan pandemi? Salah satu tips sehat yang bisa Moms terapkan yaitu dimulai dengan Tidur Sehat Berkualitas.

Kenapa tidur sehat berkualitas ini dapat membantu keluarga kita untuk tetap sehat menghadapi pandemi? Simak penjelasan berikut ya Moms.

Apa Kaitan Pandemi dengan Tidur Sehat Berkualitas?

Terdapat beberapa fakta penting mengapa Moms perlu menjaga tidur sehat keluarga selama pandemi. Hal ini dikarenakan tidur yang sehat tersebut akan memberikan respon positif pada tubuh sehingga siap menjalani New Normal baik didalam maupun luar rumah. Manfaat tersebut untuk keluarga sehat Moms yaitu:

Mempersiapkan Tubuh Melawan Virus Corona

Untuk siap menghadapi virus corona, kita perlu mempersiapkan tubuh untuk mampu melawan virus tersebut. Sel-sel tubuh yang berperan aktif melawan virus tersebut adalah sel T dan sel darah putih dengan membentuk sistem kekebalan tubuh terhadap virus tersebut. Lalu bagaimana agar tubuh dapat memiliki sel-sel tubuh yang siap menghadapi virus corona? Jawabannya yaitu Tidur yang sehat, yaitu nyenyak dan berkualitas, Moms.

Dikutip dari hasil riset 2019 pada Journal of Experimental Medicine ternyata, agar sel T tubuh kita dapat bekerja efektif, kita harus memiliki tidur yang berkualitas. Begitu juga sebaliknya, apabila Moms kekurangan tidur sehingga meningkatkan hormon stres pada tubuh Moms, maka akan mengurangi kemampuan sel T ini untuk dapat melawan virus corona tersebut. Ternyata penting banget ya Moms untuk kita menjaga tidur agar selalu berkualitas.

Lalu bagaimana cara agar kita dapat memiliki tidur yang berkualitas dan sehat tersebut?

Cara Mendapatkan Tidur Sehat Berkualitas

Sebelum kita membahas bagaimana cara mendapatkan tidur sehat berkualitas, kita perlu paham dulu nih, tidur yang seperti apa sih yang dikatakan tidur sehat berkualitas?

Tidur yang Dikategorikan Berkualitas dan sehat

Untuk kita ketahui nih Moms, proses tidur terdiri dari fase non-rapid eye movement (NREM) dan fase rapid eye movement (REM). Normalnya, ketika kita tidur itu akan dimulai dari tidur ringan (N1 dan N2) lalu masuk tidur lelap (N3 dan N4), lalu kembali ke fase tidur ringan, baru lah kita pada akhirnya dapat masuk fase REM.

Dikutip dari perbincangan Dr Handrawan Nadesul pada live instagram @bukukompas, Selasa (28/4/20). menyebutkan bahwa tidur yang berkualitas itu dapat dicapai jika berhasil masuk pada fase tidur lelap yaitu pada tahapan NREM N3 dan N4. Umumnya tahapan ini dapat kita masuki, setelah kita tertidur 90-120 menit. Jadi meskipun Moms hanya memiliki waktu tidur yang sebentar, Moms tetap dapat merasa segar lho.

Nah, sekarang ketika kita sudah mengetahui tujuan dari tidur kita, kita akan masuk pembahasan pentingnya nih. Bagaimana cara mendapatkan tidur yang berkualitas dan sehat?

Ciptakan Suasana Kamar Nyaman bagi Keluarga

Meskipun kita memejamkan mata ketika tidur, suasana kamar yang nyaman menjadi faktor penting untuk mampu mengantarkan kita mencapai tidur lelap pada 90-120 menit pertama kita tertidur.

Pastikan Udara Mengalir Keluar dan Masuk Kamar Tidur

Rekomendasi bagi Moms untuk mampu menciptakan suasana kamar yang sehat ketika tidur yaitu dengan memastikan kamar memiliki sirkulasi udara yang baik. Moms dapat membuka jendela kamar ketika pagi dan sore hari sehingga ketika malam, udara sudah berganti dengan udara yang sehat. Jika kamar tidur Moms tidak memiliki jendela, alternatifnya Moms bisa membuka pintu kamar sehingga udara terus berganti memasuki kamar tidur.

Sesuaikan Interior Kamar Agar Tidak Berlebihan

Tips lain untuk menciptakan suasana kamar nyaman yaitu penggunaan perabotan yang disusun rapi sehingga tidak menumpuk dan memberikan kesan kamar yang berantakan. Moms dapat menggunakan style perabotan minimalis untuk kamar tidur sehingga kamar tidur dapat memiliki kesan yang luas dan lega sehingga tidur sehat dapat dicapai. Penggunaan lilin aromaterapi bisa juga menjadi alternatif lho, Moms. Pastikan aroma dari lilin tersebut disukai juga dengan pasangan ya, agar sama-sama dapat tidur dengan nyenyak dan berkualitas :).

Perlengkapan Tidur yang Sehat dan Berkualitas

Ini pastinya tidak boleh ketinggalan. Perlengkapan-perlengkapan ketika Moms tidur seperti Kasur Sehat dan berkualitas. Moms perlu menyesuaikan pilihan tipe kasur dari ukuran kasur, tingkat ketebalan kasur, feel kasur empuk atau firm, hingga fitur-fitur yang ditawarkan oleh kasur sehat tersebut.

Setelah memiliki kasur sehat yang tepat, agar kasur sehat keluarga semakin maksimal manfaatnya, Moms perlu menggunakan sprei atau bed linen yang nyaman sehingga tidak memberikan reaksi alergi di kulit tubuh ketika tidur.

Tidur sehat belum lengkap rasanya kalau kita tidak menggunakan bantal atau guling, Moms. Sebelum membeli, pastikan Moms membeli bantal atau guling dengan material fiber yang baik, bahan halus dan comfort level yang sesuai kebutuhan Moms dan keluarga.

Belum sampai situ lho Moms, Moms dapat meningkatkan penjagaan kebersihan kasur serta bantal atau guling dengan penggunaan mattress & pillow cover yang memiliki anti alergi, anti bakteri dan teknologi mengurangi aktivitas virus sehingga tidur berkualitas di kasur sehat dapat dicapai.