

Make sure your sleeping area is as comfortable as you can make it, including good pillows and bedding. Avoid ultra-processed foods to the highest degree possible, as these foods are associated with poor sleep quality. This meal should be focused more on quality proteins than on carbohydrates. Don’t eat heavy evening meals and schedule your evening meal three hours before bedtime.

Consume the bulk of your calories earlier in the day rather than in your evening meal. Stick to this schedule on days off from school and work.Īlso, set and stick to a schedule for your meals as well, as meal timing also impacts sleep timing and quality. Use this time to mentally prepare for sleep by letting go of the day’s worries and stresses, perhaps via meditation, a warm bath or a good book (physical, not electronic). Factor in the amount of sleep you need - typically between seven and nine hours, depending on the individual - along with an additional 30 to 60 minutes for a wind down and relaxation routine prior to bedtime. Set regular times for sleeping and waking. If you suffer from shallow sleep syndrome, you can train yourself to sleep better and to achieve the restorative sleep you need by establishing a healthy rhythm in your life. What You Can Do to Promote Restorative Sleep Failing to achieve the restorative stages of sleep on a routine basis can have a measurably negative impact on health and merits your immediate attention and prompt action. Other symptoms of nonrestorative sleep include feeling excessively tired during the day, feeling irritable or depressed, experiencing panic attacks, struggling to concentrate, having memory problems and poor immune system function. Shallow sleep syndrome, or frequently feeling unrefreshed or tired upon awakening should serve as a wake-up call when it comes to your sleep and health. REM sleep also has a role in such cognitive processes as memory consolidation. White matter is associated with learning and brain communication processes. REM sleep also supports cognitive restoration and health, including the literal structure of the brain via its impact on the brain’s white matter integrity. During this phase of sleep, toxins are flushed from the brain, including the toxic protein amyloid-Beta, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It can even make you more prone to developing other sleep disorders.ĭuring the deep sleep phase, physical restoration processes take place, including cell regeneration, tissue growth, tissue repair and immune system strengthening. Shallow sleep deprives you of sufficient sleep time in the restorative stages of sleep, which are the final two stages of the sleep cycle: deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It, along with a healthy diet and a healthful level of physical activity, forms the very foundation of both short-term and long-term health and well-being. Getting good sleep on a regular basis is intimately entwined with health. Shallow Sleep Syndrome Can Impact Health, Cognitive Function
#NOT GETTING DEEP SLEEP HOW TO#
If nonrestorative sleep is a problem for you, it’s important to learn how to regain your sleep quality and enjoy more restful, refreshing sleep. This typically is due to not achieving the deeper, more restorative sleep stages, something that, over time, can contribute to a broad range of physical, cognitive and mental health problems. With shallow sleep syndrome, the right quantity – seven or more hours of sleep – may be there, but the restorative quality is not. What you may not know is that good sleep involves both quantity and quality. When it comes to good health and feeling your best - both physically and mentally - good sleep is an essential element.
