Now you can laze more often without feeling guilty
Lazing around is useful, and late sleepers live longer than workaholics. The first scientific arguments for these claims are provided by two German physicians Prof. Peter Axt and his daughter Dr. Michaela Axt-Gadermann in their book “The Joy of Laziness: How to slow down and live longer.”
The instructions of German doctors Axt-Gadermann pose a challenge to those who have succumbed to workaholism, and enable you to idle at will in order to improve health without any remorse.
In order to live longer and stay healthy, you need to lazy away. The authors claim that everybody, if saving vital energy, can live up to 130 years. Based on medical research, they advise you to sleep more, relax and enjoy every moment of life.
Here are some excerpts from the book:
All of you who have had pangs of conscience, staying in bed until eleven o'clock, can relax now: sleeping as much as you wish is only beneficial to your health. It saves valuable life energy, strengthens the immune system and prolongs youth. While we sleep, our body switches to a low tempo. Digestion calms down, muscles relax, the body temperature decreases, breathing becomes deeper and slower than during the day.
At night, the levels of the stress hormone cortisol reach a peak point. During sleep the brain processes and stores the information received in the day. The body gets time for regeneration. Sleep saves energy because during sleep the metabolic activity decreases and the consumption of calories is reduced.
Each extra hour of sleep per day can save at least 50 kcal. This is almost 200 000 kcal life energy that idlers save in ten years. Of course in order to do that you must have a comfortable mattress.
Hibernation helps animals keep their physical tonus
For example those animals, who spend most of the day napping or sleeping, have greater life expectancy as a rule. Compare the behaviour of dogs and cats. Domestic cats can spend hours lying motionless, waiting for prey, and the rest of the day to sleep quietly purring, and they often reach 20 years of age. Dogs, in contrast, are much more active. They lead hierarchical fights and chase prey. Therefore dogs rarely live up to 15 years of age.
The effect is even more obvious in mammals that hibernate and thus significantly reduce energy consumption for several months. They live much longer than animals which stay awake during the winter. Mice do not hibernate and live only for 3-4 years, the bats of similar size and weight live up to 30 years. The reason for these differences in life expectancy lies in the ability of bats to go into hibernation. A similar situation is observed in other animals that hibernate.
INSUFFICIENT SLEEP MAKES US OLD, STUPID, SICK AND FAT
The average sleep duration of the Germans in 1910 decreased from 9 to 7.5 hours. Perhaps in the next years we will sleep even less.
Studies, carried out by a researching team led by Yves van Coterie at the University of Chicago, had shown how devastating chronic sleep deprivation can be for people. The research work provoked great interest among specialists and was published in 1999 in the prominent medical journal The Lancet (No 354). The sleep of a group of healthy young men had been observed in a laboratory. Every night they were allowed to sleep only for four hours. In a week the sleep deprivation violated the hormonal balance and metabolism. At first, the hormone insulin, which is normally produced by the pancreas and prevents us from diabetes, started to regulate incorrectly the blood sugar levels.
After a week of insufficient sleep the experimental group reached a condition that is a characteristic for elderly people, i.e. an early stage of diabetics.
Based on the studies, Dr. Yves van Coterie suggested that the chronic lack of sleep can cause or exacerbate age-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and impaired memory. Lack of sleep can lead to a bad mood, impaired concentration, and in the worst case, depression. Regular sleep deprivation can even prove fatal for rats, because even a short absence of rest destroys their immune system.
Calmer AFTER 7:30
A discovery made by British researchers sounds like music to the idlers' ears: The later we get up, the calmer and more balanced we are during the day. According to the British New Scientist magazine in its issue of 04/11/1999, early risers are more susceptible to stress than late sleepers.
Researchers from the University of Westminster in London have registered that in the saliva of people who wake up before 7:20 am, indicators of the stress hormone cortisol were higher than among those who laze in bed until later. Moreover, it has been found that early going to bed is needless.
The total duration of sleep, according to the discovery of British scientists, does not affect the production of the stress hormone. How do you wake up in the morning - nervous or calm - it is defined only by the time of waking. The stress of getting up early, not only affects you throughout the day, but can even lead to serious consequences for your health, the article says. In the long term, chronic stress leads to depression, weak immune system and early risers are more likely to suffer from infectious diseases, muscle aches and bad mood.
This also applies to children and young people. A group of researchers led by Epstein, a somnologist from Israel, studied 800 Israeli students aged from 10 to 11 years. Some of them had to get out of bed at 7:15 in the morning, and others - to sleep until 8:00. Although the time difference was only 45 minutes, the kids who got up early, suffered more often from fatigue and problems with attention. That is why many somnologists advocate for change in school start times.
HOW DOES OUR BODY REACT TO SLEEP AND REST
- Blood pressure drops to normal, which is usually not more than 140/90 mm.
- Heart rate normalizes in half an hour of rest.
- Oxygen consumption is reduced and breathing slows in about ten minutes of relaxation. Respiration rate decreases from 40 cycles when you are under stress to 12 when sleeping.
- The production of the stress hormones reduces during sleep and the youth hormone melatonin is produced.
DURING SLEEP WE GET YOUNGER
And here is another argument in favour of all late sleepers: while we sleep we get younger. This effect is due to the sleep hormone melatonin. It prepares your body for the night's rest, blood pressure drops, the heart begins to beat more slowly, eyelids feel heavy. But this hormone has another effect. Numerous studies have shown that melatonin has a rejuvenating effect and can prolong life.
If this hormone is put in the food or water of mice, their lifespan increases by 20-30% compared with the control animals.
When a pineal gland of young animals is transplanted to grown-up mice they live twice longer. The pineal gland is responsible for the production of the hormone melatonin. The exact mechanism of action of the hormone on sleep is still not clarified. Perhaps the effect of melatonin is to save energy, thanks to the long and healthy sleep.
SLEEP AFFECTS BODY TEMPERATURE AND METABOLISM
Another rejuvenating effect of sleep is the slowing of metabolism due to the lowering of body temperature. The sleep hormone melatonin which immerse the body into a deep and peaceful sleep, also serves to lower the body temperature at night.
This in turn reduces the activity of metabolism and energy consumption. The difference between the body temperature during the day and at night is particularly wide among young people whose sleep is deeper. In adults, who sleep worse and less, the sleep hormone is produced in smaller quantities and the temperature of the body drops significantly less.
PRODUCE REJUVENATING HORMONES BY YOURSELF
The hormone melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain. With food we take the amino acid tryptophan. During the day our body produces the neurotransmitter serotonin out of it.
When it gets dark, the pineal gland, which is connected with the outside world through the optic nerve, transforms the serotonin into the sleep hormone melatonin.
The sleep hormone melatonin influences the body in the following manner:
- serves as an effective antioxidant, which protects the cell walls from damage and aging;
- increases the efficiency of the immune system;
- lowers the body temperature and thus reduces power consumption;
- slows the aging process.
HOW TO STIMULATE THE MALATONIN PRODUCTION
In the afternoon and evening, choose foods that contain large amounts of tryptophan, which is necessary for the production of melatonin:
- Soybeans;
- Peas;
- Beans;
- Seafood;
- Sheep’s meat;
- Eggs;
- Bananas;
- Pineapple;
- Poultry (especially turkey)
- Pasta;
- Nuts.
Relax and after thirty minutes of sleep and relaxation the production of melatonin increases.
THE RIGHT TIME FOR QUALITY SLEEP
At least one in ten people suffers from sleep disorders, and according to some surveys, one in three suffers from insomnia. With the help of training and good sleep hygiene this problem can often be solved. Practically everyone can learn to sleep properly.
The famous Viennese psychiatrist Viktor Frankl has an unusual method to treat patients with sleep disorders. People, who want to be treated by Frankel, appointed a visit on the phone. When they were telling about their sleeping problems, Frankl generally proceeded as follows. He told the patient that he can examine him as early as a week. Until then the doctor offered the man to do something to help clarify the causes leading to sleep problems so that he can quickly choose an effective therapeutic treatment. On the phone he assigned a task to the patient to keep a diary of his sleep in which to record the time he fell asleep, when he woke up and the time during which he was awake. Patients were delighted by the proposal, and the next evening proceeded to take notes. But to their surprise, here's what happened:
Whenever the patients decided to stay awake and keep a diary, they fell asleep and did not wake up throughout the night. They visited the doctor often depressed and told him that after so many sleepless years they slept well only during this test week.
Try and you can trick your subconsciousness, promise to stay awake the following night as long as possible and in any case not to fall asleep. In most cases, you will not succeed and will fall asleep surprisingly early.
HERE ARE SOME MORE USEFUL TIPS
Your bedroom should be in the quietest place of the house and if possible its windows do not overlook the street. The bedroom should be well ventilated before going to bed, but at the same time it must not be too cold. In the winter: contrary to the popular belief, to sleep with the windows open is not a good idea. If the temperature drops too much, the body will need a lot of energy to maintain its normal temperature and this will interfere with your quality sleep. The ideal temperature for sleeping is 18 degrees Celsius.
A good mattress is a prerequisite for a quality sleep and reduction of energy costs. A small bed or a common inseparable mattress can hinder the long phases of deep sleep, every sleeping individual moves more than 30 times during the night and could seriously undermine the peaceful sleep of his partner. If you insist to sleep together and not to disturb each other, choose a mattress that everyone can adjust to his individual comfort.
There is already such a product which is offered by Stepin2Nature Bulgaria Ltd.
Вече има такъв продукт който се от Stepin2Nature България ООД.
AND SOME MORE: SLEEP FOR 60 SECONDS
During sleep the body relaxes and acquires new powers. The organism regenerates, thoughts calm down. Most people are efficient only if they sleep at about eight hours a night and do it regularly. But you can also quickly fill with energy after one minute's sleep. Even that it sounds unbelievable, such a short pause can bring more benefit than half an hour nap. While the majority of people who have mastered the technique of one minute's sleep, wake up invigorated, many feel devastated after a long afternoon nap.
How to do it? Sit on a chair in the posture of a coachman, pick up a bunch of keys. Try to disconnect. If you have experience and you're very tired, you will quickly find yourself in a brief second dream. The keys will be your alarm clock. After falling asleep, the muscles will relax, the keys will fall on the floor and prevent you from falling asleep deeper. While short sleep gives you energy, the long day sleep only enhances fatigtue.
WHAT YOU EAT DETERMINES THE WAY YOU SLEEP
Ако стомахът ви през нощта е принуден да се бори с наскоро изяден свински джолан, гигантска пица или вечеря с три ястия, не може да заспите лесно. Леката вечеря обаче може да подпомогне съня. Идеалната храна за вечеря са въглехидратите под формата на плодове или парче хляб.
Мазните храни като пържени ястия, колбаси и големи порции месо, трудно се преработват и занимават храносмилателната система в продължение на часове.
Съдържащите въглехидрати продукти, напротив, успокояват и балансират и помагат на съня. Такива продукти са макаронените изделия, хляб, ориз, картофи, плодове и всички сладкиши.
С умората се борят, преди всичко, храните, богати на протеини. Те включват риба, колбаси, сирене и млечни продукти. Важно е да се вземе предвид съотношението на различните протеини в храната.
Продуктите, съдържащи протеиновия компонент тирозин, разсънват, защото от него се произвеждат активиращи и ободряващи хормони (допамин, норепинефрин). Затова такива продукти трябва да се употребяват през деня.
За добър сън през ноща имате нужда от съдържащи триптофан храни. От протеиновия компонент триптофан се произвежда хормона на съня мелатонин, който подпомага добрия пълноценен сън.
Какво би ни помогнало да спим по добре:
Вечерта - триптофан съдържащи храни:
- птиче месо (особено пуешко);
- сладки;
- съдържащи въглехидрати плодове и сушени плодове (банани, ананаси, смокини, фурми);
- ядки;
- всички видове тестени изделия.
Какво би ни попречило да заспим:
Тирозин съдържащи продукти и за това те трябва да се консумират само сутрин и следобед :
пълнозърнест хляб и зърнени фибри;
- нискомаслено мляко;
- сирене;
- тофу (соева извара);
- кисело мляко;
- нетлъсто месо, риба;
- яйца;
- бобови растения.
Ние от Stepin2Nature България ООД искрено се надяваме, че сме ви били полезни с тази статия с материали за която ни помогнаха колегите от Наука OFFNews.