We are happy to use the latest technologies, simplify our lives and organise everyday life more efficiently. However, there are areas such as sleep, where neither technology nor performance are our allies. In spite of various trends and fleeting theories, in order to sleep well, one should follow simple rules and principles. Here are some of them.
The theory of pressure
Have you ever wondered why hugging a loved one helps us in hard times? How much joy does walking with your partner’s arm around you give? Why is the autumn ritual of covering ourselves with a blanket and drinking tea so enjoyable? All these activities have one common denominator – a gentle hugging or wrapping pressure that causes a number of positive changes in our nervous system! That is why we strongly recommend the discoveries of therapeutic pressure on the body and its impact on effective sleep.
Interesting fact: More than 30 years ago, the idea of load as a therapeutic method was propagated by Dr Temple Grandin, who conducted a lot of research on the impact of load on sensory development in autistic people. During her scientific career, she constructed the so-called “hug machine,” or pressure machine. More than half of the respondents found deep pressure pleasant and relaxing, and some noted a significant reduction in tension and stress. It was also observed that gentle pressure not only helps to cure sick children but is also a great remedy for sleep disorders in otherwise healthy children and adults. Based on these experiments, weighted blankets were constructed (i.e. sensory), which stimulate internal nerve connections, help reduce the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) produced and enhance the increase in serotonin (happiness hormone).
The less the better
Does your bedroom feature an electronic alarm clock (or the phone hidden under the pillow), TV in front of the bed, air purifier, laptop charger and laptop, and maybe a remote control for the light and air conditioner? Examining your room might reveal an excess of electronics, “new technologies” and gadgets that always surround you when you go to sleep and wake up. As you can imagine for various reasons these are not good for your sleep and not only because of the emission of unhealthy blue light. If we want to go back to the basics, we need to think about why ancient peoples slept more effectively in empty and dark caves than modern humans in the company of NASA technology. Were they awakened by the iPhone’s alarm from under the pillow? Were their bodies cooled by air conditioners? Were they reading world news before sleep, or worse, emails from work? So, in conclusion, isn’t it possible that the less, the better?
A prisoner in a golden cage
Living among new technologies has created very interesting trends in societies; on the one hand, we use them constantly and with great enthusiasm, and on the other, we become their prisoners. After all, it is convenient to pay by phone or hold online meetings, but instead of having more time, we seem to lack it? We’ve learned to live at an incredible pace, we’re used to chaos, and stress goes to bed with us almost every night, like a good old spouse. We drink more and more caffeine to stimulate ourselves and squeeze out even more productivity, work longer and more efficiently, and finally complain puzzlingly that we suffer from sleep disorders. So how can we enjoy a healthy and effective sleep? First of all, we need to strive for clarity of the head and mind, and there are many different options to achieve this, including meditation, yoga, sport, writing pros and cons, letters and schedules, sleep hygiene, finding a hobby and much more. These are effective because a clear and relaxed mind means a calm and healthy body.
