We’ve always been told to get a full 8-hours of sleep around the same time every night. But why? The reason behind this is our circadian rhythm — which happens to be very important for our health.
What is our circadian rhythm?
Our circadian rhythm is a natural 24-hour clock in our brain that controls our sleep/wake patterns. It determines when we feel sleepy or awake and when we feel hungry.
If we go to sleep around the same time every night and wake up around the same time every morning, we create a rhythm that keeps us sleeping at night and energized during the day.
Why is our circadian rhythm so important?
Because our circadian rhythm controls brain wave activity, hormone production, cell generation, and more, our health is directly affected by this pattern.
If our circadian rhythm is off-balance, we risk disrupting natural sleeping and feeding patterns. We also risk a multitude of other health issues, including sleep disorders, cardio vascular disease, affective disorders, and certain types of cancers.
So, keeping your circadian rhythm in check is extremely important!
How do you keep your circadian rhythm in balance?
Circadian rhythms can be easily disrupted by jet-lag, daylight savings, shift work, or staying up late. Life happens so it’s difficult to always keep this pattern in check, but here’s how you can re-balance it:
Get to bed and wake up at the same time every day and night.
This is an easy way to restart your circadian rhythm after it’s been disrupted. By getting to bed and waking up at the same time every day, you’re reintroducing your brain to routine, so it will naturally adjust to your schedule.
How much sleep should you be getting?
Anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep a night is recommended for the average person.
During this time, your brain strengthens memories and skills learned while you were awake through a process called consolidation.
Sleep is known to increase your self-control and focus. It is also proven to be a factor in avoiding depression.
There are so many reasons why sleep is important and why maintaining a balanced circadian rhythm improves health. Because so much relies on a good sleep, you should invest in a great mattress that gives you the best sleep quality possible.
Talk to us at Majestic Mattress to learn more about how your mattress can affect your sleep.