In summer, due to high temperatures, various physiological processes of the human body undergo changes, very often negative. Sleep is no exception, the quality of which in the warmer months is often lower than in the rest of the year.
, which is the body's internal clock that controls the sleep-wake cycle.
The biological clock, found in the brain, uses light and darkness as indicators of day and night, and in the presence of light it communicates to the body that it is day and that it must stay awake.
Delayed release of melatonin
When it gets dark, the biological clock signals that it is time to sleep with the release of the hormone melatonin.
When the sun rises, melatonin secretion stops so that the body can prepare for the day, but due to the longer daylight hours in summer, melatonin secretion time is shorter than in winter and this is one of the reasons why we often wake up earlier in the summer and sleep a little less.
Stress and hormonal changes
Sleep can be further interrupted if you are stressed or if you are living in a phase of life characterized by large hormonal changes such as menopause or pregnancy, because these factors influence the release of melatonin.
In the summer, attention must also be paid to heart health.
Lifestyle change
With longer days, the time dedicated to socializing generally increases and this often leads to eating and drinking later than usual and to ingesting greater quantities of alcohol, a sworn enemy of good rest.
By maintaining this pattern, the hours devoted to sleep are easily reduced and nighttime awakenings tend to become more frequent.
Higher temperatures
In combination with longer daylight hours, even higher than average temperatures can play a major role in sleep disruption.
When you are hot, in fact, the body has a harder time relaxing and tends to remain more alert and sleep less deeply, convinced that the heat is a danger from which to defend itself.
Conversely, when the body temperature drops, the body feels safe and indulges in deeper sleep.
In summer, attention must also be paid to heat disturbances.
in the warmer months it is possible.Maintain a precise routine
To increase the quality of sleep, it is important to go to bed and get up at the same times every time. Obviously, if sometimes these vary slightly it is not a drama, as long as they remain sporadic episodes.
Decrease exposure to light and sleep in a cool place
Reducing exposure to light, especially in the evening, can help the body prepare for sleep, as well as keep the temperature in the bedroom within certain parameters and the space well ventilated.
According to several studies, the best temperature for sleeping would be around 18.3 ° C.
To chill out
Learning to reduce stress and switch off from time to time is essential for several aspects related to well-being, and improving the quality of sleep is one of them.
Really relaxing when you go to bed can help you fall asleep faster and not wake up until the morning.
Create the right balance between light and dark
A completely dark room can promote a more peaceful sleep, but at the same time letting in some light in the morning helps the biological clock understand that the day is coming and prepares the body for awakening.
Do something pleasant before bedtime
If you constantly develop pleasant rituals before going to sleep, the brain will learn to associate them with sleep, improving it. An example could be taking a hot bath to relax, reading a book, doing Yoga, writing the diary of the day or watching something soothing on TV.
Any practice is fine, as long as it is enjoyable and helps the brain detach from the thoughts of the day.
Don't cover yourself up too much
Given the high temperatures that inevitably characterize the summer, the advice is to go to sleep with a light pajamas and possibly cotton, which let the skin transpire.
Same thing goes for sheets and pillowcases, whose most suitable fabrics are silk, satin or bamboo.
Try sleep hypnosis
If no method works and the quality of rest in the summer does not improve, a last option could be to try sleep hypnosis, a practice that, thanks to some targeted techniques, trains the brain to switch off at the right time and to get into deep, calming, restful and restorative sleep.
Good sleep is one of the signs to tell if your workout is working.
