Sleep - Everything we know about it

Good sleep is as important for the body as regular exercise and a healthy diet. The quality of sleep can greatly affect our mental and psychological state. A lack of sleep can result in a number of stress problems and affect your overall enjoyment of life. In the article, we will try to introduce you to the principles of sleep and give you some tips on how to improve the quality of sleep and tell you what affects our sleep.

Article content:

What time should we go to bed?

There is no rule that dictates what time we should go to bed. The optimal time to sleep can be completely individual for everyone. Research shows that a large part of civilization considers it optimal to go to sleep around 10 p.m. Rather than focusing on a specific hour, it is better to focus on the regularity of sleep.

In short, it's about going to bed and getting up regularly at the same time. E.g. they went to bed regularly at 10 a.m. and got up every morning at 7 a.m. so that the body would get used to this regular regimen. Eating dinner at the same time regularly can also benefit your sleep. A major role here is played by the circadian rhythm, which functions as the internal clock of the human body.

How many hours of sleep are ideal?

The optimal length of sleep changes throughout life. The recommended length of sleep for a newborn is between 14-17 hours. For an adult, the optimal length of sleep is between 7 and 9 hours.

Optimal duration of sleep according to age:

  • newborns up to three months: 2 to 5 p.m
  • 4 to 11 months: 12 to 16 hours
  • between 1 and 2 years: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m
  • between 3 and 5 years: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m
  • between 6 and 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
  • between 13 and 18 years: 8 to 10 hours
  • between 18 and 64 years: 7 to 9 hours
  • age over 65: 7 to 8 hours

Stages of sleep

Sleep is important for the regeneration of the body and the proper functioning of the nervous system. During sleep, the muscles relax and the mind enters a state of complete rest. We divide sleep into two basic sleep cycles:

  • REM phase - in translation Rapid eye movement. This is the deepest part of sleep, during which we dream. The phase of REM sleep occurs most often in the later stages of sleep and is repeated several times during the night. The longest phase occurs before the actual awakening.

    The REM stage is important for overall mental health. A lack of REM sleep can result in mental disturbances, low mood, and general fatigue. Likewise, sudden awakening from the REM phase can result in tiredness and sleeplessness.
     
  • NREM phase – Dreaming in this phase of sleep occurs only occasionally. It makes up the majority of all sleep and is divided into 4 categories. Stages 1 and 2 of NREM sleep are referred to as light sleep, while stages 3 and 4 are often referred to as deep sleep.

    NREM 1 – This is the initial stage of sleep. During this phase, we are still able to perceive our surroundings and the mind slowly transitions from wakefulness to light sleep. During the first phase, slight eye movements or muscle twitching may occur.

    NREM 2 – This stage makes up about 50% of the entire sleep. It is a light sleep during which the muscles are at complete rest. Body temperature and heart rate slowly decrease.

    NREM 3 and 4 – The body falls into deep sleep. This phase is also referred to as delta sleep, and muscle and tissue regeneration takes place during it. Thanks to quality deep sleep, muscle growth occurs.
    Sleepwalking, sleep talking, or night terrors may also occur during NREM 3.

Why is sleep so important?

Sleep is a significant part of our lives and is important for the overall health of our body. Here are a few reasons why sleep is important:

  • helps regulate the release of hormones that affect appetite, healing and overall growth,
  • improves brain functions (concentration, focus and productivity),
  • reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke,
  • helps maintain the function of the immune system,
  • reduces the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and possible depression,
  • increases libido and sexual function.

Causes of poor quality sleep?

Why can't you sleep? Why do you wake up at night? Poor sleep can be caused by several factors. The problem may be stress, lack of physical activity or excessive time spent on electronic devices. Let's take a closer look at some tips that could help you sleep better.

How to improve your sleep

Let's look together at a few tips that could give you better, healthy sleep and overall reduce fatigue and stress.

During the day:

  • Try to limit the length of afternoon naps to as short as possible. The ideal option is the so-called Power nap, when you take a short nap (ideally 10-20 minutes). After 30 minutes, the body falls into a deep sleep, waking up from it can already be tiring for the body. It is important to avoid longer naps in the later hours.
  • Schedule exercise and physical activity at least a few hours before bed. Exercising and getting the blood flowing in the body before bed can have a negative impact on falling asleep easily.
  • Increase the amount of natural light in your work and home environment. The circadian rhythm then gets better used to the night and day mode.
  • As mentioned above, try to go to sleep and wake up regularly at the same time. The body then creates a regular routine.

Before sleep:

  • Limit the use of TV and mobile devices before bed. Ideally at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. It is important to limit the amount of blue light. The eyes and brain then get used to the night mode better. To improve the quality of your sleep, you can try switching your phone/laptop to red warm colors. Some devices have a Night Shift function that changes the color temperature of the display depending on the clock. Alternatively, you can try anti-blue light glasses before going to bed.
  • Treat yourself to relaxation before bed and relax not only your brain, but your entire body. The ideal solution is to take a warm bath, play relaxing music, or read a book.
  • Limit alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine products before bed, which stimulate the nervous system and make it harder for the body to fall asleep.
  • Try playing white noise before bed. This is a method that works great with babies as they are used to the noise from their mother's womb. You can find the white noise audio recording on various music platforms. Definitely worth a try!
  • Create an environment that will be as comfortable as possible for you. Get a mattress whose hardness will be the most ideal for you. Likewise, try to look for pillows and duvets in which you will feel comfortable. Don't overheat the bedroom you sleep in, but don't sleep in a cold environment either.
  • The last of our tips are CBD drops, which have calming effects while reducing pain and counteracting depression.

Problems with sleep

Do you have trouble falling asleep? There are a lot of thoughts running through your head and you are projecting what you will have to do immediately after waking up. Alternatively, you will almost always be woken up by a trip to the fridge of the hungry neighbor above you. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people at this moment are reaching for sleeping pills, but they are known for a number of side effects. As an alternative, it is possible to try the natural route, which is CBD products.

chill

chill

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CBD for better sleep

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a purely natural substance found in hemp. CBD has a huge advantage over the better-known THC – it is not psychoactive. CBD, on the other hand, calms the body and mind and is 100% legal in the Czech Republic. According to the results of various studies, CBD substances have an effect on the quality of sleep. Everything is affected by the amount of substance used. Research suggests that lower doses of CBD are more likely to have stimulating effects, while higher doses are more sedating. CBD substances help better regeneration and primarily have calming effects that help the body to relax.

It is used, for example, by vaporization in the form of ointments, tinctures and oils. However, you will not be in a euphoric state. In addition to being calming, CBD reduces pain and works against depression, anxiety and social phobia.

CBD is not psychoactive, but relaxes the muscles, body and mind, and above all promotes quality sleep. The production of CBD oils takes place in such a way that hemp extract is dissolved in cold-pressed hemp oil in a certain ratio. CBD binds to endocannabinoid receptors in the human body, which affect the quality of our sleep.

Which CBD products to choose for better sleep?

Currently, CBD is found in various forms. Some may find it more convenient to drip CBD drops into their carefully prepared oatmeal in the morning, while others will rather use CBD vaporization pens, which are absorbed into the blood more quickly than drops, and the effect is thus faster. Easy mobility is also an advantage, so you can take vaporizer pens wherever you go.

If you can't fall asleep in the evening and you have a lot of thoughts running through your head before going to sleep, we recommend reaching for CBD drops from our offer labeled chill, which have the ideal ratio of CBD and CBG to improve the quality of sleep.

If you would like to try something new, then you can try CBD flowers or one of the CBD extracts. For more experienced consumers, we also recommend HHC products. What is HHC?

Q&A

The optimal length of sleep changes throughout life. The recommended length of sleep for a newborn is between 14-17 hours. For an adult, the optimal length of sleep is between 7 and 9 hours.

This factor is completely individual depending on your work mode. It is more important to focus on keeping a regular bedtime and waking up. If you regularly go to bed at the same time, your body will then get used to the day/night pattern better and it will help your circadian rhythm.
REM phase - in translation Rapid eye movement. This is the deepest part of sleep, during which we dream. The phase of REM sleep occurs most often in the later phase of sleep and is repeated several times during the night. The longest phase occurs before the actual awakening. The REM stage is important for overall mental health. A lack of REM sleep can result in mental disturbances, low mood, and general fatigue. Likewise, sudden awakening from the REM phase can result in tiredness and sleeplessness.
Good sleep is as important for the body as regular exercise and a healthy diet. The quality of sleep can greatly affect our mental and psychological state. A lack of sleep can result in a number of stress problems and affect your overall enjoyment of life.

Sources:

1. [online]. [cit. 2022-12-30]. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-time-should-i-go-to-bed/
2. [online]. [cit. 2022-12-30]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/sleep-calculator#sleep-needs      
3. [online]. [cit. 2022-12-30]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/sleep-calculator#importance-of-sleep

Author
, Marketing Specialist

Igor is a marketer from WOXO agency. He specializes in advertising, PR and marketing, but in his spare time he has long been involved in hemp issues and follows the Czech market with CBD and HHC products.

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