How should you sleep to stay young?

Getting enough sleep, 7-9 hours a day, helps the body quickly regenerate energy and recover from damage caused by exposure to environmental toxins.

Getting enough sleep, 7-9 hours a day, helps the body quickly regenerate energy and recover from damage caused by exposure to environmental toxins, UV rays, and other harmful agents throughout the day.

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Lack of sleep manifests as dark circles around the eyes, dry and dull skin, and uneven skin tone—all signs of progressive skin aging. Getting enough sleep, and sleeping properly, not only helps us have beautiful skin but also keeps us mentally refreshed and physically youthful.

The importance of sleep

Statistics show that each of us spends about one-third of our lives sleeping. Sleep is a natural state of unconsciousness in which brain activity is minimal, aside from maintaining basic bodily functions such as respiration and circulation.

Sleep is a highly synchronized state that enhances the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems. Sleep helps the body replenish energy after a long day of consumption.

In addition, sleep is also a time for the body to regenerate and repair itself. Growth hormone is also secreted during sleep, and it also stimulates tissue regeneration in adults. The increasing development and work pressure cause our bodies to expend a significant amount of energy daily.

Sleeping too little not only makes the body tired but also increases cortisol – a hormone that increases inflammation, leading to acne and potentially causing premature wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness, and skin aging. Conversely, sleeping too much is also dangerous, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. But how can we sleep in a way that is beneficial, slows down the aging process, and increases longevity?

Don't sleep too much.

Sleeping too much increases the risk of cardiovascular disease: When awake, our bodies are active, the heart muscles have to contract more forcefully, and the heart's blood circulation increases. During sleep, heart rate and muscle contraction decrease, reducing blood flow to the heart, thus contributing to cardiovascular diseases.

7 a.m. is a good time to start your breakfast.

Sleeping too much can damage and cause respiratory problems: When you oversleep in the morning, especially when the room is polluted with bacteria and CO2, it can easily damage and cause respiratory illnesses such as sore throat, cough, and colds. Furthermore, excessive sleep makes your body sluggish, less active, and reduces metabolism, so your lungs become "lazy," which is detrimental to your respiratory system.

Sleeping too much can lead to poor concentration, reduced work efficiency, and impaired memory: Excessive sleep consumes a significant amount of oxygen, temporarily depriving the brain of nutrients. This disrupts hormonal balance, causing fatigue, drowsiness, headaches, and a lack of energy, making concentration difficult. The sluggishness of sleeping late in the morning prevents muscle relaxation and blood circulation, leading to numbness and aching in the limbs, and general discomfort.

Sleeping too much can lead to a loss of appetite: Lethargy, fatigue, and headaches are the main causes of a loss of appetite.

Excessive weight gain from sleeping too much: When you consume energy and nutrients but don't use them for activity, that energy and those nutrients accumulate as excess fat in your body, leading to overweight and obesity.

Increased risk of diabetes: Sleeping too much or not enough each night can increase the risk of diabetes due to disruptions in insulin metabolism in the body.

Disadvantages of sleeping too little

Lack of sleep directly affects your skin. Sleep deprivation prevents the body from producing growth hormone, which in turn produces cortisol, a stress hormone that can break down collagen in the body.

Memory loss: Lack of sleep leads to decreased brain function, causing a memory-damaging protein to gradually accumulate in the brain. High levels of this beta-amyloid protein disrupt sleep, creating a toxic process that results in Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

Cardiovascular diseases: When sleep-deprived, the sympathetic nervous system becomes more active, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure increases, putting extra strain on the heart. Furthermore, when you sleep less, your body needs more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels, thus negatively impacting blood vessels and the heart.

Overweight and obesity: Lack of sleep or insomnia leads to constant fatigue and stress, causing organs to function poorly and calories to be inefficiently burned, resulting in the accumulation of excess fat. Many people who stay up late, have difficulty sleeping, and are inactive also tend to snack frequently, leading to overweight and obesity.

Diabetes: Lack of sleep disrupts insulin balance because the body needs more to maintain blood sugar levels. Insulin is the conduit that carries glucose to cellular structures, directly affecting diabetes. Furthermore, sleep deprivation leads to hardening of the blood vessels due to increased stress hormones, which in turn increases the risk of developing diabetes.

What is the best sleeping position?

Everyone has a different sleeping position. However, sleeping on your left side is considered the most beneficial for your health.

For the digestive system: Because our stomach and pancreas are located on the left side of the abdomen, lying on our left side keeps them in their natural position. Just 10 minutes of lying on your left side after eating helps food move through the stomach more easily, aiding in efficient digestion.

Regarding the respiratory system and spine: Sleeping on your left side keeps your internal organs in a natural position, aligning your abdomen, neck, and back, which provides optimal airflow to your lungs. Meanwhile, lying on your side reduces the gravitational force on your back and hips, minimizing harm to your spine.

Good for the lymphatic system: The lymphatic system functions to fight off pathogens, foreign bodies, and abnormal (cancerous) cells. In addition to protecting the body, it is also part of the circulatory system responsible for fluid balance. Lying on your left side helps the lymphatic system eliminate toxins. This will prevent serious illnesses caused by toxins accumulating in your body being flushed out.

What are your sleep and wake times?

9:00 PM - 11:00 PM: This is the time when the immune system (lymphocytes) detoxifies, so it's important to relax your body and mind, avoid stressful work, etc., to help the lymphatic system perform its function effectively. You can incorporate some head and neck massages, then go to sleep during this time to help your body recover quickly after a stressful day.

7:00 - 9:00: This is the time when the small intestine absorbs the most nutrients, making it the ideal time for breakfast to provide energy for the body. You should wake up at 6:00 AM to get ready, exercise, and prepare for breakfast by 7:00 AM to energize yourself for the workday.

How much sleep is enough?

Everyone has different physical conditions and lifestyles, so not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. In fact, a survey found that children aged 1-3 need 14-16 hours of sleep per day, those aged 14-20 need 8-9 hours, and those over 20 only need 7-8 hours. However, many people only need 5-6 hours of sleep per day to have enough energy for the next day, while those accustomed to 8 hours of sleep will feel exhausted almost immediately if they sleep even slightly less.

But that doesn't mean you have the right to cut back on sleep. The truth is, while those who sleep less may not feel tired immediately, in the long run, it will negatively impact their mental health, blood pressure, blood vessels, and even reduce their lifespan.

Adults who sleep less than 4 hours have an 80% higher mortality rate compared to those who sleep more than 10 hours a day. It's best not to sleep too little or too much. You don't necessarily need 8 hours of sleep a day; 7 or 9 hours would be better. The important thing is that you wake up feeling refreshed, comfortable, and no longer sleep-deprived – that means you've had enough sleep.

Normally, it takes 15-20 minutes to fall asleep. If you fall asleep immediately, it means you're alarmingly sleep-deprived. If you're still not asleep after an hour, you may have slept too much beforehand or you may be suffering from insomnia.

If you accidentally wake up during the night, and your sleep is interrupted, and you can't fall back asleep despite trying, it means you've had enough sleep. Instead of trying to go back to sleep, get up and walk around or do some light exercise. This will significantly improve your health.

According to VNN