Melatonin is also known as the hormone of sleep, because its production is directly related to the amount of light we receive. It is found naturally in our body and is synthesized through tryptophan, an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own — it must be obtained from food and is of vital importance, as it is necessary for growth and development.
Vitamin D often holds a more significant role in our well-being than we might realize. Beyond its commonly known association with bone health, emerging research has shed light on its multifaceted importance.
You know, garlic might not smell like roses because of the sulfur-containing compounds it has, but the odor won’t bother you before long since you’ll get used to it. As a benefit, that smell will have a calming effect, helping you sleep safe and sound. It’s even better if you eat it! Garlic contains vitamin B1 that is responsible for producing melatonin, a sleep hormone.
There are days when we feel tired and energy-drained even after a good night’s sleep. Fatigue and apathy may have a wide variety of reasons that differ for all people. Even a small solar storm 93 million miles away from the Earth can make your neurons work weaker.Studies have revealed that solar storms are so massive that they can desynchronize our biological clock and cause excessive sleepiness and laziness. That’s because electromagnetic activity generated by the disturbance of the Sun influences the pineal gland in our brains. Although this gland is very tiny, it plays the role of a big boss in your endocrine system.
You’re just about to fluff up your pillows and get dressed in your favorite pajamas. You then set your alarm for the next day — it’s gonna ring in 8 hours. That should do the trick, isn’t that what the doctor suggested? But as the alarm starts ringing the next morning, you wake up feeling more tired than you were when you got into bed. Are those 8 hours of recommended sleep just a myth?
Ah, you go to bed early to get more sleep and wake up tomorrow morning refreshed and full of energy. Everything goes well, you fall asleep quickly, and... your body wakes you up at 3 am. You try to go back to sleep, but you can’t. Well, here’s something to help you.
Let’s go ahead and set an hour for you to wake up consistently every day of this week, say, 7 am. There are a couple of rules to start off: you can’t hit the snooze button for one, and you have to get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off.Now, pull up your phone and set your alarm. Next on the list, sleeping hours. This will differ a bit depending on how old you are. Here’s a chart that might help. People aged 13 to 18 need around 8 to 10 hours of sleep.
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The way life moves nowadays, there are many people who don’t feel rested during the day. They might suffer from insomnia or be stressed while they sleep — or they may not be able to get any shut-eye due to drinking so much coffee. While a mid-day nap would be the ideal scenario, it’s not always possible due to busy work schedules. That being said, our brains might find another way to switch off for a few moments without us even realizing it.
Soy milk is a common replacement for dairy milk, and if you follow a vegan diet, you might be very familiar with it. You can include soy milk in your everyday drinks, such as cereal, coffee, and even smoothies. It offers your body plenty of benefits, including protein and calcium, and if you are lactose intolerant, even better. However, if you have any allergies or take medication, it’s advisable to consult with your doctor first before making any changes to your diet.
Tossing and turning at night is a common experience that many of us have encountered. Sleep is crucial for maintaining our health and overall well-being, but for numerous individuals, achieving a restful night’s sleep can be a daunting task. It’s not as simple as just avoiding a late-night cup of coffee; seemingly harmless habits can also interfere with our ability to fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling refreshed. At Bright Side, we understand the struggle of sleepless nights, and we decided to delve into the potential causes behind this common issue.First and foremost, it’s essential to emphasize the significance of sleep. Sleep is not merely a luxury but a fundamental necessity for our bodies and minds. It is during sleep that our bodies engage in critical processes such as repairing tissues, consolidating memories, and regulating hormones. A lack of sleep can have severe consequences, including reduced cognitive function, mood disturbances, and an increased risk of chronic health conditions.For many individuals, falling asleep quickly remains a distant dream. The ability to drift off into slumber is influenced by a myriad of factors, including stress, anxiety, and lifestyle choices. While some people can seemingly fall asleep the moment their head hits the pillow, others may toss and turn for hours before succumbing to sleep’s embrace. Understanding the obstacles to a good night’s sleep is the first step in addressing this issue.We undertook some research to uncover the potential culprits behind sleep difficulties. This research likely involved investigating common sleep disruptors and offering practical solutions to combat them. Bright Side’s commitment to addressing this issue highlights the importance of promoting healthy sleep habits and improving overall well-being.
Many families may have a story of a baby that was born minutes after their parents’ heroic drive to the hospital in the middle of the night. Based on these stories, it’s easy to imagine that babies decide to see the world when we’re the least prepared, that is, at night.
The correct lighting in your bedroom, the right types of exercises before bedtime, and even the clothes you sleep in — all these things can serve as helping hands for those who want to stay in shape, even while they’re cozily snoring under a warm blanket. Surprisingly, there are even more ways that we either don’t know about or just ignore, that help us fight those extra pounds, even while at rest.
It is estimated that each American eats 53 pounds of bread per year. The reasons are very simple since bread is delicious, convenient, and can be easily transported anywhere. However, like most things that taste so good, bread also has its negative effects on the human body. And when our bodies are bothered, they send signs so we can take care of the problem.
Does watching TV in bed before going to sleep help us relax? Does exercising at night harm our rest? These are some myths associated with sleep that sustain the habits of many of us, but they are not entirely true. We believe it is important to debunk them, because when we do not sleep well we can feel tired, we don’t think clearly, and we can spend a lot of time in a bad mood. Sleep, just like any other bodily process, requires our attention since it’s a very important part of our lives.
Snacking is often looked down upon, however, it doesn’t deserve its reputation. In fact, it has so many benefits — from weight loss to quality sleep. So schedule some snack time and get your containers ready. We’re about to discover the other side of snacking.
The temptation to work in a comfortable environment — especially one surrounded by fluffy pillows and soft sheets — may be difficult to resist. Some would also say that working from their bed helps reduce anxiety and triggers creativity. But setting up shop in your place of slumber could bring more damage to your physical and psychological health than anything else.
We touch our phones an average of 2,617 times per day. You can deny or admit an addiction, but the role this device plays in our life is huge. Still, it’s interesting to think about what it would be like if one day we woke up without it. Maybe our days could change for the better — or maybe not.
Many people will tell you to start meditating or keeping a sleep diary if you experience trouble sleeping. But that’s not exactly helpful when you wake up at 3 a.m., and all you want is to go back to sleep. What you need are practical ways to induce sleep. For some, you’ll need to get out of bed, but for some others, all you have to do is stay where you are.
If you think you are one of those people who feels sleepy after every Thanksgiving meal and who blames the turkey for your fatigue, you may have been duped. As it turns out, this is one of the biggest food myths. However, there are other ordinary foods, like certain nuts, that can actually help you to fall asleep faster. Not only that, but they can treat insomnia and help you have a peaceful sleep without waking up in the middle of the night.
In the winter, magic is in the air — but not for everyone. If you’re stuck at home, grumpy and tired, it’s likely that you’re suffering from so-called winter depression. Cold temperatures force us to be less productive and energetic. As a result, we feel stressed and unmotivated to do anything. But not to worry, Bright Side has your back. And here are some ways to ward off those winter blues.
People often blame the holiday season for winter weight gain and they have a valid reason — partying and revelry is a perfectly viable culprit. But according to several studies, there is more to this issue than overeating at a Christmas party. With the lack of sunlight and our survival mechanisms at play, weight gain seems not only real but difficult to avoid.
Sleeping in a hot room not only makes us uncomfortable and sweaty, but we also miss out on a lot of benefits that we could get just by sleeping in a cold room. Setting the temperature to around 65°F could make all the difference between a poor night’s sleep and a night of peaceful sleep. Bright Side wants you to make the most out of your slumber, so we listed some of the advantages of making your room cooler when you go to sleep.
Having gray hair traditionally meant that you became old and that your best years were behind you. Well, not anymore. Actually, far from it. Today, we know grey hair only means you’re running out of melatonin and that’s it. Men are no longer afraid of showing their white hair or beard. It’s actually the opposite. They’ve embraced the beauty of grey hair and even given the whole look a twist thanks to their boost of confidence.
Milk is a great source of nutrients, it’s healthy for your bones, and it has even more benefits if you drink it before you go to sleep. For example, it can help you fall asleep faster, sleep soundly without waking up in the middle of the night, and even boost weight loss!
Weight control, improved cholesterol and gut health, benefits to your cognitive functioning, and way more for our well-being — these tiny little nuts hide some huge potential inside them. Not only are pistachios delicious, but they also contain a lot of useful elements that our bodies strive for. Whether added to your dishes or just eaten as a snack, they deserve to be included in everyone’s meal plan.
Weight loss, breast cancer prevention, reducing insomnia, and way more — peanut butter is a natural treasure that can promote many positive changes in the body! It is full of useful vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and elements that your body just craves. All you need to do is just enjoy it in moderation and you will see the results soon enough.
During the night your body burns between 300 and 400 calories! This almost equals the amount of energy you waste on an hour-long run. Experts claim that quality sleep can contribute to weight loss, just like physical exercises. If you want to make it work, it is important to adhere to certain habits that can boost your metabolism in your sleep.
Leaving the frozen chicken on the counter for the whole day, taking showers that are too hot, or holding in a sneeze — some of us go through our days on autopilot. Our daily actions are filled with little rituals and habits that we think make us feel more comfortable, but actually, they hide something more harmful. For example, a fragrant coffee first thing in the morning can interfere with your hormones or the phone light before bedtime can cause you to not sleep well.
Most people are aware of how amazing honey is for sweetening your food when you don’t want to use sugar or how perfectly it softens your cakes and cookies. But honey is so much more than just a tasty treat, it has dozens of other uses due to its healing and antibiotic properties. No wonder that in Ancient Egypt it was used as a medicine more often than any other substance.
For the past 6 months, I have been sleeping 3 hours less. My sleep has become deeper and of better quality, and during the day, I feel full of energy and refreshed. I will tell you what I had to go through to learn how to get enough sleep in less time.
We’re always trying to find the perfect product that could become a magic pill for our body while also being delicious and enjoyable. Bright Side has found such a product, which turned out to be common honey. Today we are exploring its healthy properties. And we’re definitely going to eat a spoonful of it from now on.
Giving up damaging habits can be difficult. It’s even more difficult to drop those that we normally think of as beneficial to us that in fact can do damage to our bodies. Bright Side has put together a list of everyday habits that can cause more harm than good.
Naturalness has always been in trend. Today many girls spend so much time trying to put their makeup on to look like they aren’t wearing any at all. But following some beauty rules can help you look great without using any products on your face. Bright Side introduces to you 10 simple tricks that will make you look naturally flawless without foundation, lipstick, or other cosmetics.
We’ve all experienced that sudden urge to take a nap right after a meal. It turns out that not only our love for sleep or a hard day at work can trigger sleepiness: it’s also the type of food we consume every day. We at Bright Side collected 9 foods that can cause drowsiness, especially when eaten together.
