A good night's sleep is a real cure-all for our body and mind. And yet, sleep today is neglected, often reduced to a disturbance within an existence that must be active and productive. The motto "he who sleeps catches no fish" applies and the most recent research tells us that night rest has been reduced by about 40-60 minutes a day compared to about forty years ago. In short, a good night's sleep seems like a good memory of the past even if sleeping well is essential to feel good and to "catch more fish". Night rest is, in fact, a fundamental process. It is a laborious construction phase. It is a space of time in which the body and mind lay new foundations and then start again with an extra gear. This is the message transmitted to us by the essay " The art of sleeping well " (Aboca Edizioni, 2023, Euro 28.00, pp. 424. Also Ebook) in which Russell Foster reveals the science of biological clocks and sleep by sharing the experience gained in forty years of career as a specialist in this sector.
The starting point is a simple observation: in the 21st century we have squeezed an increasing number of work and leisure activities into an already overloaded daily schedule, encroaching on the night time slot. However, sleep is as important as the food we eat, but we pay much less attention to our rest than to our diet. We snatch time from night rest to work or to have fun. Let's forget the rituals for a good sleep like reducing the rhythms before bedtime. We have forgotten that our body is guided by a biological clock that knows when is the best time to sleep, eat, think, an internal regulation - called circadian rhythm - which allows us to function optimally based on the primary needs imposed by the cycle day/night. We don't care about good quality sleep at least until the situation becomes unsustainable or we begin to pay the consequences of our rest deficit. Lack of sleep, in fact, leads to cognitive difficulties. Furthermore, it influences the character, one becomes irascible and even personal relationships worsen so much that, as Foster recounts in the book, those who work at night divorce more frequently than those who live by day and sleep at night . Sleeping little makes you less alert, attention drops during the day and drowsiness increases with all the associated risks. And if the lack of sleep is chronic , the risk of developing depression and serious pathologies such as tumors or cardiovascular diseases (stroke, heart attacks) increases. And let's remember that sleep debt is never fully recovered.
TIPS – Russell also offers us many useful tips to get out of a vicious circle that afflicts many of us. According to studies, in fact, about 25% of Italians suffer from sleep-related disorders; especially Italians suffer from insomnia, but also from respiratory problems – such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome – or have to deal with restless legs syndrome. In general , insomnia affects twenty out of every 100 people in the Western world .
Here are some "common sense" tips to try to make it easier to fall asleep and maybe sleep better.
Those who find it hard to sleep avoid afternoon naps. Better to exercise, especially at dawn, but never in the evening. Work also needs to be interrupted some time before going to sleep. The evening meal should be light. Difficult digestion does not help good sleep. The bedroom must be quiet, dark, comfortable and intended only for sleep. The other activities have to be done elsewhere. Conversely, too often we fill our bedroom with televisions, smartphones, computers and the like, all tools that belong to the hours of activity. Finally, to respect our biological clock, we must try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every time . In short, Foster's book enlightens us on how our circadian rhythms help us increase our chances of success in a dynamic world: by indulging them we will lead a more satisfying existence, we will live longer and we will be happier.