Good sleep slows down aging: the keys to a restful sleep

Sleeping well is a comforting habit and is also essential for a healthy life. Night rest is essential for the balance of the body, a healthy sleep provides greater concentration and helps maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being.

“The abnormality in the sleep cycle is a consequence of modern life, the world population has decreased the number of hours it sleeps, and that leads to a deterioration in health, both physically and mentally. Lack of sleep causes mental discomfort or dullness and also increases the risk of adopting unhealthy lifestyles (such as smoking, increasing food intake without being hungry, postponing responsibilities) and alters mood stability,” explained pulmonologist Mirta Castro, sleep specialist and member of the Sleep, Oxygen Therapy and Ventilatory Assistance Committee of the Argentine Association of Respiratory Medicine.

“Good quality and sufficient quantity is the perfect equation when it comes to healthy sleep. During sleep, the brain removes toxins that are potentially harmful to aging, so when we talk about people in adulthood, the difference between getting little sleep and reaching the right amount, which is between 7 and 8 hours of sleep, is decisive,” said Dr. Eduardo Borsini, pulmonologist at the Hospital's Sleep Unit. British from Buenos Aires.

The consequence of lack of sleep is a greater likelihood of secondary illnesses and an increased risk of having accidents in the home or traffic. To become aware of the importance of a good rest, today is World Sleep Day, the date commemorated on the Friday before the spring equinox (in the northern hemisphere) and autumn (in the southern hemisphere) with the aim of highlighting the importance of sleep for beings humans.

“The collective idea that the moments we spent sleeping were a 'waste of time' is now obsolete. Recent research shows that while we are quietly sleeping, our brain is extremely busy processing the information obtained throughout the day,” explained Dr. Castro, who also serves as head of the Pulmonology Department of the Río Gallegos Regional Hospital, in Santa Cruz.

For all this, sleep plays a unique role in the proper development of the growing brain and in various processes of brain plasticity that occur during rest. At the cellular level, circadian cycles coordinate complex mechanisms of “turning on and off” genes and structures that individually and jointly regulate the functions of each cell in the organism. As a result, a good rest balances the mental, emotional and physiological functioning of each person.

The Argentine Association of Respiratory Medicine developed a guide to take care of the mind and have a healthy and restful sleep:

1 - Establish a regular bedtime. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends

2 - Regularize the wake-up time. That the gap is no more than two hours apart between working days and days off

3 - Limit the nap to a maximum of 20-30 minutes after lunch. Avoid napping if it contributes to greater difficulty sleeping at night or to a more fragmented and shorter sleep

4 - Exercise daily but do not exercise close to bedtime

5 - Spend time outdoors. Be exposed to natural light for at least 30 minutes every day

6 - Avoid using caffeine and tobacco, especially late in the day

7 - Avoid alcohol and large meals before bedtime. Both prevent a restful and deep sleep.

8 - Limit the use of electronic devices before bedtime. Try to read a book, listen to music and do relaxing activity

9 - Adapt the environment to sleep: cool temperature if possible, avoid distractions of light and sound, darken the environment and silence the cell phone.

10 - Do not stay awake in bed. If you can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again

11 - See your doctor if you have problems falling asleep frequently.

The most frequent visits to professionals specializing in sleep medicine are the manifestation of excessive daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome, snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy. In infantile children, the most frequent consultation on sleep is school failure, attention deficit, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADH), as well as snoring and insomnia.

During the pandemic, within the framework of social isolation, the problem of sleep was especially protagonist in the adult and young population. According to a study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the National Sleep Foundation of the United States, during this period, sleep-wake disorders increased by 40%, there was a 50% higher prevalence of insomnia, and the use of psychotropic drugs, mainly hypnotics, increased by 25%.

This year, the slogan of the World Sleep Society (World Sleep Society) is “quality sleep, healthy mind, happy world”, and the association called for reflection on the impact of sleep on mental health, on concentration during the day and on the possibilities of feeling physically burdened, mentally and emotionally.

“Achieving good quality and quantity of sleep improves the chances of having good physical, cognitive and emotional health,” said Borsini, a pulmonologist at the British Hospital Sleep Unit, adding that “in an adult it reduces the risks of hypertension and the chances that they may suffer traffic accidents, work or domestic”.

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