Sleeping is an essential element in our lives, it allows us Recharge our energy and function properly . Or at least, that's how it should be.
The number of complaints about lack of sleep, nightmares or lack of energy on waking seems to be growing and the reasons are varied. The investigation has confirmed some of these reasons while it has rejected others.
Whether you need 5 to 8 hours of sleep to feel recharged, it is crucial to know some of the elements that affect you to change some and improve the sleep experience.
Factors Affecting Sleep
1-Position
Dr. Calvin Kai-Ching Yu conducted a study with 670 participants and determined that Sleeping upside down can increase the chances of sexual and violent dreams . Their explanations suggest that when sleeping on our stomachs we put more pressure on our face and this leads to a sensation of activation and suffocation.
Another study showed that the nightmare rate was significantly higher in people who slept to the left (40.9%) than those who slept to the right (14.6%).
2-Thoughts (especially those we try to avoid)
They do not have to be recent thoughts. You can dream about something that went through your mind in a fraction of a second ago days, months or even years ago . Research shows that trying to suppress thoughts makes them more persistent.
3-Quit smoking
Quitting a habit could result in a dream vivid . Dr. Patrick McNamara conducted a study in which found that 63% of smokers still dream about smoking a year after quitting.
4-Go to bed hungry
A Low blood sugar Could be the cause of waking up more during the night, which means you would remember more than you dreamed. Besides, it would be normal for any of those dreams to include meals.
5-Odor
A small study showed the effect of pleasant and unpleasant odors on dreams. While it seemed that smells were not recorded in dreams, the 15 participants had a Nice sleep when they smelled something they liked And unpleasant dreams when they smelled rotten eggs.
6-Sounds
Have you ever heard the alarm on your alarm clock in a dream? Unlike odors, The sounds enter our dreams and alter their course.
7-Video Games
Dr. Jayne Gackenbach found in an investigation that the Video games improve control and awareness in dreams . He suggested that people who play video games have a lot of experience in controlling a virtual environment. Even more than that, dreams could have more actions and intense scenes.
8-Antidepressants
Antidepressants Could increase nightmares According to Dr. Barrett. It has been found that people who take antidepressants have more intense dreams and some of them include nightmares.
9-Spicy food
Spicy foods or any food that can give more work to the stomach, could lead to wake up and remember dreams better.
Waking up after a dream is related to a better memory of it. This would explain why people suffering from indigestion say they have more dreams (actually remember them better).
10-Horror Movies
According to Dr. Barrett, What do you do before going to sleep matters . The music, temperature, mental state, what you eat, the conversations, everything will have an impact on your dream.