Are Italians early risers? Over 4 million Italians wake up before 5 in the morning. Why?
Is Italy a country of early risers? It would seem so, if we consider that over 4 million people wake up before 5 in the morning. But why? What are the causes of this phenomenon? And what are the possible remedies?
The causes of poor and bad sleep
Excluding all those people who are forced by their work to wake up early, we could define the causes of little and bad sleep as multiple.
Among the most common we find:
- Stress: Stress is one of the main enemies of sleep. When we are stressed, our body releases cortisol, a hormone that keeps us awake and alert.
- Anxiety: Anxiety is another factor that can disturb sleep. People who suffer from anxiety often have difficulty falling and staying asleep.
- Depression: Depression can cause insomnia or hypersomnia. People who suffer from depression often have difficulty falling asleep, wake up frequently during the night, and feel tired in the morning.
- Sleep disorders: There are several sleep disorders that can cause insomnia, such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.
- Bad sleeping habits: Some bad sleeping habits, such as watching TV or using the phone in bed, can disturb your sleep.
- Environmental factors: Environmental factors such as noise, light and temperature can disturb sleep.
Leaving aside the first four points for which we invite all interested people to contact their doctor, in this article we will focus only and exclusively on bad bed habits and environmental factors. On the occasion of World Sleep Day, the Italian Society of Neurology and Aims (an association that deals with sleep disorders) have made public the data collected on sleep disorders and, surprisingly, a good portion are women but there are also a good number of teenagers and children. These are the percentages collected on the 12 million Italians who chronically sleep badly:
- 25% adults with insomnia problems;
- 35% of people wake up between 3 and 5 am (a large portion are women)
- 20% minors, adolescents and children
- 38% of people say they are dissatisfied with their senses
- 60% of insomniacs do not use drugs
Reading these percentages we can well understand how the situation is dramatic also and above all in light of the psycho-physical well-being that man derives from deep sleep. A sleepless night always causes tiredness during the day, general malaise, headaches, widespread exhaustion, poor concentration and poor physical energy.
All the doctors, authors of the collection of this data, pointed the finger at the bad habits that are increasingly spreading in modern society.
The use of cell phones and tablets as well as the TV before bed are king. The brightness of the screens alters our perception of the day/night alternation, undermining the sleep/wake rhythm. Before going to bed it becomes essential to remove all this equipment at least an hour before, we can also add the intake of some relaxing herbal tea and the creation of a comfortable and dark bedroom environment.
We are at the gates of spring where the saying "spring sweet sleep" hovers, will it really be like this? According to the same doctors of the test in question, this is not really the case, the rise in temperatures, the lengthening of daylight hours, the transition to summer time are all factors that influence the production of melatonin in our body, which, like all we know, it is the substance that helps us sleep better and more deeply.
We at Cipoxpat have been producing supports for better sleep for years. The study described above does not take into account all the causes, such as night posture which can affect the quality of rest. Therefore, in addition to advising on the habits to follow for a good night's sleep, we also offer our neck pillows for sleeping supine and leg pillows in memory foam to be able to maintain a correct position during sleep so as not to interrupt it due to problems. of pain from bad posture.
We leave here even more tips to help those who struggle to fall asleep:
- Establish a regular sleep routine. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Create a relaxing environment for sleeping. Your bedroom should be dark, quiet and cool.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Caffeine and alcohol can interfere with sleep.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise can help you sleep better, but avoid exercising too close to bedtime.
- Relax before going to sleep. Take a warm bath, read a book, or listen to relaxing music before going to sleep.
- If you can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel tired. Don't stay in bed if you can't sleep, because this can make it harder to fall asleep.
Sleeping well and deeply is important for physical and mental health. If you have trouble sleeping, it's important to talk to your doctor to find the cause of the problem and the treatment that's best for you. If psycho-physical pathologies are excluded then the advice described above can really help you to rediscover the pleasure of a good rest.