Insufficient sleep or its poor quality can affect physical and mental health, reduce productivity and general mood, impair our concentration, memory and even immunity. In order to improve your night's rest, experts use sleep improvement strategies. Daria Pylypenko, a well-known somnologist and president of the Ukrainian Child Sleep Institute, shared useful tips on how Ukrainians can improve their sleep.

So, for this, the expert recommends using several strategies:

1. The right light

Our brain operates with an internal biological clock that determines the time of day based on the light reaching the retina.

According to Daria, this feature allows us to use various techniques to improve the quality of sleep through light regulation. For example, it is recommended to avoid using white or blue spectrum light before going to sleep or during night awakenings. Instead, the somnologist advises to use the light of an amber lamp: "With the help of natural filtering of light through the eye structures, the brain receives a light stream that stimulates the optic nerves less. Such a light stream has a yellow-orange hue, calms the nervous system and signals to the brain that the time is right for sleep".

2. What to do after waking up at night

Many people who are faced with sleep problems believe that they will be able to regain sleep if they continue tossing and turning in bed and try to fall asleep at any cost. However, according to the somnologist, this can only contribute to the further aggravation of problems and even the development of insomnia. 

As Daria points out, our brain has a tendency to build associative bridges, for example, a bed should be associated with sleep. If we are often in bed without sleep, as a result we build an associative series in which the bed is associated with insomnia, not rest. A somnologist advises to use the bed for sleep and sex in everyday life. 

"A good strategy for getting back to sleep if you're already in bed is to get up and engage in a quiet, monotonous activity, such as reading or listening to soft music, until you feel drowsy. Return to bed only when you really need to." in a dream. Thus, you will avoid cementing the association between the bed and insomnia and will be able to establish a healthy sleep faster," advises the somnologist.

3. Sleep and sounds

If we are talking about improving sleep with the help of sounds, we definitely need to mention binaural rhythms (BR). This is the name of the auditory effect that occurs when two sound waves of different frequencies are sent to each ear at the same time. For example, "audio with a frequency of 120 Hz is fed to the right ear, 130 Hz to the left, and the brain processes all this as if you are hearing sound waves with a length of 10 Hz," explains Daria. Scientists suggest that binaural rhythms have an effect on memory, attention, and also reduce stress - that's what we need.

"As part of an experiment on the effect of rhythms on patients with insomnia, scientists found that participants who listened to binaural rhythms for two weeks began to calm down and tune in to rest more quickly, even after listening to ordinary music. Scientists concluded that binaural rhythms can help overcome a hyperexcited state that prevents falling asleep after stress and daytime tension," shared Darya Pylypenko. 

Daria Pylypenko

These sounds can be found on the Internet, and there are even special playlists that contain recordings with binaural beats. Try them to see how they work for you.

And remember that before going to sleep it is recommended to listen to calm, relaxing music or the sounds of nature (the sound of waves, the whisper of the forest or the singing of birds can create a natural atmosphere that helps you relax and fall asleep). It is also worth trying meditations - such compositions are available in many mobile applications.

Frequent sleep problems can be a sign of serious health disorders. In such cases, you should seek professional help for diagnosis.