If you're one of the 20 million Brits who struggle to fall asleep, you'll know only too well that insomnia I' . often leaves you tired, irritable and low on energy. But the consequences don't stop there: lack of sleep also decreases motivation, negatively impacts performance and impairs the cognitive processes needed for attention and focus. Research even shows that athletes who sleep less than eight hours per night increase their risk of injury by 65 per cent - not what you want when you're aiming for a new personal best! With a shocking 91 per cent of adults in the UK reporting they don't feel rested in the morning, maybe it's time to get more restorative sleep...
When you sleep normally, your body goes through distinct stages, alternating between REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep and non-REM (NREM), in cycles of around 90-120 minutes, explains Dimitri Gavriloff, research clinical psychologist in sleep medicine at Oxford Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Each stage corresponds to specific brain activity - brainwave patterns known as sleep spindles, for example, are found in NREM sleep, and thought to relate to brain plasticity and memory consolidation - and experiencing all stages of sleep is key for rest, recovery and learning.
COUNTING SHEEP
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2024-Ausgabe von Women's Fitness UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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'Balance in Body & Mind is Important to the Life I Lead Now' - Paralympic champion swimmer Ellie Simmonds OBE talks about finding balance after retirement, learning to say no' and why she firmly believes that sport is for all
If you thought Ellie Simmonds would be swapping life in the fast lane for a slower pace when she announced her retirement from competitive swimming three years ago, you’d be mistaken. Because, according to the 29-year-old multiple world record breaker – who captured the hearts of the British public back in 2008 after winning her first Paralympic gold at the tender age of 13 – she’s not ready to slow down yet. In fact, she’s just getting started.
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