When you’re asleep, everything stops working around you till you wake up, isn’t that what you think? Safe to say that when you sleep, your brain begins its own work. Yes! You heard that right. All the information you get during the day, your brain processes and stores it during sleep. During sleep, your body also sets to work; it restores chemical balances, it heals and recovers wounds as well.
The importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized, so if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re doing more harm than good to yourself. Also, if you’re getting enough sleep but you’re usually dehydrated, you’re in the same clique as the person who hardly sleeps.
Hydration And Sleep
Normally, we think about hydration when it comes to diet and exercise, but it does affect our sleep as well. Water is important for all living things, including plants; it is responsible for keeping the body functional.
Hence, it is important to stay hydrated throughout the day; taking coffee might make you active but affect your hydration level. At home, take water after every meal and make sure to install a reverse osmosis water filter in your home for a better quality of water.
Reverse osmosis water filter removes impurities such as sediments and chlorine from the water before passing it through a semipermeable form for drinking.
While it is important to stay hydrated during the day, it is also necessary to watch the level of water you take in the evening and watch what you eat, especially when you’re about to go to bed.
According to a study that took place in China involving over 20,000 adults, people who sleep for 6 hours have a higher dehydration rate than those who sleep for 8 hours. However, this study can’t be used to judge. There are various explanations for water loss during the night, frequent urination and the fluid lost through respiration and skin, which is termed “insensible water loss.”
Since the body is asleep, there is no means to keep hydrating the body to balance the water loss; hence circadian rhythm kicks in to provide a balance. This causes the body to produce vasopressin which promotes water retention.
Ways Hydration Levels Affect Your Sleep
1. Nocturia
A very high level of hydration is just as bad as a low level of dehydration. For many who find it difficult to sleep when they wake up at night, this might seem like hell because you have to wake up at frequent intervals to make the journey to the toilet.
If you experience this, it is important to time yourself when taking water. The best practice is to take water an hour before your bedtime so you can visit the toilet before falling asleep and avoid disturbing your sleep.
2. Muscle Spasms And Muscle Cramps
The body mass is made of 76 percent water, right? This says a lot about the importance of water in the body. Dehydration can lead to muscle spasms which makes it difficult to fall asleep or waking up frequently in the middle of the night for no reason.
Muscle cramp is associated with dehydration, and it happens when you experience painful tightening of the foot muscle, this will definitely wake you up in the middle of the night and cause discomfort.
3. Headache
Low level of hydration can cause you to stay awake at night or even falling asleep, and lack of sleep can cause severe headaches, which can affect your productivity during the day. Other ways hydration level affects your sleep are; early morning thirst, dry mouth, mouth breathing, nighttime sweating, caffeine and alcohol intake.
Conclusion
The duration of your sleep determines how productive your day will be; a short sleep will definitely lead to sluggish and unproductive days, while a long sleep will be full of energy. Pay attention to your hydration level as it affects your sleep which in turn affects your daily activities.
The issue of nocturia shouldn’t be mistaken for the normal pee at night, it is normal to wake up once or twice at night to pee, but once it becomes too frequent, you might need to check your hydration level or possibly seek medical attention.
The bedtime routine is an essential part of your daily life and determines the quality of sleep. If you’re prone to sleep issues, you can consider drinking more water.
If you are looking for a long-term solution to your sleepless nights, a sleep study may be the solution. Talk to your physician or call Alaska Sleep Clinic today. Improve your sleep. Improve your life.
