Feeling Tired Despite 8 Hours Of Sleep? Heat and Humidity Could Be The Reason

Excessive heat and humidity can significantly affect sleep quality, even when an individual gets the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. According to Dr. Divya Gopal, Additional Director of Internal Medicine, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, hot weather can interfere with the body’s natural ability to achieve deep, restorative sleep.

During periods of extreme heat, the body struggles to lower its core temperature, a process that is essential for quality sleep. As a result, people may experience frequent awakenings, lighter sleep cycles, increased sweating, dehydration, and fatigue upon waking.

Dr Gopal explains that heat exposure can also lead to poor hydration and electrolyte imbalances, both of which contribute to symptoms such as tiredness, headaches, muscle cramps, irritability, and reduced concentration during the day.

The impact can be particularly severe among vulnerable groups, including children, older adults, outdoor workers, and individuals living with chronic medical conditions. According to Dr Gopal, these populations may experience more pronounced effects from heat-related sleep disruption and dehydration.

Dr Gopal explains that heat exposure can also lead to poor hydration and electrolyte imbalances, both of which contribute to symptoms such as tiredness, headaches, muscle cramps, irritability, and reduced concentration during the day.

The impact can be particularly severe among vulnerable groups, including children, older adults, outdoor workers, and individuals living with chronic medical conditions. According to Dr Gopal, these populations may experience more pronounced effects from heat-related sleep disruption and dehydration.

To improve sleep quality during heat waves, Dr Gopal recommends maintaining a cool sleeping environment. Simple measures such as wearing lightweight cotton clothing, staying adequately hydrated, avoiding heavy meals and caffeine close to bedtime, and ensuring proper ventilation or cooling can make a significant difference.

She also advises taking a lukewarm bath before bed and limiting screen exposure at night, as these habits can help the body relax and improve overall sleep quality.

“Quality sleep is not just about the number of hours spent in bed," notes Dr Gopal. “Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity play a crucial role in how restorative that sleep actually is."

 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

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What is Blue Light and How Does it Affect Us?

The color blue generally has positive, calming associations - clear skies, the sea, natural light. But in recent years there's been an influx of blue light coming from a different source, which we are all exposed to in varying degrees - the blue LEDs emitted from our phones, computers, tablets, and TV screens. You may have heard about the negative impacts screen time has on sleep and fatigue (lack of sleep in itself may contribute to the causation of other health concerns like obesity, diabetes, etc).

But what’s in those lumens that could affect our bodies that way? It mostly has to do with the body’s biological clock or the circadian rhythms. There are different theories on how harmful blue light really is, and it can get confusing. This article will break down what blue light is, what kind of exposure is worse than others, the effects it has on sleep, and how to change your habits for the better. 

 

What is Blue Light?

Natural sunlight contains a range of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue light rays. Each of these colors has many shades, depending on the energy and wavelength of the individual rays. Combined, this spectrum of colored light rays creates what we call "white light" or sunlight. Without getting into complex physics, there is an inverse relationship between the wavelength of light rays and the amount of energy they contain. Light rays that have relatively long wavelengths contain less energy, and those with short wavelengths have more energy. Rays on the blue spectrum have shorter wavelengths, and thus more energy. 

 

For that reason, blue light rays are considered beneficial during daylight time, because they boost attention, mood, and reaction times. It is important to understand that blue light in and of itself is not the problem, as it is everywhere and the main source of it is sunlight. Looking at a computer screen is, “trivial compared to me walking outside and looking up at the sky – not at the sun, just the sky” explains Dr. John O’Hagan of Public Health England’s center for radiation, chemical, and environmental hazards. If blue light was harmful to us, we’d be aware of it long before screens dominated our lives. According to experts such as O’Hagan, the cause for concern is not the light itself, but the fact that it governs our circadian rhythms, the natural sleep-wake cycles that repeat roughly every 24 hours.

The Scientific Connection Between Light, Sleep and Health Concerns

We no longer go to bed with sundown, like our hunter-gatherer forefathers used to. We check social media and our bank balance, grapple with work using laptops and computers, not to mention watch TV long after the sun has set. We are exposed to significant amounts of blue light that impede sleep and disrupt circadian rhythms. 

 

A lot of the research about nighttime exposure to light is preliminary, but a recent study conducted in Harvard outlined the sometimes indirect connections between exposure to light and lower energy levels, mental health, and even heightened risk of cancer: the effect of blue light on the secretion of melatonin, a hormone with significant influence over the natural circadian rhythm. To test this theory, the Harvard researchers compared the effect of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to green light of equal brightness. When testing the melatonin levels of the participants it was found that the blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much - 3 hours vs. 1.5 hours. 

 

Another study, conducted in the University of Toronto, compared the melatonin levels of people exposed to bright indoor light who were wearing blue-light-blocking goggles to people exposed to regular dim light without wearing goggles. The hormone levels were about the same in the two groups, which indicates that blue light is a potent suppressor of melatonin. 

 

When our body doesn’t produce sufficient levels of melatonin, we are exposed to all of the health risks of sleep deprivation - weakened immune system, trouble concentrating, high blood pressure, risk of heart disease, and more.

 

Tips to Minimize Your Exposure to Blue Light

There are a few measures you can take to minimize your exposure to blue light in order to better your sleep routine. 

 

Use dim warm lights for night lights. Warm light, like red and yellow, has the least power to shift circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin. 

 

Avoid looking at bright screens beginning about two to three hours before bed. 

 

If you must be exposed to light at night, because you work a night shift, for example, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters the blue/green wavelength at night. 

 

Expose yourself to a lot of natural bright light during the day, which will help your ability to sleep at night, as well as your mood and alertness during the day. Experts stress that it is important to go outside during lunchtime, when the light is particularly bright, rather than dusk.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Brain Fog - How to Recognize and Get Rid of It

Have you ever had a long day at work and felt like you couldn’t properly concentrate on anything by the time you got home? It’s safe to assume that everyone had this kind of experience at some point in their lives. This state of mental exhaustion and ‘clouded consciousness’ is called brain fog.

Many long-haul Covid-19 patients reported dealing with persistent brain fog for weeks or months after technically recovering from the infection. While it’s unfortunate that more people experience brain fog these days, the context of Covid-19 brought attention to this otherwise overlooked issue. 

 

Brain fog can be indicative of an underlying health problem. Since brain fog is not a clinical term, recognizing it can be tricky. Some health practitioners may even dismiss it as unimportant. However, according to Dr. Scott Kaiser, the director of cognitive health at the Brain Health Center in Santa Monica, California, it is a very real condition that should be addressed. Here is how you can recognize brain fog, why you may be experiencing it, and how to treat it. 

 

What does brain fog feel like? 

As we mentioned, brain fog is a feeling of mental fatigue or fuzziness that makes it hard to think clearly. The exact way brain fog feels differs from person to person, but it’s always characterized by a decline in cognitive functioning.

You may feel like you are not able to do mental tasks as well as you used to or have difficulty making up your mind. Other symptoms of brain fog include: 

 

Poor concentration 

 

Forgetfulness 

 

Confusion 

 

Moodiness 

 

Inability to pay attention or focus 

 

Inability to multitask. 

 

The reason it's so important to talk about brain fog, even if it’s challenging, is that it can be a symptom of another underlying health issue. Those range from autoimmune diseases like lupus to Alzheimer's and diabetes. If you have a severe or persistent form of brain fog, it’s essential that you consult your doctor. 

 

That being said, brain fog can also be the result of everyday habits. Here are a few of the most common causes.

1. Poor Sleep  

Poor sleep quality could interfere with how well your brain functions. Both REM (the deepest stage of sleep) and non-REM sleep are required to consolidate and process memories from the day. Irregular sleep time and wake time, getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep a night, or blue light exposure before bed disrupt that process and affect memory consolidation. 

 

2. Nutritional deficiencies and food sensitivities 

Vitamin B12 contributes to the synthesis of red blood cells and the maintenance of your central nervous system. Therefore, a deficiency in B12 is sure to impair your energy levels and elicit a feeling of fatigue. Other nutritional deficiencies associated with brain fog are low iron, magnesium, and vitamin D. Your doctor can check all of these through a blood test. What Is Brain Fog - 6 Common Causes confused woman

Another diet-related cause of brain fog is an unidentified food sensitivity. A recent study linked sensitivity to gluten with brain fog. There is little research on why gluten affects the nervous system. “This may happen because gluten alters gut function, and changes in the gut microbiome affect cognitive centers in the brain and ultimately affect brain function,” explained neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez.

3. Stress 

Life can be hectic at times. Long work hours, parenting, anxiety, worry, and other types of mental pressure can have a big effect on brain function. The body diverts energy away from its typical functions and towards the stressor, and you end up feeling foggy and unable to focus on anything else. 

 

Learning to reduce your stress with techniques like meditation, exercise, and self-care may help clear your mind. 

 

4. Hormonal Changes 

The inability to concentrate is a known sign of both menopause and andropause. Hormonal changes in your body directly influence the brain. Estrogen levels contribute to memory and other brain processes, so when estrogen levels drop, occasional lapses in various brain functions can occur. This explains why brain fog is so common in pregnant women, too. 

 

5. Medication

Certain medications - both prescription and over-the-counter - are known to cause brain fog as a side effect. Sleeping pills and benzodiazepines, which are often prescribed to help with anxiety, are particularly likely to generate brain fog. If you have recently started a new medication and experience brain fog, you may need to change the dose or opt for a different treatment altogether. Always tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including over-the-counter ones. 

 

6. Covid-19 

Research suggests that 50 to 80 percent of people who recover from COVID-19 experience at least some lingering after-effects 3 months after infection. Brain fog is one of the most common lingering symptoms of long-haul Covid-19. 

 

More research needs to be done on the effects of COVID-19 on the brain, but the condition likely occurs due to inflammation in the blood vessels that ‘feed’ the brain. If you’re experiencing ‘Covid brain fog,’ there’s a good chance it isn’t the only symptom you’re still feeling. The virus attacks more than one system at a time, including the brain, which may explain the variety of symptoms seen in Covid-19 patients, such as nausea, loss of taste or smell, heart damage, and brain fog.

How to Treat Brain Fog 

 

Due to the fact that the causes of brain disease are so diverse, the treatment will very much depend on the cause. Health experts suggest starting with the fundamentals of good self-care, including getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and lowering your stress levels as much as possible. 

 

In and of itself, brain fog isn't an emergency. However, if it appears suddenly or is seriously impacting your day-to-day life, make an appointment to see a healthcare provider. If lifestyle changes haven’t helped, your doctor may want to run some additional tests to rule out any of the underlying issues mentioned above. 

 

Finally, probably the most fun way to combat brain fog is puzzles, quizzes, and brainteasers, which you can find on our site in abundance!

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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