Cancer treatment is necessary, but some of its side effects affect sleep. Such as chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, steroids, painkillers and some antidepressant medicines. Nausea, night sweats, hot flashes, stomach problems. These problems increase more at night, due to which the patient has difficulty in sleeping and staying asleep.

It often happens that we keep our diet under good control throughout the day. Have breakfast properly, lunch is balanced and everything goes well till evening. However, as soon as night falls, especially before sleeping, one suddenly starts having a strong desire to eat sweets. Sometimes chocolate, sometimes ice cream, sometimes some high-calorie snack and then it also comes to my mind that why am I so weak, most people believe that the desire to eat at night is a lack of will power or weakness of discipline.

Research from Harvard and other big institutions tells a different story. The biological system of body and brain works behind this. Health experts say that the craving to eat chocolate or sweets at night is the result of natural changes in the brain and body.

The body’s circadian rhythm and nighttime hunger
Our body has an internal clock, which is called circadian rhythm. This clock decides when we will sleep, when we will feel hungry and when the body will be most active. As the evening approaches, the body starts moving towards rest, the decision-making power of the brain starts decreasing, self-control becomes weak. At this time the mind is more attracted towards things that give quick pleasure. That’s why I don’t feel like eating salad or vegetables. But chocolate, sweets or junk food become very attractive.

What is the reason behind the craving to eat chocolate at night?

At night, the brain needs quick energy and needs to feel good immediately. In such a situation, chocolate and sweet food items give instant sugar and activate the reward system of the brain. That’s why the brain says just eat some chocolate, you will feel good. This is not laziness or weakness, but a natural reaction of the brain.

Why do cravings increase?

If you do not get enough sleep, then the problem of cravings increases due to lack of sleep. Research shows that due to less sleep, the ghrelin hormone (which increases appetite) increases by 20–30 percent. At the same time, the leptin hormone (which signals fullness) decreases. This means you feel more hungry, feel less full and the desire to eat sweets increases more at night.

Apart from this, the scans done on the brain have revealed that due to lack of sleep, the brain becomes more active after seeing high calorie food, but the self-control part (prefrontal cortex) becomes slow i.e. very fast and has less power to say no, hence it becomes difficult to stop oneself from chocolate at night.

Disadvantages of eating late at night

If eating late at night every day becomes a habit, then you feel more hungry the next day, blood sugar level may increase in the morning, quality of sleep gets poor, weight gradually increases, metabolism is adversely affected, even if the calories are equal, but the time of eating matters a lot for the body. Apart from this, using the phone at night does not give rest to the mind, sleep comes late, pictures of food are seen on social media and videos. All these keep the reward system of the brain active and further increase the desire to eat chocolate or snacks.

How to reduce night cravings?

The good thing is that it does not require much strictness or willpower. Some easy measures like make it a habit to sleep on time, switch off the mobile 1 hour before sleeping, eat protein and fiber rich food during the day, keep bright lights to a minimum at night and understand the natural rhythm of the body.

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We all know how busy wedding season is. The coming and going of guests throughout the day, the stress of preparations, shopping, decoration and then the rituals that go on throughout the night. In such a situation, the first and foremost thing that gets spoiled is sleep. Often, during the wedding week, people are able to sleep only for 4 to 5 hours, the effect of which is manifested in the form of irritability, fatigue, lack of concentration and body breakdown.

Do you know that just as we make other wedding preparations in advance, like clothes, make-up, budget, menu, photographer, similarly sleep preparations can also be made. This preparation is called ‘sleep banking’ i.e. saving sleep in advance, so that if you get less sleep during busy days, it has less impact on the body and mind. So let us know what is this sleep banking and if there is a wedding in the house in the coming days, then how to prepare the sleep bank from now on.

What is sleep banking?

Sleep banking means that if you need to sleep less in the coming days, then increase your sleep every night in the preceding 4 to 7 days. For about 1 to 2 hours i.e. if you sleep 7 hours every day then try to sleep 8 to 9 hours for a few days. With this, your body gets rest beforehand and you will not feel too tired even if you get less sleep during a busy time like a wedding. Just as we deposit money in the bank so that we can withdraw it when needed, similarly a stock of sleep can also be made.

Why is sleep banking important?

Staying up late during the wedding day, running to the stage, spending time with relatives, getting up early in the morning, constant work and hustle and bustle, all these make it difficult to get enough sleep. In such a situation, fatigue sets in quickly, mood deteriorates and enjoyment decreases. But if you increase sleep 4 to 5 days in advance, you will feel more energy, the effect of lack of sleep will be less, irritability and lethargy will reduce, your brain will work faster and you will be able to enjoy every moment of the wedding better. According to scientists, getting more sleep than before increases the quality of deep sleep of the brain, which repairs the body from within. Due to this, the body is able to withstand fatigue better in the coming busy days.

How to prepare for sleep banking now

1. Increase your sleep 5 to 7 days before the wedding – try to sleep 1 to 2 hours more every night. If you sleep at 11 o’clock then sleep at 9:30.

2. Aim to stay in bed for 9 to 10 hours – this will give your body full opportunity to get deep sleep.

3. Reduce mobile i.e. screens at night – screens keep the brain awake. Do not make this mistake before marriage.

4. Keep the room quiet – this helps in getting sleep faster and deeper.

5. If you get less sleep on the wedding night, then take a nap of 20 to 30 minutes the next day. It gives immediate relief to the body.

Also read: Give strength to the bones from within, bring these changes in diet and lifestyle, know the easy ways

Check out below Health Tools-
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Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Calculate The Age Through Age Calculator

Best sleeping position: Good sleep is needed for good health. If you do not get enough sleep during the day, it causes many diseases. Experts say that if you do not get enough sleep, your immune system starts becoming weak. But nowadays, due to busy life and changing lifestyle, people are losing sleep. Either they are not able to sleep properly or they are facing difficulty in sleeping. Due to which the risk of diabetes, heart disease and depression is increasing. People complain that they try to sleep the whole night and keep tossing and turning throughout the night. Despite this he cannot sleep. If you also have this kind of problem, then let us tell you which side helps in sleeping quickly and what are its benefits.

Which side is correct to sleep on?

on the left

If we talk about which side is right for sleeping, then if you are a normal person and you do not have any problem, then you can sleep on the left side. Experts say that sleeping on your side in this way is considered beneficial. Research shows that if you sleep on your left side, there is less pressure on your stomach and intestines and food gets digested easily. The advantage of digesting food is that you do not have problems with gas and acidity. This keeps the mood fresh and makes one sleep easily.

Apart from this, sleeping on this side keeps the heartbeat correct and blood circulation improves. If Ayurveda is to be believed then sleeping on this side keeps “Vata and Pitta” balanced.

sleep on right side

If you have heart disease, it is better for you to sleep on your right side. According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, this side is very comfortable for heart failure patients. This reduces pressure on the lungs and makes breathing easier. However, if you are healthy, this is not as effective as sleeping on your left side.

Apart from this, according to Sleep Medical Review, if you sleep on your back, it provides support to the spine and is better for body balance. But the problem with this is that this position is quite harmful for patients suffering from sleep apnea and snoring.

Read this also: If you also take shower every day, are your lungs becoming victims of infection? This bacteria poses a threat

Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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There are many important organs in our body, but eyes are one of the most important parts. Whatever we see, understand, read has a direct connection with our eyes. If eye health deteriorates, the quality of life is affected. Therefore it is very important to take care of eyes. But many people do not know that a big relationship with eye health is also related to our sleep, that is, if you do not sleep properly at night, then it affects your eyes also and you may soon need glasses or may have other problems in your eyes. Lack of sleep not only makes the body tired but also directly harms the health of the eyes. In such a situation, let us know how glasses can be worn even if you do not sleep well at night and what is its connection with the eyes.

What is the connection between sleep and eyes?

When we sleep, our body repairs itself. Tiredness, stress and work throughout the day cause strain on different parts of the body. Sleep is the time when our body and our eyes work to repair themselves. There is a thin layer around the eyes called tear film. It provides moisture to the eyes and protects them from drying. When we watch the screen on mobile, laptop or TV throughout the day, this tear film becomes dry and weak. But when we sleep with our eyes closed at night, this layer starts repairing itself. In such a situation, deep and timely sleep of 7 to 8 hours not only makes your mind and body fresh, but also keeps the health of your eyes healthy.

How can you wear glasses even if you don’t sleep well at night?

If you stay awake late at night, keep using mobile, or do not sleep properly, then your eyes do not get time to repair. Due to this, problems like dry eyes, burning sensation, itching, blurred vision etc. start. Due to lack of sleep, tiredness appears in the eyes, dark circles appear and gradually vision starts weakening. This means you may need glasses early. People who watch screens late at night, especially in the dark, put more strain on their eyes. In a dark room, the bright light of mobile or laptop puts pressure on the eyes and the eyes get tired quickly. Not only this, many times when people wake up in the morning, they feel heaviness and dryness in the eyes. Our body runs on a circadian rhythm, meaning the body has a habit of sleeping and waking up at a fixed time. If you sleep and wake up at the same time every day, your body recovers well.

Read also Risk of diseases increasing from eating plates, ICMR’s big revelation on pulses and rice

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