In Chronic Illnesses, Meditation

Hormones play a crucial role in our overall health and well-being – physical and mental. Understanding the key hormones and how they impact us can go a long way in identifying health issues brought on by imbalances. 

Put simply, hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They are natural substances produced by different glands, and help relay messages between cells and organs thereby affecting a variety of bodily functions. Everyone has what are considered ‘male’ and ‘female’ sex hormones. 

What are the female hormones?

The human body has its own regulatory system called the Circadian Rhythm – an internal clock which helps determine when it’s time to sleep, and when it’s time to be awake. Having a fixed schedule i.e. a specific time to go to sleep and get up helps tune this internal clock, and get the body ready for sleep at the correct time. Over time, following this schedule will make the process of falling asleep and getting up a lot easier. The optimal duration of sleep for adults is 7-9 hours, so ensure you get that much shut-eye!

Avoid gadgets for an hour before bed

While exposure to light is beneficial during the day, the same exposure after night-fall confuses the body, and tricks it into thinking it’s day-time. This suppresses the release of hormones like melatonin, which ensure that the body gets a deep and restful sleep. Blue light, which is emitted in large amounts by electronic devices like our mobile phones and laptop screens, is the worst of the lot. Try avoiding any blue light exposure from an hour before bed time. If that’s not possible, wear anti-glare glasses that block blue light. 

Maintain a cool ambient temperature

Your bedroom temperature can have a huge impact on your sleep quality. Infact, one study demonstrates that temperature can have an even bigger impact on sleep than noise / external sounds. Numerous studies have shown that a colder setting is better for sound sleep, and warmer temperatures make the body more wakeful. Most people find a room temperature of 20-22 degrees celsius suitable, but keep your personal comfort level in mind and adjust accordingly.