The importance of sleep on health no longer needs to be proven. Sleep is like the period of maintenance and cleaning of the body. A good period of sleep is essential to ensure the balance of the body. Making sure you get a good night’s sleep Camping this Summer when you spend the night outdoors is the best way to ensure you have a clear mind to make the right decisions and enjoy your experience.
Here are some examples of consequences of lack of sleep in the short term:
And so on, the list is almost endless! You’re not quite yourself when you don’t get enough sleep, and that’s even more important when you’re out in the open, far from amenities and hospitals.
If I take the trouble to write this text, it is because 25% of the population still experiences sleep problems.
These problems can be amplified when you sleep outdoors. Due to the lack of comfort and a different environment, the body upset in its habits must be able to adapt to this additional stress. Thus, you can sleep very well at home and experience problems when you try to spend the night outside.
In the following text, you will find some information that will help you better understand how your organic machine works, but also simple tips to be admitted in peace into the arms of Morpheus.
We sleep in 90 minute cycles. Which in a normal night of 8 to 9 hours gives 4 to 5 cycles. At each stage of the cycle, you have very different emotional, mental and physical dispositions. A good night’s sleep should be as calm as possible to allow you to go through all the stages of the cycle which all have their uses.
We can distinguish 2 types of sleep: REM sleep and non-REM sleep. You will see later why we experience a “paradox” while we are asleep.
Your night begins with 4 phases of non-REM sleep
– The first phase, falling asleep usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes. It is the moment when the body quietly passes from the waking state to the sleeping state. Like your computer’s screen that lights up when you touch your mouse when it’s in sleep mode, it’s very easy to return to the awake state during this phase.
It is also common for images, or very short dreams, to follow one another in a somewhat jumbled state in your mind. It’s normal, your brain is sorting through the night’s priority files.
– During the second phase, light sleep , your heart will slow down and your body temperature will drop noticeably. There is an alternation between periods of muscle tension and relaxation.
During this period, which varies between 30 and 50 minutes, the body prepares to enter a phase of deeper relaxation by releasing the last tensions. You are right to close the door of your room, because your cat who likes to settle on your belly to spend the night could still wake you up.
Stages 3 and 4 are phases where the body enters a state of deep sleep . If certain body movements are possible, it will be much more difficult to wake you up (especially in phase 4 when the state of dormancy is even heavier). If kitty meows to come in, he probably won’t wake you up.
These phases usually last 10 to 20 minutes and are the most important in the cycle for the repair of the physical body (particularly at the beginning of the night). It is in the deep sleep phase that tissues, muscles, bones and the immune system are rebuilt and strengthened.
REM sleep
It is during the period of REM sleep that the body is most active, which is why we use the term REM to describe this reality: your body is deeply asleep, but your brain is as active as if you were awake.
Also called REM ( Rapid Eye Movement in reference to the rapid movements of the eyes), it is during this period that the body frees itself from emotional charges not evacuated during the day (to settle conflicts). Your dreams are, at this moment, more intense.
It is by considering the importance of sleep in our lives and the elements that can influence the quality of your sleep when you are in nature that I present to you the following tips.
Establish a ritual similar to the one you use at home
When you find yourself at home in an environment in which you feel safe, you unconsciously perform a series of actions that help you fall asleep. It’s often when we spend the night somewhere other than at home that we realize the importance of this little ritual that we have established over the years.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I invite you to observe young children when they go to bed. Whether it’s through the story you tell them every night, the proximity of their favorite stuffed animal, their night light or the last hug, they need to reconnect with certain emotional landmarks before falling asleep.
Even if you are no longer at the age to leave a night light on, I assure you that you too have habits that allow you to relax when you go to bed. And I guarantee you that it is completely normal, because it is during the period of sleep that you are most vulnerable.
