Kareena Kapoor’s nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recommends taking a nap in afternoon for a better night sleep

From taking an afternoon nap to avoiding stimulants, here are a few rules to follow to have a good night’s sleep, to further boost hormones.

Kareena Kapoor’s nutritionist, Rujuta Diwekar, shared a video on her social media channels addressing the importance of quality sleep after the age of 40. She pointed out that women lose sleep twice in their lifetime – once when the hormone levels are rising and once when they are falling. Usually, at the age of 14-15, hormone levels rise in the body which leads to sleepless nights. However, due to the benefit of age, girls still wake up looking fresh, with other essential aspects such as hunger, thirst and good mood intact. But after the age of 40, the hormone levels in a woman’s body start dropping, leading to menopause. That’s when sleepless nights continue. Rujuta further brought our attention to the importance of having quality sleep after the age of 40.

Rujuta brought our attention to the importance of having quality sleep after the age of 40.(Instagram/@rujuta.diwekar, Unsplash)

“Sleep plays a very crucial role in maintaining hormonal balance during menopause. There’s a lot of chatter around weight loss, supplements, surgeries, etc., but sleep remains underrepresented, whether in medical advice or in casual conversations. It could be the missing link, though, for a perfectly natural menopausal phase,” read an excerpt of Rujuta Diwekar’s post.

3 essential hormones that respond positively to good sleep:

According to Rujuta Diwekar, good sleep stretched over a span of 7-9 hours can affect hormones positively. However, three main hormones have a positive impact on the body, along with good sleep.

Insulin-like Growth Factor – 1:

This hormone helps keep the body's insulin resistance under check and also prevents pigmentation and high blood sugar.

Growth Hormone:

Growth hormone helps maintain the elasticity of the skin and prevents hair loss or thinning. This hormone also ensures that we get positive results from exercise, such as fat and weight loss.

Testosterone:

Testosterone is produced in the ovaries, and it helps boost bone density, sex drive, and musculature.

To ensure that we get maximum benefits out of good sleep, we should have at least seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep. We should also get to bed between 9 PM to 11 pm.

Rules to follow for good quality sleep:

Fuel your sleep:

Too much or too little food can affect the quality of sleep. We should have a homemade breakfast to beat the cravings throughout the day. We should also ensure to have dinner by 7-8 PM.

Take an afternoon nap:

Well, this should be done in moderation. An afternoon nap of 30 minutes further boosts a good night's sleep. However, anything more than a half-hour afternoon nap can hinder sleep quality at night.

Avoid stimulants:

We should abstain from tobacco and all forms of alcohol. Keeping ourselves away from the screen for at least an hour before sleeping helps us get a healthier sleep.