How a Full Night’s Rest Can Help Shipping Crew Members Lose and Maintain Weight
Remember last week’s article, What All Seafarers Should Know about Dietary Fats? Well, it just so happens that a part from the four types of ingestible fats, there are also two types of fats found in the human body. The one we’re focusing in on today is known as beige fat, which contains protein used to generate heat and burn calories. Now, you may be asking yourself what this has to do with sleep. To answer this question, melatonin – a natural hormone that stimulates the growth of beige fat – increases during the night time. So this means that sleeping encourages weight loss! No matter how busy your day gets out at sea, this is just another reason for shipping crew members to get enough rest at night.A Quick Way to Unwind Before Bed
From the moment you wake to the moment you sleep, there’s usually a never ending list of things to get done. For this reason, shipping crew members often find it difficult to settle down in the evening. In order to benefit from increased production of melatonin, it is important for the body to reach a relaxed state before getting into bed. Try the following tricks to calm the body and mind before sleep:- Stare at the ceiling for an entire minute
- Journal before bed, documenting all of the things you did and didn’t accomplish during the day
- Deep breathing for 10 cycles
- Guided mediation helps one “escape”. Try and imagine yourself in a supernatural place: what do you see, hear, feel and smell?
- Tense and relax your muscles from head to toe
Things That Affect Your Dreams
A number of things can affect the way we dream. Understanding how these things interact with our sleep patterns help one discover new tricks for getting a full night’s rest. Shipping crew members are encouraged to try the following, as a great night sleep is key to a better mood, healthy weight and new supply of energy to tackle each and every day at sea: Sounds Undeniably, white noise is most conducive for sleep. With this said, however, adding your own soundtrack can influence your dreams as well. So, if you want to interfere with your cognitive process, throw on a few of your favorite tunes before bed. Only do this on occasion, though; this type of dreaming does not allow for organic mental activity. Smells When you’re awake, smells can have a profound effect on one’s mood – so why not during the night time too? Scientifically speaking, the part of the brain that processes smell also receives emotion. So, grab a scented candle and reap the benefits of a joyful sleep. Mental State Where you adventure to in your dreams has something to do with your state of mind when you go to sleep. Anxiety brings restless nights just as depression induces sad, or even horrific, dreams. Furthermore, trying to kick an addiction could result in dreaming about that very thing you wish to give up! Try and free your mind of these shackles with the tips mentioned above. For more information on sleeping, revisit one of our older articles here!
Additional Reading
The Impact of Olfactory Stimulation on Dreams
Can Melatonin Help You Lose Weight