Not sure where to go for your next vacation? Then skip the all-inclusive poolside package, grab a tent, and go camping! Why? Even though many people associate camping with uncomfortable air mattresses and little luxury, this type of vacation is perfect for maximum relaxation. Camping means getting back to basics and living in harmony with nature. This has a particularly positive effect on your sleep quality and your circadian rhythm. You'll find out why in this article.
Camping for better sleep and maximum recovery
Many people hope that their vacation will finally help them overcome their everyday sleep problems and allow them to truly relax. A comprehensive hotel service, a feast at the buffet every evening, and a good TV show are definitely a great way to unwind and relax, but there's an even better way to do something for your sleep rhythm at the same time and thus emerge from your vacation even more refreshed – camping!
Sleeping under the open sky - the natural sleep-wake rhythm
When camping, you adjust your sleep rhythm, whether intentionally or not, to the conditions of your environment and go to sleep accordingly when it gets dark. Campers thus align themselves with the natural sleep rhythm dictated by darkness, and this has a positive influence on their own internal clock. What is colloquially called the "internal clock" is actually called the circadian rhythm. Your body's natural sleep indicator is dependent on natural sunlight. In modern society, however, these signals from the body are easily overridden by glowing cell phones, etc., and there is no longer any need to go to sleep in the dark. Your body's internal clock is thus overridden, and this can have far-reaching consequences for your overall sleep. However, just a few days of camping without these negative influences can contribute to the normalization of your circadian rhythm. This was the result of a study from the University of Colorado, which examined the sleep behavior of five campers.¹ The study showed that the campers went to bed earlier and slept more soundly overall. But how exactly can a little camping contribute to improved sleep? The sleep hormone melatonin plays a key role in this. Your body uses the sleep hormone melatonin to regulate when it is time to sleep. In the evening, the substance is released and makes you tired. In the morning, melatonin's counterpart, cortisol , is released and wakes you up. This rhythm is determined by evolution and has not changed for thousands of years. The problem is that most people turn against this rhythm. Why? Quite simply because it is so easy to do. This circadian rhythm is dependent on daylight and darkness, but this can now be easily manipulated. Even at night it can now be as bright as during the day. This can have numerous advantages, but it is poison for your natural sleep rhythm. It upsets your body's hormonal regulation and leads to sleep problems. What helps against this? Normalizing the circadian rhythm and thus improving the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. You can bring about this normalization particularly well through camping.
Sleep better without technical devices
People who go camping usually do so in a place isolated from civilization, by the sea or by a lake in the middle of nature. Cell phone reception often doesn't reach these remote locations, and laptops and TVs are also out of place when camping. This avoidance of technical devices, constant accessibility via Wi-Fi and electric light, has a positive effect on your sleep quality. Why is this? Smartphones, laptops, and TVs are sleep-killers in the evening because they emit blue light . This light has a stimulating effect, reducing the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. It ensures that you are less tired and thus takes longer to fall asleep. Because camping lacks distractions and, above all, artificial light, campers are more likely to pay attention to their body's natural signals and go to bed earlier accordingly. A study by the Department of Integrative Physiology has also shown this: On average, campers actually go to bed two hours earlier and can fall asleep faster than they would in everyday life.²
Take-Home Message #1: Campers sleep better because they eliminate numerous harmful influences on sleep. Without the various sources of artificial light, they return to their natural circadian rhythm.
The main benefits of camping on your sleep
1. No distraction due to constant availability → real regeneration
2. No harmful blue light → fall asleep faster
3. Living in harmony with nature → Normalization of the circadian rhythm
4. Darkness at night → Increased secretion of melatonin
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Sunlight: Improves serotonin and melatonin production
Camping enthusiasts spend most of their day outdoors and are exposed to plenty of sunlight. Camping outdoors has another positive effect, as a study from the University of Colorado shows. Not only does the darkness at night and the absence of artificial light while camping improve adaptation to the circadian rhythm, but sunlight during the day also has a positive effect on your sleep. Sounds contradictory at first? Not at all. Sunlight ensures that you produce vitamin D , which in turn stimulates the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin .
Sounds like camping is your ideal sleep aid! But admittedly, camping isn't for everyone. BRAINEFFECT SLEEP with Melatonin contains 0.5 mg of melatonin per capsule, which is what you need in the evening, without the need for a camping trip! The natural melatonin in BRAINEFFECT SLEEP with Melatonin is combined with other plant substances to ensure you fall asleep well and start the next day well-rested. Anyone who wants to improve their sleep even further should take a closer look at the environment they sleep in. Are there many sources of artificial or blue light? How dark is your bedroom? How often are you exposed to the sun during the day? Using just a few of these hacks can easily eliminate your sleep problems. Don't believe it? Just give it a try, normalize your circadian rhythm, and enjoy improved sleep quality!
Take-Home Message #2: Your sleep problems can easily be eradicated by increasing the sleep hormone melatonin. Whether through camping, an improved sleeping environment, or BRAINEFFECT SLEEP with melatonin is entirely up to you.
Studies
1. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2816%2931522-6
2. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(13)00764-1?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982213007641%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
3.https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/06/18/to-get-more-sleep-get-more-sunlight/&refURL=&referrer=#53d82bf61da2
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