Sara Marín, microbiota expert: “If you get up at 8 every day and at midday on the weekend, it takes 3 days to recover the circadian rhythm”
Small everyday habits may be having a bigger impact on your sleep than you realize, according to one microbiota specialist.
Rest – especially getting enough high-quality sleep – is essential for both physical and mental recovery. Sleep helps consolidate memories, regulate emotions, repair muscle tissue and clear toxins from the body, among many other vital functions.
Because of this, many people search online for advice, tips and tools that promise a better night’s sleep. Speaking on the Tus amigas las hormonas podcast, microbiota expert Sara Martín shared a couple of simple habits she believes can improve sleep quality during a conversation with host Isabel Viña.
Why eating dinner earlier may help
Asked for easy, practical advice on improving sleep, Martín pointed first to the time people eat their evening meal.
“One thing that really affects me is eating dinner late. Insulin and melatonin are enemies. If one is present, the other isn’t. So if insulin is active, melatonin takes a back seat."
She explained that while the body is digesting food, it is not in the ideal state to fall asleep.
"Your body switches itself on and off depending on what you do – or don’t do. Ideally, you should eat dinner around 8 p.m., with 9 p.m. at the latest."
Sleeping in doesn’t make up for a bad week
Martín also warned against dramatically changing your sleep schedule on weekends.
According to the microbiota specialist, if you normally wake up at 8 a.m. every day but sleep until 1 p.m. on the weekend, it can take your body three days to restore the circadian rhythm you’ve disrupted.
When Viña reacted with surprise, Martín said many people wrongly believe they can recover a week’s worth of lost sleep simply by staying in bed longer.
"Just because you sleep four extra hours one day doesn’t mean you’ll recover the sleep you missed during the week."
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