Especially in the future, measurement of the heart rate variability will be a possibility for measuring the sleeping quality. Due to our inner clock, the human organism is subjected to a certain rhythmic. Here, our heart beat is very important for rhythm. Our heart beat is not completely regular, but varies by a mean value. This especially can be measured during rest and sleep. The phenomenon of recovery due to breaks, relaxation and above all sleep is a basic principle to maintain health, fitness and power. Only during phases of recovery our organism is able to regenerate, to heal microwounds, to detox chemical degradation products and to activate self-healing powers.
The measurement of this variable value that occurs in between two heart beats provides comprehensive information and analyzation of the body rhythm. Here, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is playing an essential role. Because, the heart rate variability arises via the ANS due to the cyclic interaction of the two vegetative control systems: stress = sympathetic nervous system and recovery = parasympathetic nervous system. Meaning, the more our organism is in the beat of rhythm and the more balanced stress (sympathetic nervous system) and recovery (parasympathetic nervous system) are the better our regeneration during sleep.
Especially during phases of rest and sleep the organism is powerfully oscillating and our heart beat mainly is modelled by our breathing rhythm. To be able to exactly measure the distance in between two heart beats special HRV-recorders have been developed. They work with high precision and significantly more accurate than a conventional ECG (electrocardiogram). A 24-h-measurement delivers graphic diagrams showing the interplay of stress (sympathetic nervous system) and rest as well sleep (parasympathetic nervous system). This enables an evaluation of the rhythmic as well as of the quality of recovery and sleep. With this method stress- and environmental-influences (noise, electromagnetic pollution) as well as the effect of certain materials on the heart rate variability can be measured and analyzed as well. This is especially interesting and instructive when we are talking about sleep.
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