Week 5… Get Your Sleep!
We know healthy eating and exercise are important to our overall health, but did you know that adequate sleep is also a vital component to a healthy lifestyle?
Without it, our brain function suffers, memory becomes poorer, reactions are slowed, mood fluctuates more than normal and our physical health may be at risk. Poor sleep has been linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke, glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes, decreased immunity and increased inflammation.
According to the National Institute of Health, sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality of life for up to 45% of the world’s population.
Making sleep a priority is one of the best things you can do for your health. Individuals who get good sleep decrease their risk of obesity, heart disease and stroke, depression and diabetes. A good nights sleep also helps improves immune function, decreases inflammation, and improves mental concentration and productivity. For adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended.
Here are a few tips on how to get a better nights sleep and boost your health:
1. Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day.
Be smart about napping. Limit naps to 15-20 minutes in the early afternoon.
2. Control your exposure to light. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light that helps regulate your sleep cycle. Your brain secretes more at night making you more sleepy and less during the day making you more alert.
Expose your self to bright sunlight and natural during the day.
Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of bed-time.
3. Exercise during the day.
The more vigorous you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits.
For better sleep, time your exercise right. Finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least 3 hours before bedtime.
4. Be smart about what you eat and drink.
Limit caffeine and nicotine. Avoid drinking caffeine in the evenings. While caffeine affects everyone differently, most people do best when they stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least a few hours before they start winding down for the evening.
Avoid big meals at night.
Avoid alcohol before bed.
Cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs.
5. Wind down and clear your head.
Practice relaxation techniques or take a warm bath before bed.
Avoid checking your phone, email or social media before bed to help quiet your brain.
Turn off your devices. In addition to capturing your attention, they also stimulate your brain, keeping you awake when you should be winding down for the night. Turn off devices at least thirty minutes before you go to bed so you can fall asleep more easily!
6. Improve your sleep environment.
Keep noise down.
Keep your room cooler. A recommended temperature is 65 degrees Farenheit.
Minimize distractions such as light, noise and electronic devices.
7. Learn ways too get back to sleep if you awaken in the night.
Practice deep breathing or relaxation techniques such as visualization, progressive muscle relaxation or meditation.
Make relaxation your goal, not sleep.
Keep your lights off and avoid getting on your phone or devices, and avoid looking at the clock.
Use a “sleep” App that offers relaxing stories, music, or sounds.
Listen to relaxing music.
Keep a notebook by your bed and if your mind is racing about stressors or things you need to do, write them down including some actions you can do to address them. This will help release worries from your mind and find ways to relieve your stress.
If you are just catching this blog now, be sure to go back and read the first four weeks of 8 Weeks 8 Habits to Health that highlight other important lifestyle habits focused on fueling the body, exercise and simple tips you can start using now to improve your overall health and well-being. If you are interested in getting individual help to implement these lifestyle habits and others, check out my services. It would be my honor to work with you and help you find your path to better overall health and well-being.
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