There are no questions that sleep matters a lot for our long-term health! During the night, we restock hormones, process toxins, repair tissue, fight infections, and process heavy emotions. Sleeping soundly also often increases our motivation to make further lifestyle changes (when well rested, it’s easier to eat healthily). Sadly, deficiency of sleep has become all too common in our stressed-out, super-busy, hyper-caffeinated, modern world. Among the numerous responsibilities we juggle daily, quality sleep often takes the back burner, and those outcomes show up in our health and around our waistlines. Inadequate sleep can quickly sabotage your efforts at getting healthy and losing weight. Sleep is a major component for an energetic, joyful, healthy life.
Inadequate rest impairs our ability to think, to handle stress, to maintain a healthy immune system and to moderate our emotions. It’s associated with heart disease, hypertension, weight gain, diabetes and a wide range of psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. A recent study looking at sleep and longevity found that sleep “regularity” ( what time you are going to bed) and waking up at consistent times with few mid-slumber interruptions—matters more than how long you sleep. Sleeping six hours every night on a consistent schedule was associated with a lower risk of early death than sleeping eight hours with very irregular habits.
Make a sleep routing a priority:
Turn off all full-spectrum lights for a full 1-2 hours before bedtime. Artificial light disrupts our circadian rhythm and throws off our sleep: Don’t use a computer for 2 hours before going to bed. No staying up late on Facebook and Twitter! Use blackout shades to make your bedroom pitch black. Cover your digital alarm clock or get an analog clock. Turn off all digital devices that glow or give off any type of light. If you can’t do these things for some reason, use a sleep mask.
choose relaxing activities in the evening, especially the full 1-2 hours prior to bedtime: warm bath, calming music, meditation, gratitude journaling, light and fun reading.
Avoid stressful activities right before bed: unpleasant conversations, budgeting, next-day planning.
Don’t include in your daily diet : caffeinated food or drink at all after 2pm: green or black teas, coffee, soda, chocolate. It can affect you that many hours later!
Make a comfortable temperature in the room. Rooms which are too hot or too cold tend to wake us up. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room.
Don’t Consuming a large meal close to sleeping, it can affect digestion and sleep quality.
GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP!
written by Marina Kotova Oct.2023