Have you ever skimped on sleep just so you could fit more into your day? I am 100% guilty of this and DO NOT recommend it whatsoever.
Sleep is one of the MOST important variables when it comes to dictating how healthy, or not, you’ll be. There is not one aspect of your health that is unaffected by lack of sleep.
Did you know when you sleep, your brain kicks into exercise mode? To put this into perspective, we know that the body needs somewhere between 30-60 minutes of exercise/day to stay “healthy”. Research has shown us that we need at least 7-8 hours of QUALITY sleep per night for optimal health. Look at how much more exercise our brain needs than our body in order to stay healthy! Kind of crazy don’t you think?
Did you know simple things like focus, attention, memory and reaction times are all negatively impacted by not getting enough sleep?
One of the BEST ways to improve your sleep is to get back into a routine, which means going to bed and waking up at the same time daily even on your days off. We are such creatures of routine and habit so this just naturally sets us up for success. If you want to know the best time to go to bed for when you have to wake up the next day by, use a sleep calculator or simply count backward by 1.5 hour increments from your wake time. A sleep cycle is 1.5 hours long. If you plan accordingly, your alarm will sound when you’re just coming out of a sleep cycle making it MUCH easier to wake up than if you’re in your deepest level of sleep. It takes the average person 15 minutes to fall asleep so plan that in there as well. Try it out and let me know how you do!
Your “sleep hygiene” (what you do in the last 30 minutes prior to going to sleep) sets the tone for how your night will go. Are you finding yourself working right up to when you’re going to bed? Are you still plugged into the TV or your favorite tech device? Did you just workout or enjoy a pre-bedtime snack? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
I’m in the process of finishing up my mini-series on how to improve your quality of sleep easily and effectively so stay tuned! To reserve your spot, please visit: Your Best Sleep Ever!
OH! FYI! I do not recommend taking Melatonin on a regular basis to help you sleep. If you are doing this, you’re probably making matters worse and only reinforcing a sleep disorder. I address this very topic and a multitude of others in my FREE Sleep Series MasterPack. Don’t miss out!
Here’s to being Healthy!
#AreYouReallyHealthy #WellnessWednesday
