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Sleep Better

The health benefits to getting enough sleep are indisputable.  In this section, we’ve outlined why sleep is important and what you can do to ensure you get the sleep you need.

The Importance of Sleep

Impacts
Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep
  • Strengthens and supports the immune system
  • Boosts cognitive function
  • Consolidates memories
  • Keeps hormones in check and enables us to look our best and most youthful
Short Term Effects of NOT Sleeping Enough
  • Increases susceptibility to health problems
  • Decreased attention span, foggy thinking, drowsiness, daytime fatigue and headaches
  • Moodiness and irritability; increased likelihood of developing depression
Long Term Effects of NOT Sleeping Enough
  • Metabolic Changes that can lead to weight gain and diabetes
  • Changes in Nervous System Function, leading to possible high blood pressure and heart-rhythm irregularities
  • Impaired memory, depression and hallucinations
  • Decrease in body temperature, release of growth hormone and in immune system function, increasing susceptibility to health problems

Dos: Sleep Helpers

Taking certain measures can help ensure you get an adequate amount of sleep. Follow some of these guidelines to maximize your 8 hours.

Factor Prescription
Avoid Sleep Enemies Avoid sugar, caffeine and other stimulants late in the day. Each person’s tolerances may vary, but a general good guideline is to not have any stimulants after 2:30pm.
Create an Optimal Sleep Environment
  • Use blinds or curtains to shade out unwanted light (E.g., street lights)
  • Ensure that your bedroom is isolated from a lot of noise (E.g. next to the street)
  • Use comfortable linens and pajamas so that you feel relaxed when in bed
Create a Sleep Schedule Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This helps to ensure your biological clock maintains a healthy schedule.
Time Activity Appropriately Exercise in the morning or in the early afternoon. This will ensure that you have enough time to allow your body to calm down from activity so that it can relax.
Relax Before bedtime, create a relaxation ritual to prepare your mind and body for sleep. Things to consider:

  • Drink herbal tea (Decaffeinated!)
  • Take a bath
  • Listen to soothing music
  • Dim the lights an hour or two before bed-time
  • Write down things you want to get done the next day and put your list aside so that you don’t spend time thinking about all you have to do the next day

Dont’s: Sleep Inhibitors

Certain substances have a negative impact on your ability to get a good night sleep. Avoid these and you should be able to fall off to dream-land.

Sleep Inhibitor Why
Alcohol
  • Deprives you of REM sleep and the deeper and more restorative stages of sleep
  • Keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep from which you can easily be awakened
Abnormally Hot or Cold Sleeping Environments
  • Can disrupt your REM sleep
  • During REM sleep, we lose some of our ability to regulate our body temperature
Caffeine
  • Stimulates parts of the brain
  • Can cause difficulty in falling asleep
  • Can cause you to awake during the night
Heavy Smoking
  • Sleep is very light
  • Reduces duration of REM sleep
  • Tend to wake up after 3 or 4 hours of sleep due to nicotine withdrawal
Some Medication (those with stimulants such as Diet Pills)
  • Stimulates parts of the brain
  • Can cause difficulty in falling asleep
  • Can cause you to awake during the night
  • Some can suppress REM Sleep
<h2>The Importance of Sleep</h2>
The health benefits to getting enough sleep are indisputable. The below table outlines all you need to know about sleep and its importance:
<table border=”0″>
<thead>
<tr>
<th width=”20%” align=”center” valign=”center”></th>
<th width=”80%” align=”center” valign=”center”>Impacts</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” valign=”center”><strong>Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep</strong></td>
<td align=”left” valign=”top”>
<ul>
<li>Strengthens and supports the immune system</li>
<li>Boosts cognitive function</li>
<li>Consolidates memories</li>
<li>Keeps hormones in check and enables us to look our best and most                                          youthful</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” valign=”center”><strong>Short Term Effects of NOT Sleeping Enough</strong></td>
<td align=”left” valign=”top”>
<ul>
<li>Increases susceptibility to health problems</li>
<li>Decreased attention span, foggy thinking, drowsiness, daytime fatigue and headaches</li>
<li>Moodiness and irritability; increased likelihood of developing depression</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style=”text-align: center;” valign=”center”><strong>Long Term Effects of NOT Sleeping Enough</strong></td>
<td align=”left” valign=”top”>
<ul>
<li>Metabolic Changes that can lead to weight gain and diabetes</li>
<li>Changes in Nervous System Function, leading to possible high blood pressure and heart-rhythm irregularities</li>
<li>Impaired memory, depression and hallucinations</li>
<li>Decrease in body temperature, release of growth hormone and in immune system function, increasing susceptibility to health problems</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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