Sleep. Who has time for it? Right? Have you ever really considered the importance of sleep? At this hectic time of year many people have a hard time keeping things regular. This includes their workout schedule, eating schedule and even their sleeping schedule.
Sleep or lack thereof, affects us in many ways. If you are sleep deprived you may experience slowed reaction time, poor concentration, mood swings and lack of ability to pay attention or make sound, reasonable decisions. On top of this, sleep deprivation has been shown to increase leptin levels, a hormone regulating energy intake and expenditure. Elevated leptin levels act as an appetite stimulant. In fact, studies show more than 75 per cent of obese individuals report some type of sleep disorder.
Determining how much sleep is optimal is no easy task. Just like there is no perfect number of calories for everyone to consume or no perfect workout for everyone, there is no perfect number of hours that each person needs to sleep each night. Children, for example, need much more sleep than adults. Up to age 12, children need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep a day. The general rule of thumb for adults is eight and a quarter hours a night but some people require more sleep than this. Are you getting enough? Here are a few signs that you many need to close those baby blues for a little longer each night:
It's a struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
You feel depressed or have frequent mood swings.
You have a hard time making it through a day without napping.
So, what about napping? Is it OK? This really depends on the type of nap you are having. Short duration naps can provide an escape or much needed break from a hectic day. Anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes is acceptable. Any longer and you may wake feeling more groggy than before because you start entering deeper stages of sleep. Also, long duration naps can negatively affect your night sleep, thus defeating the purpose of the nap all together. Naps can increase your mental awareness and alertness if kept short, so go ahead and nap!
Many of us don't make sleep a priority, or at least not the number of hours. We often put off sleep for a time once all the rest of our daily commitments are completed. Quality and quantity of sleep need to be a priority. Better sleep is easy to achieve. Here are a few things you can do today to help you get a better sleep tonight:
Set consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends or days off.
Get some exercise! Although you should avoid exercising too late in the day near bedtime.
Avoid caffeine later in the day. Replace your afternoon coffee with de-caffeinated coffee or even better, a glass of water.
Relax! Try to start winding down an hour before bedtime.
Create a comfortable sleeping environment. Keep your bed exclusively for sleeping. Avoid TV or reading in bed. Also, keep your bedroom cool.
Try it tonight and see what a difference a good night's sleep will do for you.
Merry Christmas! Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season filled with lots of friends, family and healthy choices!
Say it! Mean it! Do it!
