Sleep!

Why You Need To Sleep More!

“Hustle, hustle, hustle!”

That’s the only way to be successful nowadays, right? Although effort is a key component of success, this narrative of “grind 24/7” has slowly taken hold of our modern-day society and turned some of even the most well-intentioned people into work-zombies . 

Regardless of if you’re the personality-type to proudly advocate your membership to “Team No Sleep,” or if it really frustrates you being one of the 83.6 million adults in America that are sleep deprived (Huffington Post), our culture as a whole would do well considering the long-term benefits of making sleep a priority. 

Why Sleep Is So Important

Humans need regular, high-quality sleep in order to function properly and perform at their highest levels – and yet, our culture has effectively swept the issue under the rug and out of the mainstream. However, when we look at the research that has emerged in recent years, it’s nearly impossible to deny that the benefits sleep provides us when regulated properly.

• Improve Your Memory – All of your memories, especially your physical and mental skills, are strengthened and reinforced during adequate sleep. They are also reorganized and restructured in order to stimulate more creative thinking and an increased attention span.
• Reduce Inflammation – Inflammation is directly linked to heart disease, arthritis, stroke, diabetes, and premature aging. Just as an active lifestyle and healthy diet promote a reduction in such physiological responses, regularities in one’s sleep behavior provides the same benefits. Some experts argue that sleep is equally as important as diet & exercise, with regard to your physical health and well-being.
• Lose Fat, Build Muscle – When making an effort to lose weight, individuals who are well rested typically lose more fat than those who were sleep deprived (who tend to lose more muscle mass). Regular, efficient sleep cycles have also statistically been proven to help improve various elements of athletic performance such as speed, flexibility, stamina, and endurance. 
• Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression – Emotional stability is a direct result of good sleep. “Research has shown that most Americans would be happier, healthier and safer if they were to sleep an extra 60 to 90 minutes per night.” As cited by the American Psychological Association’s studies on the effects of Stress and Sleep.

Sleep is an integral part of healthy living – whether your favorite Instagram and YouTube-famous personalities want to admit it, or not. So when making an effort to improve your overall quality of life - even though it may seem contradictory to being productive - start with your sleep.

Improving Your Sleep

Examine your habits; exercise, cell phone usage, diet, bedroom layout & lighting, and make the proper adjustments to ensure that your quality of sleep improves each night. 

Try following these tips from The National Sleep Foundation to help improve your sleep, tonight!
 

• Stick to a sleep schedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. This helps to regulate your body's clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
• Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.
• If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can't fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.
• Exercise daily. Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.
• Evaluate your room. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 60 and 67 degrees. Your bedroom should also be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep. Finally, your bedroom should be free from any light. Check your room for noises or other distractions. This includes a bed partner's sleep disruptions such as snoring. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, "white noise" machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up.

Sleep Tight!

TB