Sleep is Underrated

Gone are the days of bragging about living on little sleep.  Instead, we now know that quality sleep, as in uninterrupted sleep, for six plus hours per night is essential to good health.  Important recovery takes place on a cellular level when we sleep.  The mind has a chance to unravel and stop processing in a cognitive way.  The dream state takes over.  The body also needs a break.  Stress and fatigue are stored in the body.  Time to reset.  

So, what gets in the way of a good night?  Or, might I rephrase--what are things that we allow to get in the way of a good night?  I am not referring to parents of new babies who live through those wakeful nights.  There isn't a choice there.  You just survive it the best you can and grab a nap whenever you can.  I am talking about the rest of us with stress, jobs, interests, commitments, responsibilities, worries, etc.  I am talking about those of us who remain stimulated by screens or plugged in to work until far too late in the evening, or those who watch Netflix instead of going to bed, or those who eat too late at night to digest properly and then can't sleep, or those who haven't managed stress throughout the day so that the tension starts screaming the minute the lights go out.  

Living a healthy life means that we look at all that contributes or detracts from that life.  This includes what is known as "sleep hygiene."  How well do you set yourself for quality sleep?  Establishing a routine, a curfew for screens, quiet activity with low lighting and reduced noise can be a big help.  Keeping the bedroom free of work and signs of work so that the bed chamber is a place to relax and restore, signals to the body that there is nothing to do here but sleep.  Piles of laundry, dry cleaning and bill pay will make much harder to let go.  Black out shades or curtains send the body the message that nothing is going on here, so close your eyes and go to sleep.  Keeping the temperature in the room on the cooler side with comfortable blankets and pillows makes being in bed restorative and inviting.  

Hormones do not work correctly when we do not sleep well.  Our bodies crave more sweets and don't get satisfied with healthy foods when we are sleep deprived to say nothing of poor attention span, irritability and bad temper.  Face it, we all need our rest.  Take a page from the plant and animal world, restore at night.

This week, with daylight saving time coming to end, rethink your sleep.  Take a look at what you can do to improve.  Consider what you can do to manage stress throughout the day so that it doesn't keep you from falling asleep or keep you awake long after you do get to sleep.  

We need energy to keep our day powered.  We get that from sunlight, from healthy foods, staying hydrated, exercising and good, quality sleep.  

Night night.