Sleep Your Way To Health
Many people are so busy they often can’t remember the last time they had a good nights sleep, or they wait until the weekend to catch up.
In our busy lives we often think of sleep as a luxury rather than a necessity, however sleep is key to good health and is right up there with exercise and a healthy diet.
Lack of sleep can contribute to several health risks such as:
Diabetes
Obesity
Hypertension
Cardiovascular disease
Low Immune System
This list is quite shocking but when we know that sleep is the time in which our bodies heal themselves it makes sense that a lack of sleep over time would have serious consequences to our health.
What to do if you have a hard time sleeping?
- Make it a priority – Sleep should not be the first thing you skip out on during busy times
- Turn off the TV and computer 30 mins to an hour prior to going to sleep.
- Keep a note pad next to your bed – If you can’t get to sleep thinking of all the things you need to do the next day, writing them down can help you to relax
- Breathe. Sounds simple but when was the last time you simply focussed on your breath? Deep breathing is a great way to get your body and mind to relax.
- Practise, practise, practise. If you’re not use to going to sleep early then give yourself time to adapt. It takes time for your body to get use to a new behaviour pattern. Start with going to sleep 15mins earlier than usual.
When to go to sleep? When to go to sleep is almost more important than how much sleep you get. The consensus seems to be around 10:30pm as this coincides with your bodies natural clock in relation to daylight.
EAT TO SLEEP: Foods high in tryptophan (an essential amino acid) can help you sleep. These include foods such as: peanuts, pumpkin seeds, tuna, bananas, shellfish, red meat, cottage cheese, heated milk, eggs and fish.
There’s nothing worse than going through the day exhausted from a lack of sleep but other than feeling tired the long term effects of a lack of sleep are far worse.
What kind of sleeper are you? Try this quick questionnaire http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/profiler/
Sweet dreams!
