Is Your Lack Of Sleep Killing You?
Even though people spend a third of their lives asleep, they often do not know how important it really is. Sleep is vital not only for mental well being but for health. This makes understanding sleep and knowing how to sleep well so important.
Everyone’s Sleep Patterns Are Different
Everyone sleeps differently and needs different amounts of sleep, but it has common functions for everyone. Sleep offers our bodies a way to rejuvenate. It also is very important for our minds and appears to offer a way for them to process information picked up during the day and organize memories. This process has been compared to something akin to a defragmenting a hard drive on a computer.
Lack of of sleep can cause lose of motor skills, diseases, hallucinations, irritability, anxiety and various other negative feelings and aliments. In extreme causes, it has been known to cause death. Death from overwork is thought to be closely tied to lack of sleep.
With all the problems lack of sleep can cause, people need to make sure they are getting the sleep they need. While making the time to sleep obviously comes first, people can make their sleep time more restful and efficient through their lifestyles and approach to sleep.
Regular Schedule
One way to do this is to keep a regular schedule and go to bed at the same time every day. By doing so, it is easier to go to sleep, and sleep is more restful. Of course, it is not always possible to control one’s schedule, and people like later schedules on weekends, but sleep and health will improve by following the same schedule as closely as possible.
Plan Ahead
Sleep is frequently disrupted when people have to get up to go to the restroom. This is of course unavoidable at times, but it can be limited by avoiding too many liԛuids in the evening. Also, in spite of being a sedative, alcohol disrupts sleep and makes trips to the bathroom more frequent.
Exercise
Exercise is good for sleep. Aerobic exercise such as running during the daytime is best. At least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise three of four times a week is recommended. Exercise helps sleep by enabling the body to transition between sleep cycles more freԛuently and smoothly.
Bedtime Snacking
While there is controversy as to if calories consumed at night cause more weight gain, there can be no doubt that eating at night is not good for health and sleep. Besides heartburn and other negative effect too much food at night can cause during sleep, forcing the body to digest food at night when it should be resting and recovering from the day adversely affects health and sleep. It is best to avoid major meals for two hours or more before bedtime and to refrain from snacks.
Entertainment
Television and computer screens have been shown to inhibit the production of natural sleep hormones like melatonin and should be avoided at bedtime.
Nighty Night
There are a lot of distractions in the modern world, but sleep is still vital to health. Regardless of what steps one takes to ensure a good nights sleep, always keep its importance in mind.
