Don’t cheat on your sleep!

 

Don’t cheat on your sleep!

Sleep plays an important role in your health and well-being and unfortunately most of us aren’t getting enough. Most healthy adults need between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best.

Studies have shown that when people don’t get enough sleep they:

• Have increased levels of a hunger hormone called ghrelin and decreased levels of the satiety/fullness hormone called leptin, which could lead to overeating and weight gain.
• Consume about 300 calories a day more than when they aren’t well-rested. Overall, most of the extra calories came from high-fat foods.
• Snack more and do less physical activity.
• Eat more than what is needed to cover the energy cost of staying awake longer, especially at night, which can lead to significant weight gain.
• Reduce their fat cells ability to respond properly to the hormone insulin, which is crucial for regulating energy storage and use.

Here are top ten ways to get a better night’s sleep:

• Have a consistent sleep schedule – Stick to going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. This helps to regulate your body’s clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
• Sleep in complete darkness -The darker your room is, the better you will Cover electrical displays, use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows or try a sleep mask to cover your eyes.
• Cut down on caffeine – You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.
• Avoid alcohol before bed – Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep, but it’s counterintuitive. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.
• Exercise – getting in some regular physical activity during the day can help improve your overall sleep quality.
• Chill-out before going to bed – Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. Using an electronic device such as a laptop or phones can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain.
• Take Magnesium supplements – Magnesium is like a relaxation mineral, Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff — whether it is a body part or an even a mood — is a sign of magnesium deficiency.
• Limit daytime naps – 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.
• Manage your stress – If the stress of managing work, family, or school is keeping you awake, you may need help with stress management. By learning how to manage your time effectively, handle stress in a productive way, and maintain a calm, positive outlook, you’ll be able to sleep better at night.
• Avoid having big meals at night – Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable – You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow.

Ongoing sleep deficiency can increase your risk on many chronic health issues, one of them being obesity. Want to know more just click here.