Sleep

Sleep. I would like to start by saying, I LOVE sleep. Last night I got to bed at 3 a.m. which is a very bad idea for me. I slept till 1 p.m. and literally had to drag myself out of the house so that I could make an attempt at being productive. If I had stayed home I would have most likely spent the afternoon on the couch doing a whole lot of nothing. Can anyone relate?

Sleep is one of the main pillars of optimal health. It was included on my post The Magnificent Seven. Think right, eat right, drink right, move right, talk right, poop right, and SLEEP right! I have found for myself that I am an eight hours a night type of girl. If I get any less than that I have trouble functioning. I typically make horrible decisions in regard to my eating and forming sentences that make sense can be an issue.

There isn't an exact number that I can give you for the perfect amount of sleep. It's generally excepted that most people need somewhere between 6-8 hours. However, there are definitely people who need more that. This can fluctuate depending on your age, vocation and stress level, etc.. Dr Naiman, who is a sleep specialist says that you have found the perfect amount of sleep when you have slept enough hours to have sustained energy through the day without having to use artificial stimulants, with the exception of a mid-afternoon nap.

There is research suggesting that getting less than six hours of sleep a night can increase your chances of becoming insulin resistant. As I talked about in my post, Too Much Good, insulin resistance can prevent weight loss and cause you to gain weight and develop type 2 diabetes.

I have also found from my own experience that my quality of life is SO much better when I get sleep. Especially, if it is within a consistent sleep schedule. Sleeping from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. does not leave me feeling refreshed despite being 10 hours. When I get good sleep my outlook is more positive, my productivity increases and I am able to enjoy conversation with the people in my life. So experiment with the number of hours you sleep until you find the right number for you. This could take awhile but it will be worth it.

Some keys to getting good sleep include:

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule
• Avoid watching TV before bed--it has been shown to be over stimulating to your brain which causes you to struggle falling asleep
• Keep you house no warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit
• Make sure to eat protein within a few hours before bed to increase melatonin (your sleep hormone) and avoid hypoglycemia (high blood sugar) which will cause you to wake up

I would like to end with some of the side effects of not getting enough sleep. Some of them include:

• Increased risk of getting sick and developing severe health issues
• Constipation
• Stomach Ulcers
• Depression
• Heart Disease 

I hope this post will help you see the benefits of making sleep a priority, no matter what stage of life you're in.  Feel free to leave a comment in the section below with additional questions!

Until Next Time,

Hope

xoxo