Sleep Your Way To Good Health

       I feel sorry for sleep. When life gets busy sleep is the first thing we sacrifice. Even though it causes fatigue that makes every other aspect of our life more difficult, we continue to trade sleep hours for productive hours. Does this sound counter productive to anyone else??? What is the cost of this shortsighted trade?              

Chronic sleep loss can result in:
-weight gain-through impaired processing of carbs and appetite stimulation
-high blood pressure
-heart attack
-diabetes
-stroke
-psychiatric problems such as depression
-ADD
-increased perception of pain
-increased inflammation in the body
-impaired memory
-increased irritability and impatience
-inability to concentrate
-moodiness
-irregular heart beat
-decreased performance and alertness
-cognitive impairment
-and impaired immune system

      The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year drowsy driving is responsible for 100,000 auto accidents, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 deaths. One study even found that reduced sleep is a greater heath risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

     So how many hours of sleep do we need? A lot of sources believe that there is no set number that can be applied to the entire population. However I found several studies that reported the optimal number to be 6 to 8 hours. One study that I found particularly interesting had over 1 million subjects from age 30 to 102 and spanned 6 years. These researchers found that people who get 6-7 hours of sleep a night have a lower mortality rate than those who sleep more than 8 hours. Another reported that people who get 7 to 8 hours a night have a 50% decreased risk of colon cancer, 48% decreased risk of heart attacks, and a 19% decreased risk of stroke than those who sleep less.

     I know that getting adequate sleep will always be a struggle but there are several things you can do to improve your sleep.
- Develop a regular sleep cycle by going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday (yes, this means even on the weekends...sigh)
-Find a bedtime routine that relaxes you and readies you for sleep-such as reading or meditation
-Stop eating 2-3 hours prior to bedtime
-Perform regular daily exercise
-Avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime
-Keep your bedroom between 75 to 54 degrees based on your personal preference
-Sleep in a dark room (or wear a sleep mask) to promote melatonin production which is vital for restful sleep

I challenge you all to make sleep a priority for one month and see how much better you feel!

Happy sleeping! :)

Info for this post can be found on Health.Harvard.edu, Web MD, Sleepfoundation.org, and Health.UCSD. edu.