You may know that you’re supposed to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. However, you might not know exactly why. Sleep is an essential part of your body’s cycle. While you sleep your body actually accomplishes a number of important tasks.
The Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep
It all boils down to resetting and refreshing. Your cells regenerate while you sleep. Your body slows down and allows your systems to rest. And many hormones are released. We’re talking about hormones that help your reproductive systems, cellular metabolism and regeneration, and even your digestive system.
If you don’t get enough sleep, your body and your brain suffer. Your systems struggle to function optimally, and the end result is that your body works much harder than it wants to just to manage basic operations. This can lead to disease and ultimately it reduces your lifespan. Simply getting a little more sleep each night will help you:
* Better manage chronic stress – People who don’t get enough sleep have higher cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when you’re under stress, and too much cortisol can be damaging.
* Improve your immune function – Studies have shown that sleep has a strong correlation with a healthy immune system. They’ve even shown that a good night’s sleep can increase the effectiveness of your flu shot.
* Prevent chronic disease – People who don’t get enough sleep tend to have higher blood pressure. This can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease along with other conditions like diabetes and obesity.
How to Get More Sleep
So the question is, how do you get enough sleep? Many people struggle with insomnia and others just don’t have enough time to get seven to nine hours of sleep. The following tips and ideas may help.
1. Avoid eating before you go to bed. Try to eat dinner earlier and don’t eat within two hours of going to bed.
2. Create a sleep routine. Perform the same tasks before you go to bed and go to bed at the same time every night.
3. Avoid electronics before bedtime. The light emitted from electronics, including your television, can disrupt sleep.
4. Don’t drink alcohol before you go to bed.
5. Cut back on caffeine and don’t drink any after lunchtime if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
6. Avoid drinking two hours before you go to bed.
7. Create a sleep haven. Choose comfortable blankets and pillows and make your bed a place that you want to spend time in.
8. Exercise. Exercise has been shown to help improve sleep. However, don’t exercise right before bedtime.
9. Consider melatonin. You can take melatonin, a sleep hormone sold in supplement form, for a couple of days to help you get through a tough time. However, don’t take it for more than three nights in a row because it can affect your body’s ability to produce the hormone naturally.
10. Increase your light exposure during the day. This will help support a healthy body clock.
Getting enough sleep each night is important to your day-to-day health as well as your long-term health. Try implementing one or two of the tips and gradually increase the hours you sleep until you wake feeling rested.
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