Day 4 of #365healthydays is all about sleep !
It’s a hectic world but as our lives get busier, we need to strengthen our immune systems even more against the damage that stress can have on our bodies. Getting a good night’s sleep won’t grant you superpowers, but it will make you feel super! And study after study has found links between insufficient sleep and some serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory and learning. Sleep allows you to recover from your workout (that you promised yourself yesterday for tip #3 that you were going to make time for!) and it is during rest that muscle is built, as your body heals the damage to your tissues and cells and your body releases it’s growth hormone (like when teenagers go through a growth spurt and you notice them sleeping more) which helps you build a lean, strong body (imagine if all that barre shake went to waste because you weren’t getting enough zzzzz!) Even better, enough sleep can make you better-looking (duh!). Regular shut-eye actually makes you look healthier and more attractive, according to a 2010 study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers photographed 23 people after a period of sleep deprivation and after a normal night’s sleep of eight hours. The photos were shown to 65 people who rated each photo based on health attractiveness and tiredness. The sleep deprived group scored lower in all three categories. Regularly sleeping less than you should is associated with a shorter lifespan, although it is not clear whether little sleep is the cause, or an effect of other illnesses. Studies have found people who routinely sleep for fewer than six hours a night have a higher risk of dying sooner than people of a similar age who sleep for seven or eight hours a night. And more sleep means less vulnerability to illness (especially this time of year with lots of bugs flying around). So we know it’s great – but HOW to get more sleep ? Like everything else, you have to plan it, and work at it until your sleep schedule becomes a habit. Give yourself an hour’s ‘wind-down time’ (yes, like a child!!). Have a shower, watch something on Netflix, read a few chapters of your book, do some stretching, even spend some time on your phone (yes, I know what everyone says about blue light and the dangers of technology. But Instagram. And Facebook! How else would you see these awesome tips?!). plan your sleep for the week and stick to your plan until your body switches on to your new routine and you’ll feel tired around your now usual bedtime and ready to wake up when your alarm goes off. Between 7-9 hours is recommended for most adults, hit that sweet spot and you’ll have more energy than Miranda in her early morning classes 😉
