When we talk about getting healthy, we are usually talking about exercise or nutrition, but do you know something that’s just as important as both of those things?
Sleep.
Yes, sleep is just as important as good nutrition and exercise.
But how often are we actually getting “Good Sleep”? In this day and age, it seems to be all about getting things done. We’re rising early, getting the kids off to school, getting ourselves off to a full day of work, only to head straight into after school activities. We hustle to get dinner on the table and then get the kitchen cleaned up and laundry done and don’t forget to help with homework. Finally, we drop ourselves into bed, for a few hours of sleep before starting it all over in the morning.
Have you ever thought about what a good night’s sleep can actually do for you?
- It can help to maintain a healthy weight
- Sleep affects your productivity & ability to concentrate
- Affects your performance in the gym
- Getting enough sleep affects your risk of heart disease and stroke
- It also affects glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk
- Poor sleep is strongly linked to depression
- Getting enough sleep can improve your immune system
- Sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in your body
Your sleeping habits matter. Here are a few things you can do to help yourself gain a restful night’s sleep.
1. Turn off your phone and or tablet a little while before bed.
Our phones stimulate our brains and what we want is to let our brain start to relax and get ready for sleep
2. Read a book
Spend some time unwinding with a good book.
3. Journal
Sometimes writing down how the day went, things you’re grateful for or making a list of things to do tomorrow helps free you up from going over and over in your head.
4. Have a light nighttime drink or snack
Sometimes I like to have a hot decaf tea (I like chamomile) before bed. If you’d like a snack, I’d recommend something with Casein Protein. I’m sure I’ve talked about this type of protein before. It’s a slow digesting protein that helps with recovery and muscle growth. Dairy products contain this like cottage cheese or yogurt.
5. Turn the temperature down
Lowering the temperature can trigger the body to start melatonin production.
Let’s start putting some of these ideas into practice and see what a better night’s sleep can do!
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