We are a nation of sleep deprivation. The average adult needs 7-8 hours and 10 hours for adolescence. In the U.S., 30% of adults and 66% of adolescence are sleep deprived.
Lack of sleep can affect learning, memory, mode, reaction time and can also lead to inflammation, hallucination, elevated blood pressure, and even type 2 diabetes. In an extreme case, a devoted soccer fan stayed up for 48 hours to watch the games and died. Those with insomnia are more likely to suffer from dementia and in extreme cases, premature death.
The brain collects wastes and toxins throughout the day. When we sleep, it uses the Glyphatic System to remove the toxins. Lymphatic vessels help clean away daily brain waste products.
Sleep is beyond important for health and sanity. Get sleep!!! Here are just a few tips:
- Stick to a routine sleep schedule even on the weekends.
- Practice more relaxing activities before bed and avoid things that cause anxiety, stress, and have lots of light like your electronic devices.
- Exercising daily helps regulate our hormones but please don’t exercise at the expense of sleep.
- Make your room cooler, block out lights, and use white noise if there’s a lot of disruptive noise in your sleeping area.
- Don’t forget comfort. Find mattresses and pillows that work for you.
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals late at night.
- Use your bedroom only for sleep & intimacy. Leave your electronic devices charging elsewhere.
Slow down and LOVE getting into bed for sleep. It’ll make your life so much happier and healthier.
If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
