Healthy People Sleep Well — March 15 is World Sleep Day, created to raise awareness of sleep as a human privilege that is often compromised by the habits of modern life.
A consistent seven to nine-hour sleep each night is the most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health and the benefits of good sleep are many.
Let’s start with weight gain: those with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep. In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity.
Furthermore those who sleep well consistently tend to eat less: studies show that sleep-deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to eat more calories which disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation.
Clear-headed people simply sleep well! Improve concentration and productivity by getting decent shut eye. You’ll have better cognition, concentration, productivity and performance.
Studies found that short sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication. On the other hand, good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.
Your physical performance will also benefit with a good night’s sleep. Less sleep duration has also been linked with poor exercise performance and functional limitation in elderly women.
Clinical Psychologist and sleep specialist, Michael J. Breus offers these tips for a good night sleep:
Know your Bedtime and Stick to One Sleep Schedule
Of all the sleep tips you could ever read or hear about, the most important one is to stick to one sleep schedule — every day. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
Eliminate All Caffeine Starting at 2 PM
How can stopping my caffeine intake at 2:00 p.m. help me sleep better? It’s simple! Caffeine has what’s called a “half-life” of about 8 hours, which means that its level is reduced, but still somewhat effective in your system after this time.
Stop Exercising 4 Hours Before Bed
Data suggest not only that exercising during the day will help you fall asleep more quickly and plunge you into deeper sleep for a longer period of time, but also that exercising causes your body to produce growth hormones, which help it to repair and revitalize itself. Many of my patients report that they sleep better with regular exercise and that they feel more alert and rejuvenated the following day.
Get Some Bali Sun
Being outside in our beautiful equatorial sun for just 15 minutes each morning helps to regulate the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Your internal body clock (the circadian rhythm) runs on a 24-hour schedule and functions best when you are exposed to a regular pattern of light and dark. Malfunctions in your circadian rhythms because of changes in light and dark exposure can negatively impact your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
