You have probably heard it said that we should be getting eight or nine hours of sleep per night for optimum health. I know many people consider themselves to be doing good if they get six uninterrupted hours per night. What we may not realize is the danger we are putting ourselves in when we consistently cut ourselves short on sleep.
Our bodies need sleep to rejuvenate, heal, detox, and grow. I know there are some people who seem to operate just fine on four, five, or six hours of sleep per day. That may be true. However, before you lump yourself into that category…consider the following:
There have been several sleep deprivation studies that have clearly shown that people who are sleepy behind the wheel drive as poorly as people who have had alcohol.
People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have heart attacks.
People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get sick.
People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get headaches.
People who don’t get enough sleep tend to have more mood swings.
So how can you get enough sleep?
It is my opinion that there are two keys to getting enough sleep:
- Plan to get enough sleep. Arrange your schedule and your activities so you can get to bed and sleep for a full eight to nine hours. This means better use of your waking hours so you aren’t up at midnight working on that special project for school or finishing the laundry.
- Use self-discipline to go to bed. When we were little our parents (most of our parents) made sure we were in bed by a certain time in order to get enough rest (and give themselves a break). Now WE need to each take responsibility for ourselves and demonstrate the same self-discipline we use to get to work on time or make sure our bills are paid to get ourselves in bed at a decent hour.
Additional tips for getting enough sleep are:
- If you nap during the day, keep it brief (30 minutes or less)…set an alarm! Too much sleep during the day will throw off your nightly routine and could set you up for a bad sleep pattern.
- Keep your bedroom dark. Our brain patterns for sleep work better in the dark. Plus I read of one study where people who slept in rooms that were not dark were more likely to develop cancer.
- Turn down the lights as you get closer to bedtime. This helps our bodies natural rhythms to recognize that sleep is coming, sort of like the sun setting.
- Watch how much you eat and drink before going to bed…especially caffiene and alcohol. Alcohol may make you sleepy initially but the effects can wear off after a couple hours. If you find yourself awake in the middle of the night and have a hard time going back to sleep, cut out the alcohol or consume it with dinner and not before bed.
- Turn off your brain. I regularly will read a chapter of a light reading novel before going to sleep. It helps me put good thoughts in my brain and decrease thoughts about “what I need to do tomorrow” or “what happened today” that may keep me awake and pondering.
- Take “Gentle Sleep Complex” 20-30 minutes before you go to bed. It has Chamomile and Valerian Root plus a few other herbs, is non-addicting, and doesn’t make you dopey. I use it on nights that I know I will have a harder time turning my brain off and settling down to sleep.
Consider committing to yourself to set up a good sleep habit for the next month and stick to it. See how your body feels if you are consistently getting eight hours of sleep per night.
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who values a good night of sleep and loves waking up refreshed. You can find Gentle Sleep Complex at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com As a Shaklee Independent Distributor she is compensated if you purchase products from her or her website.
