We all know that we feel better after a good nights sleep. I know that I can function perfectly well on 5 or 6 hours for a few nights, but then it all starts to crumble. 7 hours a night is my golden number. I guess we all know what is enough for us. Although, between friends, I’m not sure that I trust politicians who say they only need 3 or 4 hours a night…..
There are a lot of reasons that we need enough sleep.
Rather than writing them all, here are my top 5:
- Live longer. And better. Sleeping too little, or too much, has been proven to shorten our lifespan and to reduce our quality of life. Lack of sleep has been linked to high cholesterol, chronic inflammation, heart disease and more.
- Reach & keep a healthier weight. Dieters tend to lose more fat if they’re well-rested. Sleep-deprived dieters are more likely to lose muscle mass. And who wants that?
- Stress less. Sleep & stress create a vicious cycle. The less we sleep, the more we stress. And the more we stress, the harder it becomes to get enough sleep. If this applies to you, make sure you read the tips below.
- Sharpen up. By getting enough sleep each night, we improve our attention span, our memory and our creative skills. And we’re less likely to have accidents.
- Avoid depression and anxiety. Too little sleep has been linked to both clinical depression and anxiety. And general moodiness, but we all knew that. Have you seen a tired toddler lately?
OK, so that’s why we need to sleep tight every night. But what if your mind is restless and you spend more time tossing and turning than actually resting?
Try these tips for calmer nights:
- Keep it regular. Being consistent reinforces your sleep-wake cycle, which promotes better sleep. If you can’t survive without a sleep-in during the weekend, it generally means you aren’t sleeping enough during the week.
- If you’re not sleeping, stop trying. After 20 restless minutes, the best thing you can do is get out of bed. Sit somewhere dark and quiet, maybe have a herbal tea (not recommended if you have a weak bladder) and slow down your breathing. If you’re stressed about something in particular, write it down to get it out of your head. Once you’re calm, return to bed and try again.
- Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Wether you’re starving or stuffed, your sleep will be affected. Nicotine, caffeine and other stimulants can keep you up. Alcohol may send you to sleep, but your sleep can be disrupted. When was the last time you woke up feeling well rested after a big night?
- Be active. People who exercise regularly tend to fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. But be warned – exercising late in the day can leave you full of energy and unable to hit the off switch.
- Get comfortable. We need a cool, dark and quiet room in order to sleep well. If moving house isn’t an option, think about ear plugs, better blinds or eye masks to make your environment work for you.
As a side note, I really like the Sleep Cycle app. You turn the app on each night, set the in-built alarm and sleep with your phone under your pillow (I put mine on flight mode first – partly so I’m not disturbed by messages, partly due to the unknowns surrounding radiation levels). It analyses your sleep phases and then wakes you up when you are in the lightest phase of sleep. If you don’t enter a light phase of sleep within the 30 minutes before your alarm time, it’ll wake you up at the last minute.
