Do you struggle to sleep well? You are not alone. More people are sleep-deprived than you can imagine. About 70 million Americans of all ages suffer from chronic sleep problems. Center for Disease Control study reported that more than 1 in 3 Americans are sleep deprived. The health consequences of poor sleep are huge and shocking too. A sleep heart study done by scientist Gotlieb and team found that people who had 5 hours of sleep or less were 2.5 times more likely to have diabetes, compared with those who slept 7 to 8 hours per night. Apart from the health impact, insufficient sleep accounts for 6,000 fatal crashes annually in the USA and most work-related accidents. WHY IS SLEEP VITAL During sleep, the body releases growth hormones and stress hormones, which affect cellular functions, the immune system, and the overall metabolic processes. Also, the majority of the body’s repair and cleansing processes occur during sleep. Quality sleep is soooo essential for your health. Here’s how to get a good night's sleep daily. 5 Daily Practices to Improve Your Sleep 1) Decide and keep a consistent sleep-wake routine: Decide to sleep and wake up at a specific time to train your body’s internal clock. Gradually, your brain will adapt to this habit and help you sleep and wake up easily. I have been practising this habit since this year, and now, I sleep and wake up easily at almost exactly the same time. 2) Avoid late dinner and night-time snacking: Eating late signals to the body you are still awake. This can delay the sleep process, especially initiating it. 3) Create a good sleep environment: A good sleep environment is very dark, quiet, cool, and comfortable. 4) Avoid light exposure: Apart from food, light is another signal to the brain for wakefulness. Keep your bedroom dark, activate your phone's night mode, and turn off your phone a few minutes before sleeping. 5) Practice relaxation techniques close to bedtime. Examples include listening to soothing songs, deep breathing, and gratitude journaling to reduce stress. In summary, endeavor to sleep better daily to improve your health and wellbeing Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Talk Soon, Dr Vecoh (MD, ACE-certified Health Coach and Behaviour Change Expert) |
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