Are you sabotaging your health by not getting enough sleep?

A healthy lifestyle is not only about nutritious diet and exercise, but also includes enough shut-eye to let your body rest and repair itself. Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on both your mind and body.

Physically, your body is prone to weight gain. Hormones are regulated during sleep but when you are sleep deprived, your hunger hormones become out of whack, which increases feelings of hunger and decreases satisfaction. That’s why people normally indulge a bit more on food when they are exhausted. And any sort of senseless of eating will lead to all sorts of health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure and reduced immune function.

Your mental health may also be affected by how much you get ample shut-eye. Sleep allows your mind to recover from the day’s work. The rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep gives your brain time to sort out information and file long-term memory. If this stage of your sleep cycle is affected, your mental focus and intellect may decrease. You will also feel cranky and your stress levels increase.

All of these problems can have a ripple effect on your daily habits. It is essential that we make ample sleep time a priority, not only just boost our mood or banish under-eye circles. It is key part of a healthy lifestyle.

So how can we improve our sleep time.

• Set a sleep goal to get at least seven hours of sleep a night which will provide you with the energy to tackle your day. Sleep boosts your motivation and willpower to fight off temptations and help you make smart decisions regarding your diet and exercise plans.
• Set a regular bedtime and stick to it. Make a commitment towards your goal of what you want to accomplish. Usually your smartphone is the main culprit. Either turn off all notifications and put it on silent mode. Alternatively, invest on an alarm clock to avoid being tempted to scroll through social media, then leave your phone in another room.
• Eat healthy and nutritious foods. It’s very easy to misread hunger cues when your body and mind are fatigued, If you find yourself raiding the kitchen or mindlessly snacking, take a moment and ask yourself if you may be tired rather than hungry. It’s common to mistake fatigue or emotions for hunger.
• Time to unwind. Allow yourself some time for relaxation to help you transition into sleep. Taking a relaxing bath, soothing music, gentle stretching or meditation will help focus your attention away from worries and into the present.
• Avoid – activities that are mentally stimulating such as bright lights from TV, computer or phone. – stimulating drinks like coffee, alcohol or fizzy. Instead opt for relaxing chamomile tea.

Most importantly, learn to let things go and forgive. A grudge will prevent you from having a good night sleep, and all we need is to be able to sleep like a baby.

Cheers to that, time to unwind and go to sleep now.