Move to Live Your Resource to Moving Well and Living Life
SLEEP WELL. LIVE LIFE.
We all know the feeling. Less than half awake, eyes squinting, the all too recognizable beeping sound blasting out of the small black box on our night stand. “There is no way it’s already time to get up.” In one very quick, coordinated, ninja like motion, one arm flies out from under the covers, precisely hits the snooze button and is back under the covers to enjoy that much needed nine extra minutes of sleep. (Seriously, why is the snooze always nine minutes? I could really use a full ten). “I really need to start going to bed earlier…” Sleep can be one of the most overlooked aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep per night and during that time our body gets a chance to recharge, heal, and restore itself. Studies have linked poor sleep habits to a number of health issues: • Heart health: less sleep leads to increased stress hormones like cortisol which can make your ticker work harder than it needs to leading to anything from high blood pressure to heart attacks. • Inflammation: a 2010 study showed that people who got six or less hours of sleep per night demonstrated higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood.
• Controlled body weight: University of Chicago researchers found that dieters who were well rested lost more body fat than those that didn’t get as much sleep. Dieters also felt more hungry when they got less sleep. Changing a habit is hard, especially a habit like our sleep routine. Luckily, researchers have also been able to provide recommendations to give us the best chance to get the most rest. 1. Exercise daily, even if it’s light exercise for a short period of time 2. Avoid bright lights before bed (i.e. TV, computer, laptop, tablet, phone screens) 3. Stick to a scheduled time to fall asleep and a time to wake up...yes, even on weekends 4. Avoid afternoon naps, alcohol, and heavy meals before bed
Until next month, sleep good! Joe
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