Attention Night Owls...

I admit I’m a night owl.  There’s something about staying up while the rest of the house is asleep.  It’s when I get my best work done or when I fold laundry while catching up on my favorite shows, and it’s pretty nice to enjoy some quiet time alone.   Sure the next day I’m irritable, sleepy and craving carbs like mad, but it’s worth it, I need my time alone, right?  WRONG! 

There are many reasons to get to bed early...here are some of the most important:

Sleepiness Causes Accidents - Drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as driving drunk. It is estimated that fatigue is a cause in 100,000 auto crashes and 1,550 crash-related deaths a year in the U.S.  Studies also show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep lead to accidents and injuries on the job, as well as more sick days per accident.

Sleep Loss Makes you Dumb  -   Lack of sleep hurts thinking and learning processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving making it more difficult to learn efficiently.   Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day. 

Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems – Lack of sleep has shown to increase the risk for Heart disease, Heart attack, Heart failure, Irregular heartbeat, High blood pressure, Stroke and Diabetes. 

Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive - Sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension are largely to blame.  For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep, it is shown that testosterone secretion dramatically decreases during a restless night.

Sleepiness Is Depressing - In a 2005 Sleep in America poll, people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep less than six hours at night.  The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, has the strongest link to depression. In a 2007 study it was determined that those with insomnia were five times as likely to develop depression as those without.  In fact, insomnia is often one of the first symptoms of depression.  Insomnia and depression feed on each other. Sleep loss aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression and its symptoms, and vice versa. 

Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin - Most people have experienced sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights of missed sleep. But it turns out that chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes.   When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.

Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone. When we’re young, human growth hormone promotes growth. As we age, it helps increase muscle mass, thicken skin, and strengthen bones. During deep sleep growth hormone is released as part of normal tissue repair, patching up the wear and tear of the day.

Losing Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight - When it comes to body weight, it may be that if you snooze, you lose. Lack of sleep seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly to obesity.  Recent research has focused on the link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite. Ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin tells your brain it is full and suppresses appetite. Shortened sleep time is associated with decreases in leptin and elevations in ghrelin.  Not only does sleep loss appear to stimulate appetite. It also stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

So how much sleep do you need?  The long-held ideal of eight hours of sleep a night seems like a far off dream to most of us.  With estimates between 50 million and 70 million U.S. adults suffering from a sleep or wakefulness disorder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have now classified insufficient sleep a health epidemic, with 40% of us averaging 6 or fewer hours per night!!  

The amount of sleep a person needs varies between individuals and fluctuates as we grow older. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that young children (5-10 years) need 10-11 hours of sleep daily, teens (10-17 years) need 8.5-9.5 hours, and adults need 7-9 hours.

So how do we get more sleep? Count sheep?

·         Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.
·         Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
·         Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.  Even a pinpoint of light on the skin has been shown to disrupt sleep patterns.
·         Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
·         Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
·         Finish eating at least 3 hours before your regular bedtime.
·         Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime.
·         Avoid coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate close to bedtime.  The caffeine will keep you awake.
·         Avoid nicotine. Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.
·         Avoid alcohol, it may initially make you sleepy but will cause sleep disruptions throughout the night.

 

Join our 6 week Fit for Life Holiday Challenge, that tracks all areas of wellness from sleep to nutrition to exercise and more.   It is a total wellness transformation and will change your life!   

You can register Saturday November 2^nd.  The Challenge begins November 4^th.   Visit our website for all the details www.onetrainingstudio.com