Perhaps, the most important thing you can do for your Body.
We have all experienced the short term effects of getting a poor nights sleep on occasion. The tired, confused, irritable feelings you have the next day can be a bit challenging to say the least. Unfortunately, many people short themselves on sleep on a regular basis, instead of being a rare occurrence stemming from a fun night out or emergency that robbed us from our bed. It is estimated by the CDC that 1 in 3 adults get less than 7 hours of sleep per night. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is between 7 and nine hours per night. It has also been shown that keeping a regular schedule can be as important as getting the recommended number of hours. Shorting yourself of sleep on a regular basis can do more harm than just the irritating effects you have the next day.
Long-term effects of sleep deprivation.
Some of the serious long term effects of not getting a good night’s sleep are…
- An increase in cardiovascular disease. Sleep deprivation has been shown to cause hypertension, and could lead to an increase in heart attacks and stokes.
- An increase in weight gain and obesity. If you are trying to lose or maintain your weight, it is very important that you log enough hours of sleep every night.
- An increase in Diabetes. It is very important for our sugar regulation and can play a key role in preventing or controlling diabetes.
- A lack of sleep can cause many mental health issues. Sleep deprivation has been linked to depression, anxiety, faulty brain functions, memory loss and other psychiatric disorders.
- Immune system deficiency. Getting a proper nights rest is very important for maintaining your immune system and fighting off disease.
- Decrease fertility. Sleep deprivation has been shown to decrease fertility in childbearing years.
Ways you can improve your sleep cycle.
Often our busy lives cause us to not get enough sleep per night. However, many people do not log enough hours because they find they cannot sleep. This may be due to sleep disorders or just the effects of your daily habits getting in your way. There are many different strategies to help you log more ZZ’s.
I have created a quick guide to share some of my favorite strategies with you. You can download the guide here.
I hope that you find the information in this guide beneficial and it will help you get a good night’s sleep. Begin today to make sleep a priority. Your health depends on it. If you would like more information on this topic or other topics related to your fitness, health and wellbeing you can email me at rebecca@vitalitytransformations.com or schedule a time for us to chat. Also be sure to check out the many other resources I have on this site. Focusing on improving your sleep should be one of the first steps on your path to wellness and transforming your life.
