Starting your sleep journey
|Exercise and nutrition; it’s easy to understand why this is important for your health. But let’s discuss why sleep is so important too.|
Why is sleep important?
Sleep might seem like a period of pure inactivity but it’s the exact opposite. Sleep is at the centre of good health and it’s vital for physical and mental repair. When we get too little sleep, our bodies don’t fully recover from the day’s aches and pains. The immune system doesn’t have the time it needs to charge up. With the tank half full, we’ll probably feel sluggish as we wander into the day. And in this weakened state, we’re more likely to catch bugs and short term illnesses.
Good night sleep is important:
- to repair the body and mind;
- for energy levels and mood;
- to settle your stress;
- to process the day’s information;
- and to build brain power.
|In the short-term sleep deprivation is linked with tiredness, increased caffeine consumption, increased appetite for sugary & fatty foods, impaired decision making and low mood. In the long-term sleep deprivation can even be linked to increased risk of weight gain, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. We can conclude that sleep is something we should be serious about.|
Tips and Tricks:
- First of all, we recommend everyone to get 7 plus hours asleep each night.
- Sleep is best achieved and maintained in a cool (c.18 degrees) and dark room.
- Maintain a night-time routine, whereby it’s important to clear the mind prior to sleep, not to load it up. Stop any work-related activities at least an hour before sleep.
- Also make sure to reduce the use of tablets and screens in bed as high-energy blue light stimulates the brain.
- Avoid the consumption of alcoholic drinks and caffeine as this can profoundly hurt our sleep.
- If you are waking in the night and cannot get back to sleep within a few minutes, consider relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation and visualisation.
|Go to the Education section in your CorLife App to read the ‘Sleep’ section, to find out about all the benefits of sleep and the rationale behind aiming for 7 plus hours a night.The sleep foundation also has lots of great sleep environment tips and relaxation techniques.|
Sleep is like the golden chain that binds our health and body together
- Are you sleeping at least 7 hours a night? If you know what time you have to wake up in the morning, then calculate at what time you need to be in bed to get your minimum of 7 hours sleep.
- If you have problems falling asleep, or staying asleep, then start following above tips and tricks to improve your sleep pattern. Start this week by using the hour prior to switching off your lights, to unwind with some reading.