Think you’re getting enough sleep? Maybe you are, but then again, maybe not.
The National Sleep Foundation is celebrating Sleep Awareness Week from March 10 – 16, 2019.
Not only is the the length of time you sleep very important, but the quality of your sleep is important, too.
Why Is Sleep So Important?
Sleep is critical for keeping your body and mind healthy. When you sleep well, your body takes that time to repair itself, boost your immune system, recharge your cardiovascular system and recover from the day’s activities.
According to ResMed.com (they make devices for sleep disorders), here’s why you need enough quality sleep:
We all know the value of sleeping well, and we’ve all experienced the feeling of being refreshed after a good night’s sleep – and the feeling of fatigue after a poor night’s sleep. But even though we know this, in our busy society, many of us are not getting the quality sleep needed to truly receive the health benefits of sleep.
Sleep Cycles For Your Health
There’s 4 stages of non-REM sleep (NREM) along with REM sleep. Sleep.org has a simple explanation of what happens during your sleep cycle:
- Stage 1 – This stage takes place within a few minutes (or even seconds) of nodding off. This is a very light stage of sleep lasting up to seven minutes. This is the same kind of sleep as a catnap or resting your eyes.
- Stage 2 – Still a fairly light sleep stage, but your brain activity begins to pick up. If you’re a power napper, you want to wake up after this stage, otherwise you’re groggy.
- Stages 3 & 4 – This is the beginning of very deep sleep. This is where your restorative sleep comes from and it’s normally hard to wake you up during these stages. This is when the body repairs muscles and tissues, stimulates growth and development, boosts immune function, and builds up energy for the next day.
The 5th stage is when you enter REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. Sleep.org says this about REM sleep:
This is when most dreaming occurs, your eyes jerk quickly in different directions (hence, the name!), heart rate and blood pressure increase, and breathing becomes fast, irregular, and shallow. REM sleep plays an important role in learning and memory function, since this is when your brain consolidates and processes information from the day before so that it can be stored in your long-term memory.
See why quality sleep is critical?
What Happens To Your Body When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep?
Here’s what happens when you don’t get enough sleep:
- You tend to get more sick.
- You gain weight
- You’re more forgetful
- You’re accident prone
- Your cancer and diabetes risk increases
- Your libido decreases
- You’re cranky (yes you are!)
And if all that isn’t enough to convince you about proper sleep, your skin suffers from more fine lines and wrinkles! AACK!
How To Get Better Sleep
Here’s a few ways to get better sleep:
- Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool.
- No caffeine of any kind after 3 PM.
- Turn off electronics 1 hour before bedtime (and keep them out of your bedroom!).
- Use your bedroom only for sleeping and sex.
- Keep a set bedtime routine.
If none of this works, maybe it’s time to talk to your medical professional. Poor sleep could be a sign of hormone or thyroid issues. Try aromatherapy to help you sleep before you take any over-the-counter medications.
Before you go to your medical professional, keep a sleep diary – here’s a sample diary to help you. Your medical professional can help you better with solid information from a sleep diary.
Aromatherapy For Better Sleep
Yes – aromatherapy is ideal for addressing sleep issues. The advantages of using essential oils for sleep are huge as there’s none of that disconnected and groggy feeling when you wake up.
You really don’t need to drive drowsy to work!
Some good essential oils to use are Lavender, Chamomile and Ylang Ylang.
Before you start taking any pills to sleep. try Sleepytime Lotion. Just put a couple of squirts on your chest about 15 minutes before you go to sleep. It helps you relax and readies your body and mind for sleep.
Please stop saying you only need a few hours of sleep – you absolutely need more. Your health depends on it! #YourDayBeginsWithSleep