Do you want to make a positive impact on your life every day (and night)?
To improve your mental and physical health, stress level, and even your skin?
Of course you do!
Everybody wants to sleep better – at least, once we’re past the age when we think it’s fun to burn the midnight oil with work or partying.
If you’re past that stage but never gave much thought to how you sleep, then stop right now.
“Sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise,” the National Institutes of Health says. “Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.”
The agency says there are three aspects to sleep – how much you get; the quality of it; and having a consistent sleep schedule.
It’s so important because of all the work our brains and bodies get done when we sleep. It’s not just about “resting” for a while.
Sleep helps us learn, remember and create. It gives time to repair everything from blood vessels to the immune system.
Most adults need at least 7 hours a night. And, despite the popular myth, we can’t “catch up” on weekends.
So, follow these no-nonsense tips to get more and better sleep. Talk to your doctor if you have problems after that.
- Stick to a schedule.
- Move every day.
- Get natural sunlight.
- Avoid nicotine and caffeine, which are stimulants and stay in your body for hours.
- Pay attention to whether eating or drinking before bed affects you.
- Unplug from your devices an hour before bedtime.
- Keep your sleeping area cool quiet and dark.
It’s the stuff that dreams – and so much more – are made of.
