Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Getting enough sleep, and the right kind of sleep, is just as important as food and water for your body. Inadequate or restless sleep can sabotage the success of your health program.
Sleep is one of the most important things you can do to keep your body healthy. Your body takes care of a number of critical tasks during healthy sleep. It’s much more than simply resting. This is a time for repair, rejuvenation, and detoxification. Your brain stays active during sleep and your body goes through several different cycles throughout the night. During these different stages your body focuses on tasks such as neutralizing and processing toxins, replenishing energy to your different organ systems, processing memories and assimilating information.
Efficient detoxification requires 7-9 hours of sleep daily. Getting roughly 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended to support this important healing process. You need to allow your body the time to regenerate and perform its nightly detoxification. (Please note that the lymphatic system and the liver engage in detoxification during the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. If you are constantly up and awake during this time, the body's natural detoxification process is disturbed.)
According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, a lapse in adequate sleep time — at least seven hours a night — can lead to a decreased attention span, depressed feelings and difficulty processing ideas. Sleep problems can also lead to increased weight gain (If you are deprived of sleep you will be more likely to have cravings and more likely to succumb to them.) and increase your chances of getting sick.
Here are some tips to help ensure you get a good night’s sleep:
Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day, including weekends.
Start each day with natural light exposure to reset the body’s clock.
Moderate aerobic exercise early in the day.
Limit caffeine intake - especially after noon.
Avoid alcohol and food intake for at least three hours before bedtime.
Lower the temperature to 60 - 67 degrees.
Dim lights and turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Unwind your mind with a good, relaxing book.
Take a magnesium supplement at bedtime.
Going to bed by 10:00 p.m. may take some adjustment. The first thing to do to accomplish this is to set an intention, create the space for it to happen, and then go to bed and turn out the lights. Even if you don't fall asleep right away, just allow yourself to rest your body, mind, and spirit. Eventually, you will start to adapt.