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Summary:
How breaking bad bedtime
habits and improving sleep
hygiene can help catch you
up on lost sleep.
If you're like half the
population of America, you
are a thief. You steal from
sleep to get more work done.
Americans are staying up
later than ever and getting
increasingly sleep-deprived.
Where once as a country we
averaged 9-10 hours of sleep
a night, now we get less
than seven. Don't even ask
how little college students
are getting. (Over 70% of
college students now have
sleep problems, versus 24%
in 1978.) The trouble is,
for most people, eight hours
a night is what they need.
There's an easy way to tell
whether you are getting
enough sleep. You are sleep
deprived if turning up the
heat or if being in a boring
environment puts you to
sleep.
There's considerable
evidence that short-changing
sleep leads to depression
and anxiety, to say nothing
of car accidents. It dulls
the mind. It demolishes our
ability to pay attention. It
diminishes our ability to
remember and to perform all
kinds of mental tasks.
Over time, it throws our
body into disarray. And that
allows sleeplessness to
undermine our physical
health.
In the short haul, not
getting enough sleep
increases blood pressure and
stress hormone levels. Sleep
deprivation makes it hard
for the body to process
blood sugar. It also reduces
levels of leptin, a hormone
that suppresses appetite. As
a result, sleeplessness can
lead to both diabetes and
weight gain.
Lack of sleep also increases
inflammation, which is now
thought to be a major
element in the development
of heart disease. Sleep
deprivation also undermines
the immune system and the
ability of the body to
repair itself.
Just as you don't want to
run up financial debt, you
don't want a sleep debt.
Here is the best advice
sleep experts offer, based
on their research:
-
Maintain regular habits
and schedules. This sets
your internal clock.
-
Do not play catch-up with
sleep on weekends. That
will only give you a
Monday morning hangover.
-
Avoid alcohol. Yes, it can
make you sleepy. But it is
also metabolized quickly
and makes you waken early.
-
If you drink coffee, tea
or other caffeinated
beverages, try cutting
back, or at least not
having any during the
afternoon or later.
-
Regular exercise can aid a
good night's sleep. Late
afternoon activity seems
to be best, but avoid
exercising within three
hours of bedtime.
-
Do not take any food for
two hours before bedtime.
-
A hot bath 1 1/2 hours
before bedtime can help
you fall asleep. (The
then-inevitable drop in
body temperature
facilitates sleep.)
-
Drink warm milk a half
hour before bedtime.
-
Keep your bedroom cool.
-
Do not use electric
blankets; they impair your
body's ability to regulate
its temperature during the
night.
-
Be sure to get some
outdoor time in the early
morning. Bright light in
the morning affects your
levels of the hormone
melatonin. The upshot is
you get sleepy earlier.
-
Avoid bright light at
night. In other words,
don't sit at your computer
until midnight and then
expect to fall asleep.
-
If the need to urinate at
night impairs your sleep,
try drinking more fluids
in the morning and
afternoon; limit fluids
from dinnertime on.
-
Mattresses and pillows
don't last forever. Check
yours to make sure they're
giving you the support you
need.
Article courtesy of
www.psychologytoday.com
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