Are You Getting The Best Out Of Your Sleep?

There’s sleep, and there’s good sleep. Many people are not aware of all  the negative influences of not sleeping well have on their health. Here is how to get the best out of your sleep.

Benefits of Sleeping Well

Dr. William Dement, a leading authority on sleep studies said, “You’re not healthy, unless your sleep is healthy.”

I used to suffer with irregular sleeping patterns so investigated comprehensive scientific research on sleep.  Here are the four consequences I compiled about what happens over a period of time when we sleep less than 6 hours a night:

1. Faster ageing.
2. Storing body fat, inability to lose weight.
3. Immune system failure, encouraging chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, chronic fatigue, sexual problems and Alzheimer’s Disease.
4. Inability to concentrate and memory problems.

Let’s focus on the positive though.  Here are five benefits of sleeping well:

1. More productivity.
2. Weight loss, burning more fat during the day by sleeping deeper at night.
3. Improvements for your brain with better concentration and creativity. Improved grades for kids in school.
4. Reduce the body’s stress level, improving immune system giving extra protection against diseases.
5. Improved energy.

Health Promoting Sleeping Habits

One of the most vital components of a rejuvenating, deep sleep is your body’s natural secretion of melatonin.  This is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in your brain and sends a signal to regulate the sleep-wake cycle in your body.  So it is very important to get more natural light during the day, and less artificial light at night.

We are creatures of habit and our habits determine who we become over time.  Here are six habits to adopt in order to get the best out of your sleep:

1) Sleep when it gets dark.  We are designed to go to sleep when it gets dark.  When the lights go out on the planet we naturally start secreting melatonin. We get the most amplified benefits, the most rejuvenating effects by sleeping between 10 pm and 2 am. Than the sleep we get in addition is a bonus.

2) Sleep in complete darkness. Our sleep is improved in total darkness because when there is a light source of any type in your bedroom the receptors on your skin pick up light and stops the secretion of melatonin.  It should be so dark you cannot see your hand.  When you wake up, maybe for the toilet, stay in the dark. Any light will bring your melatonin level completely down, making sleeping again more difficult

3) Condition your mind to sleep when you are in bed. You can do this by avoiding eating and chatting in bed.

4)Clear your sleep area from EMF’s (Electromagnetic Fields).  EMF’s come from our everyday electronic devices. They interfere with the communication between our cells as well as lowering our melatonin secretion. This means if we are exposed to EMF’s too long we can develop all sorts of health problems, including cancer.

5)Turn off electronic gadgets one hour before going to bed. The “blue” light emitted by electronic screens trigger our body to produce more daytime hormones like cortisol and interferes with our body’s natural preparation for sleep.

6) Be early to rise  and get more sunlight during the day. The production and secretion of melatonin is powerfully affected by light exposure.  When you get up just before the sun rises you link your body with the daily patterns of the earth. You wake up feeling more rested and refreshed due to natural release of cortisol.

A saying that goes in my family is :  “Early to bed, early to rise will make you happy, healthy and wise.”

Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)image:Ben Smith