THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

Life now days can be a bit stressful. Having to deal with the kids, problems at work, and life in general, it all feels like it can potentially pile up. So it’s no surprise that sometimes the only thing you look forward to is falling into the soft fortress of naptitude. But when that time arrives, you toss and turn for hours on end until you finally fall asleep... to be woken up moments later by your morning alarm!

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being. Getting quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. Lack of sleep can actually be detrimental to our health. Constant sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others (yes, we are talking to all you non-morning people).

Sleep allows your brain to recharge, while allowing it to flush out the build up of ‘waste’ developed through the day. While you are asleep the brain is also preparing for the next day by storing memories and developing new pathways for learning.

A recent study has shown that sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you are not getting enough sleep, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behaviour, and coping with change.

Sleep also plays a massive role in physical health. While you sleep, the body heals and repairs your heart and blood vessels. Sleep plays a massive role in growth and development. Deep sleep triggers the body to release the hormone that promotes the development of muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults.

Here are some tips to help you sleep better:

• Find a routine and stick to it. Going to bed and getting up at the same time, all the time, programmes the body to sleep better. As an adult you should be averaging 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

• Turn off screens an hour before bedtime. Constantly looking at our phones, TVs and tablets can stimulate the brain and cause unnecessary stress before bed. The blue light from our screens can decrease the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.

• Try to exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes.

• Deal with worries or heavy workload but making lists of things to be tackled the next day.

• Make sleep an enjoyable experience make sure you have the correct mattress and pillows to allow you to sleep comfortable while also supporting the back and neck.

Cheers,

Team Hughes Chiropractic

(Blog post is written from a combination of my experiences and the various research I have read over time).