Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Getting sleep is crucial for maintaining overall good health and well-being. This important rest improves both our mental and cognitive function. From creating new pathways that promote memory and develop our ability to learn, to allowing our body to recover from physical activity performed during the day, this break is vital. But, are you getting enough of it on a nightly basis?

Effects of Sleep Deficiency

Your optimal sleep length is highly dependent on your age and overall health condition; however, the average adult should be getting approximately eight hours of sleep every night. If you aren’t meeting your body’s sleep quota, you may experience several negative side-effects. These can include:

• Reduced focus
• Poor decision making
• Difficulty problem solving
• Lack of emotional and behavioral control
• Physical exhaustion

How to Get More Sleep

When it comes to improving your sleeping habits and getting more hours of sleep during the night, there are several tips to try.

Exercise During the Day – Getting in some exercise time throughout the day can drastically improve your quality and duration of sleep at night. Exercise helps us to exert enough energy during the day that will leave us tired and ready for bed at night. This will not only help you fall asleep at a good hour, but will also help you stay asleep until the morning to ensure a full sleep cycle.

Stay off Electronics at Night – The bright artificial light of an electronic, such as our phones, can interfere with our sleep process at night. The blue light that the screens give off can slow down the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Without it, we have difficulty falling asleep and instead feel awake and alert. Thus, it’s important to put down the phone during the evening and at night to ensure you get a full rest.

Avoid Stimulants – Staying away from stimulants in the evening and night will help you avoid restlessly lying in bed at night not able to sleep. These stimulants can include coffee or caffeinated drinks, alcohol, and sugar. Without these, you’ll feel much more tired at night and ready for a full and healthy sleep.