Sleep: Why Sleep should be a priority

How was your sleep last nigh?

In a world that has glamorised busy sleep is often the area that gets neglected ... what is that saying 'I can sleep when I am dead'? ... be careful what you wish for!
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For many of us sleep has become a problem. A resent survey stated that almost 40% of the people taking part where having problems with their sleep linked to the Covid-19 virus. Some of this will be due to the worrying times we find ourselves in but some of it is linked to lifestyle factors.

There is lots of research linked to what happens to the body when we don’t get enough sleep.

How many hours do you get last night?

Sleep is important for so many aspects of our health. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Here are a few reasons why:
💤 repairs cells
💤 supports cognitive function
💤 reduces stress hormones 💤 reduces inflammatory markers
💤 balances hunger/satisfaction hormones ⠀

Research has shown that getting just 6 hours of sleep for one week can lead to 711 more gene distortions than someone who is getting 8 1/2 hours sleep!! 350 of these gene distortions are linked to chronic inflammation, stress and cancer. The remaining distortions are linked to immune function and metabolism. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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We might not see the immediate effects of reduced sleep but our internal systems and our DNA are being altered.

So what can you do to improve your sleep?

💤 take the technology out of the bedroom
💤 don't exercise late in the evening. You will still be on an endorphin high plus you are more likely to then eat later ✋ guilty!!
💤 reduce your caffeine consumption. Depending on how your body processes caffeine half that cup of coffee's caffeine can still be circulating in your blood 6 hours after drinking it. So switch to non-caffeine drinks at lunchtime
💤 eat your last meal 3 hours before bed. This means that your food is well on its way to being digested and you are less likely to wake in the middle of the night with digestion problems
💤 go to bed at the same time every day. I know it is tempting to play catch-up and have a sleep in when you can but this has the same results as jet lag on your body

Look out for my next post on how to create a great sleep routine.

L x

What to get an EPIC night’s sleep?

Download my FREE e-book 6 simple actionable steps to an epic nights sleep after menopause