The effects of poor sleep
You took a nap for three hours on Saturday evening, then couldn’t fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning. Or you toss and turn most nights and average about four hours of sleep a night. Worse, you stay up till all hours binge-watching TV then mainline coffee all day to stay awake.
Who needs sleep, right?
Answer: we all do!
And here’s the operative word: “need”.
Effects of poor sleep
Here’s a startling bit of news. It doesn’t matter if you’re off-the-charts fit and watch your diet rigidly. Your sleep hygiene needs to be just as excellent.
For now, you may feel okay even if you’re averaging just a few hours a night. However, in the long run, you’re putting your body and health at risk.
As we age, we naturally start to become forgetful. With sustained lack of sleep, impaired memory comes on quicker, affecting your ability to think and remember – and even how to process information. Also worrying, is that sleep deprivation can affect the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The first part is responsible for reasoning and the latter for emotions.
Consider how you feel after a day or two of poor sleep; irritable, quick to anger, reaching for unhealthy food for a quick energy boost? Prepare for more of the same when your poor sleeping habits persist.
By the way, that unexplained weight gain you may be grappling with - blame the bad sleep habits after you’ve ruled out your diet. We rely on hormones to control our feelings of hunger and satiety, and when we struggle to sleep, these hormones don’t work so well either. Continued lack of sleep can trigger insulin release, causing increased fat storage. No thanks!
Let’s take that one step further. Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to many health conditions, including, high blood pressure, strokes and diabetes, heart attacks, obesity, and depression.
Healthy, happy sleep
You have to take your sleep as seriously as you take something such as losing weight or adhering to your diabetes medication. In other words: very.
If you are suffering from insomnia, speak to a sleep specialist as soon as possible. There are many remedies and potential treatments that can help you.
For the average poor sleeper:
- Take this as a non-negotiable: switch off the electronics an hour before bedtime. All that blue light and activity acts as a stimulant and can keep you wired long after you’re meant to be happily snoozing.
- Speaking of light, natural is the way to go. Experts advise that natural sunlight or bright daylight helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as night-time sleep quality.
- What’s your diet and exercise routine like? Make sure your last caffeine fix is at least three to four hours before bedtime and try not to exercise late in the evening.
- If possible, try to eat a light tryptophan-rich snack about two hours before bedtime. This protein (found in turkey, peanuts, cheese, chicken) can help induce sleep.
- Don’t toss and turn erratically for hours. If you can’t fall asleep, get up and do some light activity like walking around the house a few times. Then, get back into bed and try to fall asleep again.
- As much as possible, try NOT to nap during the day. It may seem like a helpful reprieve that makes up for sleeping at night, but all it’s doing is prolonging your poor sleeping habits. Sleep when it’s time to sleep and be consistent about it.
Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night for a healthy body and mind.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, and usage of any medication.