Healthy & Active Tips For Getting Enough Sleep!

"There are lab studies that show that if you're an eight-hour sleeper and you get six hours of sleep, that two-hour difference can impact your performance so that it equates to how you would perform if you had a 0.05 blood-alcohol level."

- Mark Rosekind, PhD, former NASA scientist

Sleep deprivation can make you feel quite woozy and no matter how much black coffee or green tea you drink you just may not be able to clear the fogginess from your brain.  When you don't get enough sleep you can also feel irritable, more susceptible to pain and less able to handle stress.  This might seem like just a set of symptoms that can be remedied with a nap or more sleep, but when sleep deprivation is chronic, you end up setting yourself up for a whole host of health problems, including an afflicted metabolism.

Sleep Deprivation Can Make You Sick

If you are not getting enough sleep, you might be setting yourself up for a host of health-related complaints  including an inability to concentrate, poor memory, lack of motivation, impaired judgement, high blood sugar and cardiovascular problems.

A lack of sleep also increases your cravings for carbohydrates and sugar which can lead to weight gain and eventually obesity.  Attempts to self-medicate with food can also magnify anxiety and depression and make you feel more fatigued than ever.  Not getting enough sleep slows glucose metabolism by as much as 30 to 40%, and can also lead to increased levels of a stress hormone called cortisol.

During sleep the body releases powerful growth hormones that are responsible for muscle repair and growth. Sleep deprivation slows the release of growth hormones. This is why an athlete needs much more sleep than the average person.  If you are trying to restore your health, this becomes an issue as well.

Healthy & Active Lifestyle Tips - How to Get More Sleep

Adults should get nine hours of sleep daily and adolescents and teens should get nine hours.

• Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day
• Early to bed and early to rise is better than late to bed and late to rise
• A daily nap may help repair physical and mental setbacks caused by an interruption in your sleeping routine.
• Make sure your room is dark and quiet
• A cooler sleeping environment is better than a warm one 
• Air should be circulating throughout the room so that you do not become hot and stuffy - if allergies are keeping you awake then consider buying an air cleaner
• Wear light cotton pyjamas or ideally, nothing at all
• Layer your bed with light sheet and blankets so you can keep as comfortable as possible
• Stop drinking coffee in the afternoon and you will sleep sounder at night
• Limit your alcohol intake as alcohol delays the onset of sleep which in turn causes shallow sleep, frequent waking and tossing and turning
• Unplug all electronic stimulations including the television or loud music one hour before bedroom ... do not bring lap tops or phones into the bed with you.

If you are having problems sleeping due to anxiety or worries, then consider meditating or listening to relaxing CDs before you go to bed.

If you are having troubles falling asleep a good natural remedy is a teaspoon of turmeric mixed into six to eight heated ounces of any milk that you are allowed on your Healthy & Active lifestyle plan including coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk or dairy.

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.