Sleep, just how important is it and how to get more!

According to stats we are experiencing a sleep loss epidemic!

What is the recommended amount of sleep? And what's the impact of not getting it?

Most adults do not get the recommended 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night. In fact, globally most people get 6 hours or less.

This 1-hour loss may not sound like much but according to the science, less than 7-hours of sleep per night can have a profound impact on how we function each day and on our long-term health.

Why is sleep so important? Well, good sleep prepares us physically & mentally for the day ahead & helps us to recover from all we have been exposed to over over a day- think activity & exercise, food & drink, education & learning, emotions & stress, injury, illness, toxins, hormones etc.

Good sleep provides our body with the opportunity to deal with all of these things, whether that’s to benefit from them or to lessen their impact.

For example, good sleep enhances memory & concentration, enables multi-system repair and growth, is crucial for restoring energy levels & essential for nervous system regulation and managing stress, to name a few.

It can help to think of sleep as the recovery phase of your 24-hour cycle / day and therefore poor sleep, defined as less than 7-hours or frequently disrupted, can have the opposite effects.

Chronic sleep loss and disruption is therefore linked to a greater risk of heart disease, blood sugar disruption, higher stress levels, low mood, reduced immune resilience, growth disruption and ultimately, a shorter life expectancy.

So, how so we get more and better sleep?

Sleep scientist, Matthew Walker, author of ‘Why We Sleep’, recommends these 3 tips for sleeping well:

1. Avoid multimedia use (socials, emails, apps, news) for at least 1-hour before sleep to reduce nervous stimulation and stress

2. Reduce bright light exposure in the build up to sleep- so, turn off bright light and opt for low lighting and block out light for sleep

3. Go to bed at the same time each night - a consistent pattern helps to regulate sleep hormones and trains the brain to anticipate sleep

For more sleep science & tips, or if you are struggling with sleep, I recommend you read Matthew Walker’s book - mentioned above.

Not sleeping, the being able to fall asleep or stay asleep, can also be symptomatic of and a common side effect of other conditions including perimenopause, menopause, stress, anxiety, an over active thyroid. Looking at your diet as well as your habits are all a contributing factor to being able to improve these symptoms. If you would like to discuss more please do get in touch for an initial consultation. Email carla@thegoodhealthally.co.uk