A good night's rest makes everything else in your life easier. Along with good nutrition and mental well-being, optimal sleep fuels us to live our best lives. The following information provides insight into how sleep affects our health and how good sleep habits can provide just what you need to sleep like a baby once again.
Our bodies turn their energy inward when we sleep. Instead of expending energy to walk, talk, eat, exercise and digest, our bodies focus on repairing damaged cells and tissues, recharging the immune system and giving our minds some well-deserved time to wander freely through our dreams. Without time to sleep each night, bad things start to happen -- and fast!
The cost of undersleeping
A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that on average people sleep one and a half hours less per night than they did a century ago. While most of those in the poll said they feel best if they've had at least eight hours of sleep each night, the number reporting actually getting eight or more hours of sleep per night fell from 38 percent in 2001 to 28 percent in 2008.
Insufficient sleep over time has been linked to depression, decreased cognitive performance, immune suppression, blood sugar imbalance and even obesity. Just one night of poor sleep can cause fatigue, memory loss and decreased mental capacity.
The bottom line? Sleep should be kept at the top of your to-do list each day. In the same way that making conscious choices about the food you eat helps to put you on the path to optimal health, getting sound, solid sleep each night can go a long way toward promoting your best quality of life.
Six tips for optimal sleep
Running around frantically just before slamming your head onto your pillow is not an effective way to achieve optimal sleep patterns for most people. Getting into a pattern of consistent, optimal sleep takes some time and can be greatly helped by following some basic sleep hygiene tips. Take a look at the list below and consider integrating a few into your routine for the next week to see if you can complete the following optimal-sleep challenge: Fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, sleep through the night without waking, and rise the next morning feeling rested and refreshed.
1. Shut down your computer and turn off your cell phone and television 30 minutes prior to sleep. Create an environment that is quiet and calm.
2. Remove stimulants (television, stereo, computer, bright lights) from your sleeping area. Keep the bedroom clear from clutter -- remove any unnecessary furniture, piles of clothes, papers and books so things are kept out of sight and the space looks and feels calm and simple.
3. Make sure your sleeping area is as dark and quiet as possible. Consider a fan or other source of white noise to create a consistent environment.
4. Keep a notebook and writing utensil next to the bed. Use them to clear racing thoughts, calm the mind and promote peaceful sleep.
5. Dab a drop of essential oil behind the ears. It should be a scent you've chosen only for sleep time, not something you might associate with your shampoo, dryer sheets, hand lotion, etc. The idea is to associate this scent with the sensation of feeling relaxed and tired.
6. Establish a set sleeping time and try your best to stick to it -- even if your work schedule requires that you work odd hours and even if that means you're sleeping each day from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Creating a sleep diary
Once you've chosen a selection of sleep habits to follow, you can track your improvement in sleep patterns by creating a sleep diary. On a piece of blank paper create a grid with seven columns. Label the columns from left to right across the top of the grid, noting the date, time to bed, time to sleep, number of times awake during the night, number of times getting up to go to the bathroom, time spent awake, and time spent feeling groggy (1 = not at all; 10 = extremely). Keep this diary next to your bed with your notebook and a pen or pencil. Complete a row on your grid each morning before you get up. Over time, you can track your progress and identify specific aspects that are preventing you from reaching an optimal sleep cycle.
Just as we all need air, water and food to survive, we also need sleep to be healthy. By making optimal sleep a priority in your life, you may be amazed at the positive impact you can have on your mental and physical outlook. With a few simple rituals in place, you lay the foundation for attaining optimal wellness.
Dr. Keegan Sheridan is a licensed naturopathic physician and Kashi's Natural Food and Lifestyle Expert. Her mission at Kashi is to be an evangelist for the benefits of a natural, healthy lifestyle.
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Our bodies turn their energy inward when we sleep. Instead of expending energy to walk, talk, eat, exercise and digest, our bodies focus on repairing damaged cells and tissues, recharging the immune system and giving our minds some well-deserved time to wander freely through our dreams. Without time to sleep each night, bad things start to happen -- and fast!
The cost of undersleeping
A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that on average people sleep one and a half hours less per night than they did a century ago. While most of those in the poll said they feel best if they've had at least eight hours of sleep each night, the number reporting actually getting eight or more hours of sleep per night fell from 38 percent in 2001 to 28 percent in 2008.
Insufficient sleep over time has been linked to depression, decreased cognitive performance, immune suppression, blood sugar imbalance and even obesity. Just one night of poor sleep can cause fatigue, memory loss and decreased mental capacity.
The bottom line? Sleep should be kept at the top of your to-do list each day. In the same way that making conscious choices about the food you eat helps to put you on the path to optimal health, getting sound, solid sleep each night can go a long way toward promoting your best quality of life.
Six tips for optimal sleep
Running around frantically just before slamming your head onto your pillow is not an effective way to achieve optimal sleep patterns for most people. Getting into a pattern of consistent, optimal sleep takes some time and can be greatly helped by following some basic sleep hygiene tips. Take a look at the list below and consider integrating a few into your routine for the next week to see if you can complete the following optimal-sleep challenge: Fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, sleep through the night without waking, and rise the next morning feeling rested and refreshed.
1. Shut down your computer and turn off your cell phone and television 30 minutes prior to sleep. Create an environment that is quiet and calm.
2. Remove stimulants (television, stereo, computer, bright lights) from your sleeping area. Keep the bedroom clear from clutter -- remove any unnecessary furniture, piles of clothes, papers and books so things are kept out of sight and the space looks and feels calm and simple.
3. Make sure your sleeping area is as dark and quiet as possible. Consider a fan or other source of white noise to create a consistent environment.
4. Keep a notebook and writing utensil next to the bed. Use them to clear racing thoughts, calm the mind and promote peaceful sleep.
5. Dab a drop of essential oil behind the ears. It should be a scent you've chosen only for sleep time, not something you might associate with your shampoo, dryer sheets, hand lotion, etc. The idea is to associate this scent with the sensation of feeling relaxed and tired.
6. Establish a set sleeping time and try your best to stick to it -- even if your work schedule requires that you work odd hours and even if that means you're sleeping each day from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Creating a sleep diary
Once you've chosen a selection of sleep habits to follow, you can track your improvement in sleep patterns by creating a sleep diary. On a piece of blank paper create a grid with seven columns. Label the columns from left to right across the top of the grid, noting the date, time to bed, time to sleep, number of times awake during the night, number of times getting up to go to the bathroom, time spent awake, and time spent feeling groggy (1 = not at all; 10 = extremely). Keep this diary next to your bed with your notebook and a pen or pencil. Complete a row on your grid each morning before you get up. Over time, you can track your progress and identify specific aspects that are preventing you from reaching an optimal sleep cycle.
Just as we all need air, water and food to survive, we also need sleep to be healthy. By making optimal sleep a priority in your life, you may be amazed at the positive impact you can have on your mental and physical outlook. With a few simple rituals in place, you lay the foundation for attaining optimal wellness.
Dr. Keegan Sheridan is a licensed naturopathic physician and Kashi's Natural Food and Lifestyle Expert. Her mission at Kashi is to be an evangelist for the benefits of a natural, healthy lifestyle.
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