Sleep Better, Feel Better Guide

Most people know that sleep is important, but many don't realize just how important it is. Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It can also lead to decreased productivity and cognitive function. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of sleep for your overall health and how you can get a good night's rest!

Why Sleep Is Important

There are many reasons why sleep is so important. For one, sleep helps to restore and repair our bodies. During sleep, our bodies produce important hormones like leptin and ghrelin. Leptin helps to regulate our appetite, while ghrelin signals the body when it's time to eat. Sleep also helps to reduce inflammation in the body and promote cell growth and regeneration.

Another reason sleep is so important is that it allows our brains to rest and recharge. Sleep helps improve memory and cognitive function! It also gives our brains a chance to clean out toxins that can build up during the day. Sleep has even been linked with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease!

Getting an adequate amount of sleep has also been linked to longer and healthier lives free of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Finally, sleep is important because it helps us maintain our mental health. Getting enough sleep can help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also improve our mood and make us less likely to suffer from depression.

How Much Sleep You Need

Most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night. However, some people may need more or less sleep depending on their age, lifestyle, and health. For example, pregnant women and young children typically need more sleep than other adults. People who suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia may also need more sleep than the average person.

What Happens When You Don't Get Enough Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can have a variety of negative consequences. For one, it can lead to decreased productivity and cognitive function. It can also lead to a wide variety of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Not getting enough sleep can also increase your risk of developing cognitive-based illnesses when you are older such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Finally, not getting enough sleep can negatively impact your mental health and can lead to extra stress and depression. If you're struggling to get enough sleep, talk to your doctor about ways you can improve your sleep habits.

The Benefits of Getting a Good Night's Sleep

There are so many benefits to getting a good night's sleep. For one, it can help improve your memory and cognitive function while also reducing stress and anxiety. Getting a good night's sleep can also improve your mood and make you less likely to suffer from depression. Sleep is also very important for digestion which means good sleep promotes a healthy gut microbiome and allows you to maintain a healthy weight. Finally, getting enough sleep can help reduce your risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, and diabetes.

Sleep is one of the main pillars in life that you must prioritize to maintain your health and happiness. Many people will feel tired throughout the day and it can be pinpointed to one of two things. They either aren't getting enough uninterrupted sleep or they aren't eating a healthy diet and/or drinking enough water. 

Tips For Sleeping Better

Here are some common tips that are proven to help people sleep better and more consistently:

• Breathing exercises - Deep breathing exercises such as "The Box Method" can help calm your body and ease your mind.
• Don't eat or drink at least one hour before bed - Eating or drinking before bed can keep you up due to the digestion that has to happen and then using the bathroom.
• Avoid electronics an hour before bed - The blue light from electronics can stimulate your brain and keep your body from drifting into REM sleep.
• Make sure your sleep environment is dark, quiet, and comfortable - Our "Circadian Rhythm" can be interrupted if we do not put ourselves in a dark and quiet sleeping space.
• Take a nice warm bath with Epsom salt before bed - A nice warm bath with Epsom salt can relax the body and allow the mind to drift off into REM sleep.
• Read a book while laying down - Reading is a good way to occupy time while trying to go to sleep and usually will make your eyes more tired.
• Avoid any caffeine or alcohol a few hours before bedtime - Caffeine, and alcohol both keep our brain awake and prevent us from reaching REM sleep.
• Natural supplements & essential oils routine - There are some natural sleep aids and essential oils out there such as chamomile, lavender, CBD, etc. that can help us go to sleep without messing with our hormones unlike Melatonin which will negatively affect your hormones.
• Lavender and chamomile tea one hour before bed - This tea has natural sleep-aiding herbs that will help you fall asleep if you drink it 1 hour before bed.
• Establish a consistent bedtime routine - Establishing a consistent bedtime routine helps our body stay in its "Circadian Rhythm" which will allow us to follow asleep more easily.

Sleep, Exercise, Community, Purpose, & Nutrition

Sleep, exercise, community, purpose, & nutrition are core pillars in our life that can help us live a long, happy and healthy life. We hope this guide has helped you better understand the importance of sleep and provided some tips & tricks to help you get better sleep.

Do You Need Help With Your Nutrition?

Sleep is one of the most important activities you can do to maintain great health, but many would argue that nutrition is just as important! If we aren't fueling our bodies with good food then we will lack energy and can end up gaining weight or even worse, becoming sick with a chronic illness such as IBS, heart disease, or diabetes.

If you are having trouble with your nutrition, then let ModifyHealth be your partner in better health! Our Low FODMAP Diet meals can help you find a life without digestive comfort and help you find out your IBS trigger foods. Our Mediterranean Diet meals will help you feel better, live longer, and can even produce amazing health outcomes like lowering your blood pressure or lowering your A1C scores. The best part about our meals is that they are delivered ready-to-eat right to your front door with free shipping.

 

Click here if you are interested in checking out our life-changing meal plans!