Have you recovered from Daylight Saving Time yet? It may seem insignificant, but losing that precious hour of sleep can sure make people cranky! Have you ever wondered why that is, or what the benefits of getting enough sleep, or the dangers of not getting enough, are? As we march onwards through Spring and the sun sets later and rises sooner, let’s take some time to dig into the ins and outs of sleep!
The CDC helpfully outlines the amount of sleep that we all need at different stages of our lives. Adults should be aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep per night. But we only have 24 hours a day, you may say, I don’t want to spend a third of those hours asleep! Consider it this way – you wouldn’t build a house from the roof down, right? You need to lay an appropriate base. Getting enough sleep plays a foundational role in many other crucial aspects of your health. Good sleep makes your immune system stronger, affects stress hormones, and has an impact on your cardiovascular health, to name a few things.
There are both short-term and long-term issues with slacking on your snoozing. Chronic lack of sleep negatively affects your cardiovascular system, possibly leading to heart attack or stroke. But even missing just a bit of sleep can lead to a lapse in your alertness and reactions, difficulties with memory, and an overall degradation in your quality of life. Look at any college campus around the country and there will be no doubt – neglect of sleep can make even the young and healthy look like zombies!
So now that we know sleep is important, how do we increase our odds of having adequate sleep? As with most things, it’s best to change habits and lifestyle rather than search for a quick fix. A few tips for sleeping better are to exercise during the day, to keep your bedtime consistent, and to commit to being screen free a few hours before you’re about to hit the hay. If you’re really having trouble sleeping, it may be worthwhile to consider speaking with your doctor about the possibility of a sleep disorder, for which a variety of treatment options are available.
I hope you were able to learn something this month about the importance of sleep, and that you can put together a plan to get good sleep! The Bible teaches us that Jesus thought that sleep and rest were important, such as His teaching in Matthew 11:28-30, and that we are promised peace and rest through trusting in God, as in Exodus 33:14. Healthy sleep habits impact all aspects of your health, and here at Liberty HealthShare we want to see you as happy and healthy as you can be!
