“There’s just not enough hours in the day.”
Do you find yourself saying that statement often?
Do you compromise your sleep to get things done?
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep nightly.
Do you know how much sleep your body requires?
Your body needs adequate sleep for the following reasons:
1- To produce more cytokines to fight infection.
Lack of sleep weakens your immune system. As a result, it takes longer to recover from an illness.
2- To produce more leptin and less ghrelin.
Leptin is a hormone that lets you know you are full. Ghrelin is a hormone that lets you know you are hungry.
When you’ve had insufficient sleep, there’s a tendency to eat more food.
3- To produce growth hormones for tissue regeneration and repair.
Have you noticed that when you’re training for an athletic event, you need more sleep? Or how growing children need more sleep?
Sleep studies have also linked sleep deprivation to an increase in respiratory diseases, blood pressure, sugar levels, cardiovascular disease, and other medical conditions.
Once you have these medical conditions, your health care costs increase due to frequent doctor visits and medications.
Your ability to purchase life or long-term care insurance becomes expensive.
But more importantly, your quality of life diminishes.
You may need to stop doing things you once enjoyed.
Before you get to that point, start paying attention to how much sleep you get nightly.
Here are three things you can start doing:
1- Be consistent
Go to bed at a consistent time. Schedule a pre-sleep routine.
It doesn’t need to be complicated, just something that your body recognizes as a way to wind down.
It could be as simple as turning off electronic devices and reading a book (or e-reader with a screen filter to help you sleep better).
2- Improve sleep quality
Improve your sleep quality with a healthier lifestyle.
With regular physical activity and a healthy diet, you’ll start living a healthier lifestyle.
Use a device to track your sleep pattern if necessary.
There are also weighted blankets and other sleeping aids you can purchase to improve your sleep quality.
3- Prioritize sleep
Shift work demands, family obligations, and entertainment to make sleep a priority.
If work deadlines are out of your control, negotiate time off after a deadline to catch up on sleep.
For family obligations, you may need to reduce your commitments.
Learn to say “no.”
You may need to fight your FOMO by declining invitations to attend events and gatherings.
If your personal entertainment, such as binge-watching or gaming, is keeping you up, set an alarm before you begin these activities to remind yourself it’s time to go to sleep.
Sleep is a priority for staying healthy. It’s a time for your body to rest and recover.
Studies have shown that a lack of sleep has an adverse impact on the body.
Knowing the importance of sleep to your health, isn’t it time you stopped compromising your sleep?
(Update to original post from July 19, 2019)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Niv Persaud, CFP®, CDFA®, RICP®, is a Managing Director at Transition Planning & Guidance, LLC. Life is more than money. It’s about living the lifestyle you want and can afford. For that reason, Niv consults with clients on money, life, and work. Her approach capitalizes on techniques she learned throughout her career, including as a management consultant, executive recruiter, and financial advisor. Her services include developing comprehensive financial plans, divorce financial reviews, and retirement plans. Niv actively gives back to her community through her volunteer efforts. She believes in living life to the fullest by cherishing friendships, enjoying the beauty of nature and laughing often — even at herself. Her favorite quote is by Erma Bombeck, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say ‘I used everything you gave me.’”