Sleep, Free yet Undervalued

Are you drowsy during work?  Are you drowsy while driving?  Are you irritable over minor things?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, a good night's sleep could be the answer.

The average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night.  I know some of you are saying, "Hey, I only need a few hours of sleep, and I'm good." But, according to the CDC, one in three adults lack adequate sleep. 

As I write this post, I'm proving its point.  I'm still trying to recover from the time change a few days ago when the clocks had to "spring forward."

One of the most important things we can do for our health is SLEEP!  Depriving our bodies of needed sleep can be bad for our physical and mental health.  Lack of sleep can cause a lack of energy, slow thinking, daytime sleepiness, poor memory, poor decision-making, and so much more.

You can easily work on turning in earlier by adopting one or more of the following into your nighttime routine.

• Create a sleep routine that works best for your body. Make sure it's a routine that fits your lifestyle. If your lifestyle affects your sleep, then your lifestyle needs to change to allow better sleep practices.

• End electronics use at least one hour before bedtime. If you must use electronics close to bedtime, use blue light blocker glasses.

• Avoid late-night meals.

• If you find that your brain won't settle down, write down the things floating in your head. Then, you can calm your mind and rest because your mind knows these things won't be forgotten.

• Exercise early, not before bed.

• Get your room temp to the lowest tolerable temp.

• The bed is for activities that help you sleep and those alone.

If you adopt a few of these suggestions, you'll find that your daytime hours are easier to navigate because you are getting the rest your body needs at night.