THE advent of sleep science has allowed health practitioners to study this often overlooked activity more closely. We now know that our body heals and regenerates when we sleep. What most people do not know is that sleep is a major factor for good health. How can you sleep better?
Get in bed before bedtime. People who get into bed before midnight get at least 28 minutes of sleep more than those who do not.
Your weight and sleep. Your quality of sleep plays a big role in your health. Consistently poor sleep increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Heavier people tend to wake up more during the night. There has been an established relationship between obesity and sleep apnea. The higher your BMI is, the more times you’re likely to wake up during the night.
Exercise vigorously. Vigorous exercise is when you can’t sing, but you can still talk while exercising. Eighty-six percent of people who vigorously exercise report good or fairly good sleep quality.
Do not skimp on sleep. A deficit of one-two hours of sleep has been shown to have the same effect of pulling an all-nighter.
Elite athletes sleep more. Elite athletes sleep for approximately nine hours, which has been shown to be the sweet spot if you want to perform at your peak. Steph Curry sleeps nine hours each night, so does Tom Brady. A deficit in sleep affects our memory, mood, reaction time and ability to concentrate. All requirements for performing at high level sport.
How to sleep better? Keep a regular schedule. Don’t use gadgets an hour before bedtime, and don’t nap too much, as napping for more than 40 minutes makes you drowsier.
Hope you learned something. Time to get your sleep on.