Getting enough sleep is important not only because it helps you feel better during the day, but because it plays a critical role in maintaining your good health.
Bad sleep is chronic. Poor sleep results in an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Hormones wreak havoc. Missing out on adequate sleep can interfere with your body’s hormones, leading to irritability, mood swings, cognitive impairment and slowed motor coordination.
You don’t have immunity for the next challenge. Lack of sleep can also affect your immune system, making you more likely to get sick with colds, flus and other illnesses.
Power down your brain
While a big part of your ability to sleep well has to do with your sleep environment, your own mind may be part of what’s disturbing your rest. Here’s what people say is keeping them up at night:
Family matters. 23% say family issues are preventing them from sleeping.
Sleep debt. 16% blame personal finances for lack of shut-eye.
As the world turns. 2% are awake because of current events.
Turning off your worries and thoughts is essential if you’re going to sleep well. Meditation before bed can help sweep the debris in your mind into a corner. Making your bedroom a worry-free zone allows you to sleep freely. Keep everything that relates to work or stress (like your phone, TV, paperwork, bills, etc.) in a separate room, physically separated from where you sleep.