Hydrolife Canada February/March 2017

7By Lacey Macri
heal
A lack of sleep can negatively affect your mental and physical
health. Making a few easy adjustments to your activity prior to
turning out the lights can go a long way in helping you wake up
feeling refreshed and ready to tackle anything the day throws at
you. Lacey Macri has some tips to help you get to dreamland.
If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians struggling to get
sufficient sleep, you may be just a few steps away from hitting the hay a
little harder. Every day, we are inundated with chores, tasks, obligations,
and struggles on the physical, mental, and emotional level. At the end of the
day, unwinding can be yet another chore in and of itself!
Getting adequate sleep is important for a number of reasons, including
stabilizing mood, heart health, mental health, energy level, immunity, and
both physical and cognitive performance. Recent studies even suggest
that a lack of sleep may increase your likelihood of gaining
unhealthy weight. From time to time, we may be forced to
pull all-nighters to keep up with life’s insatiable demands;
however, habitually getting seven to nine hours of sleep
per night will best prepare us to tackle these demands
optimally while maintaining good overall health.
Tips
Toward
Improving
Sleep
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If you’re reading this article, you’re already on your
way toward improved sleep. Picking up a book or
magazine before bed is a great way to relieve your
mind of all the residual thoughts leftover from the
day that are interfering with your ability to rest
peacefully. That, combined with the slight boost
in concentration and eye muscle movements
required to read, pretty much seals the deal on
coaxing you to sleep. Let it go for now; there will
be more time for problem-solving tomorrow.
AVOID ALCOHOL
Despite alcohol’s ability to knock you out flat for
extended periods of time, the quality of alcoholinduced
sleep is far from rejuvenating. Studies show
that alcohol consumption interferes with a person’s
ability to engage in REM sleep. REM, or rapid eye
movement, sleep typically begins within 90 minutes of
officially falling asleep. During this stage, the muscles
are totally relaxed, and the brain and body participate
in a regenerative stage that contributes to a more productive
following day. People who lack REM sleep
may struggle with concentration, memory
loss, grogginess, and learning. If
you do partake, do it earlier in
the day so your body has a
chance to digest the alcohol
before lying down to sleep.
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