I'll be the first to admit that with a busy schedule consistent with work deadlines, trying to keep a clean house whilst also attempting to live a balanced social life, that sleep is not always my priority.
Apparently, a 7am wake up with a midnight bedtime (a common occurrence) is as bad as drink driving. Studies show that 17 hours without sleep is the equivalent of having a blood alcohol level of 0.05. So technically at bedtime I'm the equivalent of being legally drunk, and without a good night's sleep I'm pretty much turning up to work tipsy!Not only that but a study at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York showed that men and women who suffered from a lack of sleep consumed an average of 300 more calories a day compared to when they had been sleeping normally. A similar study showed that adults lost 55 % less fat when they got 5.5 hours of sleep a night when compared to those who slept for 8.5 hours.
Why does this occur?
Less sleep means that the body increases energy and fat intakes, slows the metabolism by 5 to 20 percent whilst also increasing the body's stress hormone, cortisol.
3 Tips to help you sleep:
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes- Alcohol will help you to sleep but may disrupt it during the night. Caffeine and cigarettes are stimulants and will keep you awake if consumed before bed.
Your bed is a place for sleep- Don't let technology or other distractions interfere with your rest. Train your body to identify your bed with sleep.
Minimise the daytime nap- If it's absolutely necessary allow only a 20-30 minute nap during the day. Otherwise, you'll find it much more difficult to sleep well at night.
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