Level Up your SLEEP
Updated: Mar 12, 2018
Happy National Sleep Awareness Week!
After struggling with insomnia for several years, I decided to learn more about sleep and what I could do to improve mine. This week I want to share what I have learned and applied since it has led to a noticeable improvement. If you struggle with sleep or know others that do, I hope these posts will help.
Sleep is one of the essential pillars of good health and yet many of us struggle to get optimal rest.
Consider the following statistics:
2/3rd of adults fail to get 8 hours of sleep, leading the World Health Organization to contend sleep loss as an epidemic in industrialized countries
Fatalities in traffic accidents related to fatigue-error exceed those caused by alcohol or drugs in the U.S.
Sleep disturbance and disorders significantly influence your health and can be linked to many conditions such as obesity, memory loss disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Type 2 Diabetes and depression.
Studies in both the U.S. and U.K. show significant economical impact as a result of sleep loss
Sleep loss is having a devastating effect on our youth from increasing rates of ADHD diagnosed to the high correlation between sleep deprivation and depression
What about the benefits of good sleep? There are many:
Decreased stress levels
Improved energy
Enhanced memory and learning ability
Improved fitness and weight control
Increased concentration
Improved immune system response
Higher life expectancy
If you’re interested in learning more about sleep stay tuned this week and check out the following resources:
Dreamland: adventures in the strange science of sleep by David Randall
Take a Nap! Change your life. By Sara C. Mednick, PhD
Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson
The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix it by W. Chris Winter, MD
Why Do We Sleep by Matthew Walker
The Mystery of Sleep by Meir Kryger, MD