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Mar 17, 2016
MOVEMENT, EXERCISE AND REST

How to Wreck Your Life in 5 Hours or Less

you can wreck your life by consistently getting too little sleep

Do you get enough sleep?

A long time ago for an area business journal, I wrote a profile about a high-ranking executive who moved through her life at warp speed. I no longer recall her name and company, but I still remember her motto:

I’ll sleep when I die.

Even if we don’t come out and say it so directly, many of us act as if that’s our motto, too.

I sure did.

Until several years ago, I didn’t fully appreciate the value of sleep, chalking up my lack of it to being a night owl. The pattern started in high school, was solidified in college, and simply became a given once working at newspapers where I sometimes had late deadlines.

How I wrecked my life in less than 5 hours

When I became a mom, my ingrained night owl chose late night and wee-hours as “get it done time” and “me-time” after I tucked our son into bed. This meant I overslept in the morning, and we were rushed and harried. I am sure I yelled a little, and maybe even a lot. Most weeknights, I was getting only 3-5 hours of sleep and trying to make up for it some on the weekends.

When my son was in kindergarten, he developed a way to wake me up, with an announcement and making a beeping noise as if he were my alarm clock: “Mom! Wake up! It is day. We don’t sleep in the day!” He would pounce on my bed.

This ritual became a thing, and we laugh about it now. But secretly, I’m still embarrassed at myself. Here was my little kid, getting himself up AND trying to get me up in the process.

It took a lot for me to change.

I was drinking too much coffee and having anxiety attacks while driving. So I went to my doctor, who sent me for a heart monitor and a stress test to determine if I had heart problems. I did not.

But my health was suffering. My relationships started to suffer. And I lost myself, by trying to do and be too much. Only later did I connect the dots that many of my issues were related to a lack of sleep. It was the most visible example of how I wasn’t caring for me.

Benefits of sleep

Experts say we need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep deprivation leads to increased stress on the body, including “increased blood pressure, impaired control of blood glucose, and increased inflammation,” according to studies at Harvard.

Want to be healthier? Get more sleep.

Want to lose weight? Get more sleep.

Want to be more productive? Get more sleep.

We may know from experience that our attention span, decision making and memory all suffer when we are sleep deprived.

Numerous studies also have shown that poor sleep leads to an increased risk of chronic diseases and health problems, including increases in weight gain. Poor sleep increases the secretion of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” and the secretion of insulin following a meal. Higher levels of insulin are associated with weight gain, a risk factor for diabetes.

I finally realized that I had to start taking care of me, too, and not just everyone and everything else. Sufficient sleep, regular exercise, wholesome foods and positive relationships are pebbles we toss into a pond, creating ripple effects for the rest of our lives.

Sleep isn’t a luxury.

It’s a priority.

How much sleep do you get on average? What prevents you from getting more, or better, sleep? What changes do you want to or need to make in this area?

Welcome! I’m Amy, an integrative health coach, offering grace and space for a healthier you. If you liked this article, please subscribe at this link to receive future information and ideas. And you can unsubscribe anytime; we both know that SPAM is not good for us, so we avoid it! Thanks for visiting.

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MEET AMY

Hi! I'm Amy Hoogervorst, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, integrative health coach, and creative entrepreneur offering grace and space for a healthier you. Read More…

Amy Hoogervorst is a ReCODE 2.0 Certified Health Coach. Badge is blue and green lettering primarily on a white background

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Why is good sleep important? Let me count the ways Why is good sleep important? Let me count the ways ...

1. Good sleep improves immunity, as the cytokines produced during sleep help the immune system fight common infections such as colds and flu. Chronic sleep loss can increase risks for immunodeficiency.

2. Quality sleep this lowers the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Heart rate and blood pressure decrease during sleep, allowing the heart and vascular system to rest. Sleep also impacts the body's relationship with insulin. Seven+ hours of sleep a night helps regulate blood sugar.

3. Sleep benefits brain health by giving the brain a chance to grow, reorganize, restructure, and make new neural connections. A lack of sleep also impairs judgment and an ability to think quickly.

4. Sleep improves mood and helps people manage stress by reducing incidents of poor performance, muddied thinking, and low energy. Quality sleep also can reduce anxiety, depression, and other mental health strains.

5. Weight loss and maintenance are more successful with quality sleep. Short sleep of less than 7 hours per night has been linked to a greater risk of weight gain and may lead to greater food cravings and lower energy for other activities such as exercise.

Which of these health benefits of sleep interests you most?

(Information sourced from the National Sleep Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

#sleepforhealth #sleepbenefits #worldsleepday #qualitysleep #graceandspaceforahealthieryou #integrativehealthcoach #nbchwc #sleephealth #physicalhealth #mentalhealth #brainhealth
Wait. Pause. Notice. Be still. That's the message Wait. Pause. Notice. Be still.

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