Not only does this post share a name with my absolute favorite Jason Mraz song, but it talks about one of my favorite activities. Sleep! I love to sleep. I'll be the first to admit that between work, social activities, working out, and life in general, I don't get as much sleep as I should. My work schedule is split so I have just enough time to get my 8 hours, but I've been going to the gym at odd hours lately (2 or 3 am, weird!) so by the time I get home and get into bed, I really only have time for 6 hours or so. I try to make up for it by ensuring that those 6 hours are quality sleep time. Working out a lot has helped by tiring me out so by the time I crawl under the covers, I'm exhausted. I also make sure there's nothing in my room to distract me, like the tv or the phone. Ending the night with a little ritual helps too. It gets your body into a routine and signals that it's bed time. A little afternoon nap helps me out too. :)
Getting enough sleep can help improve your memory, reduce inflammation, increase your attention span, lower stress, lose weight and even help you live longer! Plus, we all look a little ragged when we haven't slept properly. They don't call it beauty sleep for no reason! When you sleep, your body produces more skin, making you look healthier. Growth hormone also increases in activity while you sleep, building muscle and shaping our bodies. And really, everyone looks better without bags under their eyes.
There's a good reason sleeping in makes us so happy. Sleep is your body's time to repair itself and fix all the damage that we've done all day long. When you get enough sleep, your body's hormones are more balanced, your memory is improved, and you are able to think more clearly. Most of us have seen the effects of staying up too late and not feeling our best the next morning. It feels so much better to wake up feeling rested.
During flu season especially, it's important that you get enough sleep. There are many different kinds of cells that are involved in your immune system, and basically when you don't sleep enough, the number of these cells changes and it's easier for you to get sick. Also when we get sick, our bodies try to fight off whatever is making us feel like crap. That's why we get fevers, to try to kill the viruses or bacteria that is making us sick. When you sleep, your body gets better at regulating your temperature and your fevers. There are also links to sleep deprivation and heart disease and cancer.
Here's how sleeping more can make us skinnier. When your body is sleep deprived, it goes into a state of stress. Stress hormones are released, like cortisol and norepinephrine. These hormones cause your metabolic system to temporarily be put on hold while you deal with a problem. Cortisol especially can cause energy from food to be stored as fat, especially around your tummy! There are a ton of chemicals that affect our very complicated metabolic process. Two more important hormones are ghrelin and leptin. Leptin is released by fat cells and suppresses our appetite and increases our metabolism. Ghrelin is released by the stomach and makes us hungry and causes energy to be stored. When we are sleep deprived, leptin levels decrease and ghrelin levels increase, making us hungrier and slowing down our metabolism. People who are lacking sleep also tend to crave carbohydrate heavy and sugary snacks. Plus the more hours you are awake, the more energy your body needs to keep moving, causing you to eat more. So the more you sleep, the more you keep the chemical balance in your body, and the healthier you will be.
The best way to make sure you're getting quality sleep is to go to bed and wake up at about the same time everyday. I know it's not really realistic to think you can do this every single day, but it really does help! Here's how I keep my bedtime and morning rituals so I can make the most of my sleep. When I get home from the gym, I shower and get ready for bed and sip on some peppermint tea while I get my things ready for the morning. I know that I am always rushing in the morning, so the only way I know things will get ready is if I do them ahead of time. I pack a gym bag and get anything I need together for work or school. This has been a huge help in motivating me to actually make it to the gym and making sure I have no excuses to avoid it. The last thing I do, if something is bothering me, or stressing me out I'll write it down, or make a to-do list. Having it on paper calms me down and let's me focus on, well, nothing, so I sleep much better.
Mornings are not my strong suit. I never have been good at waking up on time. My morning ritual is a little frantic. A goal I have for myself this year is to stop pressing the snooze button. I press it way too much and then I'm left running around in a hurry, scrambling to get out of the door. I've been much better about it lately. I try to start every day with some hot water with lemon and ginger. It jumpstarts your metabolism, it's very alkalizing for your body, and it's good for your digestion. Then I make myself a healthy breakfast and take my vitamins, and since all my stuff is ready, I just have to get ready and run out the door. Somehow, this sounds a lot calmer than what actually happens.
We all have heard a million times that sleeping is good for us, and that we need more sleep. Just like eating healthy and exercising regularly, things that seem like a hassle now, will really pay off in the long run and help us to live longer, healthier lives. Goodnight everyone! This girl needs her beauty sleep :)
No comments:
Post a Comment