Why Do We Need Sleep? Energy Efficiency.
Are you getting enough Zzzzz's...? In society today a lot of people have issues with energy levels from a number of factors such as stress, work, environment, etc. Some people run on coffee to get through their day and some people run on high caffeine energy drinks to keep them going. What if you didn't need any of those to help you get more energy? What if we broke it down to a very basic principle of getting adequate amounts of sleep? In today's blog I discuss my experience and a few tips on how I try to get better sleep and more energy efficiency.
If you think about it sleep helps us reset and recover for the next day. When we sleep our hormones adjust, the food we ate digests, and we allow for certain types of cognitive "rest." In my previous blog where I discuss how diet plays a role on my survival, I compared our bodies to a machine (ie: a car) even cars need rest and a recharge of batteries otherwise they'll break down, very similar to how the human body works with sleep.
Before we get started I would like to clarify that I am NOT a doctor, and I am sharing what works for me. Remember everybody's body is different some people operate well with 5hrs of sleep and some people operate well with 9 hours of sleep. Since I was diagnosed with Lupus I now require more sleep to help me function better. Therefore, it is up to you to figure out how to get a good night's rest. Okay now that I clarified that let's start with my tips on trying to get better sleep.
- Before bed leave the cell phone alone! Technology is a great tool, but it is also a great distraction. Reserve some time to unwind from technology.
- Read a book before bed. This sometimes works for people, a scheduled time of reading before sleep may relax you. However, if you're like me and get super excited while reading an intensely good book than this tip may not work for you hahaha!
- Exercise some time during your day. We all know exercise improves your overall health, so this doesn't really need an explanation lol!
- Stretch before bed. Sometimes this works for me because if my body feels very tense and I do some yoga or light stretching before bed it relaxes my body and clears my mind.
- Meditate or reflect on what you are grateful for. Meditation may work for some people and can help you get to a relaxed state of mind. Before bed I like to remind myself what I am grateful for, so that way I go to sleep with a happy mindset.
**** I would like to add that power naps are helpful for me as well. Some people work long hours and getting a quick nap when you can, may help you function better and improve your energy. There's a reason why it's called a "power" nap haha!
These are a few tips that I have used before with helping me sleep better, and hopefully they may be useful for you. We live in a very on the go society, so take some time to recharge your batteries lol, and you can get back to accomplishing your goals the next day! Hope you all have sweet dreams and thank you for reading my blog!
