Do you put the same emphasis on your sleeping patterns as you do with other personal hygiene practices like brushing your teeth or bathing? Sleep plays an important role in maintaining health. During sleep your body is working to restore itself and support brain function for the next day. Thus, getting good quality sleep can improve your overall life.

Not getting enough sleep can lead to cognitive impairments.  Ongoing sleep deficiency is also linked to an increased risk of health problems including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality.

Exercise plays a role in how well you are able to sleep.  Increased sedentary time is associated with poorer sleep quality. Those who exercised more regularly were less likely to report sleep disturbances, and daytime tiredness.

It is never to late to develop good sleep hygiene, check out the list below for some ideas:

  • Stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends
  • Avoid scree time within two hours of bedtime
  • Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet
  • Limit daytime naps
  • Include physical activity in your daily routine

 

References

  1. National Institute of Health: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Why Is Sleep Important? Updated February 22, 2012. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why. Accessed February 22, 2017.
  2. National Sleep Foundation. Sleep Research & Education. Available at: https://sleepfoundation.org/. Accessed November 8, 2016.
  3. St-Onge MP, Grandner MA, Brown D et al. Sleep duration and quality: Impact on lifestyle behaviors and cardiometabolic health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016; 134(18): e367-86. doi: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000444.
  4. Harvard Medical Review: Healthy Sleep. Consequences of Insufficient Sleep. Available at: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences. Accessed November 8, 2016.