Health and Sleep: A Complete Guide
When you think about getting healthier, what comes to mind? Probably eating vegetables, drinking water, exercising and cutting back on processed foods. How about sleep? Sleep is one of the most overlooked and critical factors into overall health and wellness. And, thankfully, it’s such a controllable piece to your health!
In this blog, we’re going to dive into how sleep impacts your health and some tips for making healthy sleep changes.
8 ways sleep impacts your health and wellness
Your body's a totally connected system. Your sleep impacts your health and your health impacts your sleep. There is no way that the two are not connected. Here are just 8 ways the two intertwine that you may not know about.
1.Overall cognitive function.
Getting quality sleep impacts attention, concentration, memory and problem solving. A lack of sleep causes all of these to suffer, which can have drastic implications on your day to day life.
2. Mood regulation.
We’ve explored before how a lack of sleep can make you more short tempered. Emotional well being and overall mental health is directly impacted by sleep–or lack thereof.n Inadequate sleep is linked to increased irritability, mood swings and even an increased risk of developing mood disorders such as anxiety or depression.
3. Immune system function.
Sleep is when our bodies heal and take care of themselves. Without adequate sleep, our immune systems suffer. During sleep, the immune system releases cytokines–proteins that help fight off infections and inflammation. Without quality sleep, this system is weakened. That’s why you get sick when you’re constantly tired and why, when you’re sick, sleep is one of the best things for you.
4. Maintaining a healthy weight.
You may be surprised to hear that sleep and weight are closely linked. Insufficient sleep can disrupt the balance of hunger-regulating hormones, causing an increased appetite and higher cravings for high-calorie foods.
5. Heart and cardiovascular health.
People who get consistently less sleep have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. This impact isn’t always directly from a lack of sleep, but the stress and anxiety, and lack of energy for things like physical activity.
6. Lower physical energy.
Sleep is what gives our bodies the energy to do all the things we need to do. Without quality and restful sleep, we wont want to play, run, jump or be active. The longer we go without quality sleep, the worse our coordination, endurance and muscle recovery get. This is why athletes and those who have physical jobs actually need more sleep than the average person.
7. Unnatural pain perception.
This connection between sleep and health can be a catch-22. Sleep deprivation can lower pain threshold and tolerance, meaning that a lack of quality sleep amplifies the perception of pain. This makes it more difficult for people to manage chronic pain conditions. At the same time, between 67-88% of people with chronic pain struggle to get quality sleep. If you struggle with chronic pain, we recommend speaking to your doctor about sleep and potentially booking a sleep study to find how you can improve your sleep.
8. Hormone regulation.
Sleep is intricately connected to hormone regulation. During sleep, the body produces and regulates various hormones involved in growth, metabolism, stress response, and reproductive health. Disrupted sleep can disrupt hormone balance and lead to a range of health issues. Consistent sleep schedules are key for healthy hormone cycles.
Tips to practice healthy sleep habits
Now that you have an understanding of how sleep and health go together, here are some ways you can tackle your sleep, improve your habits and have higher quality sleep.
LOWER YOUR ROOM TEMPERATURE
Sleeping in a colder room can make a huge difference in your sleep. You do not want to be cold while sleeping, but dropping the temp by one or two degrees can balance body temperatures, keep sleep hormones functioning properly and can help you stay asleep at night.
Plus, if you crack a window you get the benefits of fresh air while you sleep, too.
Use the Right Sleep Accessories
There are an incredible number of sleep gadgets and accessories out there to help you sleep. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to take advantage of sleep accessories, either. We believe in sticking to the basics, which include:
Sleep mask
Ear plugs
White noise machine
Fan
STRETCHING BEFORE BED
Not only does stretching help to reduce any daytime aches or strains, but the meditative movements of stretching can also help you fall asleep. Stretching involves breathing and paying attention to our bodies. This can help reduce anxiety and allow us to let go of stressful thoughts. Being connected and mindful of our bodies can help develop a deeper sense of mindfulness - a quality shown to help improve sleep quality.
Stretching can also be a great act to build a sleep routine around. Sleep routines help to train our bodies to recognize when it’s time for bed. As humans, we thrive on routine.
Practice wellness
How you take care of yourself during the day impacts how you sleep at night. Be sure to eat healthy foods, drink water, move your body and take care of your mental health to ensure you sleep well at night.
Add plants to your room
Plants release oxygen, literally breathing life into your rooms. Adding plants to your home–particularly your bedroom–can improve your overall quality of life(and sleep!) Aloe Vera, pothos, spider plants and snake plants are great bedroom plant options.
Health and sleep: Two sides of the same coin
Sleep to be healthy, and make healthy choices to help improve your sleep. If you want to learn more about sleep and how you can improve yours, explore our blog or check out this Sleep 101 article to get started.