I am a big fan of sleep. Sure, most everyone could say that, but not everyone makes it a priority. In fact, according to this recent article on Huffington Post, most people get too little sleep every night. In fact, most people are getting HOURS less each night than they should. And not only does this make you a little bit cranky or a little bit groggy, chronic lack of sleep can lead to serious health issues.
Not ready to make sleep a priority? Here are some reasons you should rethink your bedtime.
After just one night of inadequate sleep, you are hungrier and apt to eat more, more likely to have an accident, more likely to catch a cold and, most important for a lot of us, less likely to look healthy or friendly! On top of that you are more likely to get really emotional (not necessarily in a good way), less likely to be focused and processing correctly. And you are losing brain tissue. No big thing.
But that’s just after one night! Long periods of sleep deprivation can lead to long-term health issues.
Not only does your stroke risk quadruple, obesity risk jumps, risk of some cancers may increase, diabetes risk goes up, heart disease risk increases, and your sperm count decreases (if you have the spermies). Perhaps most worrying is the simple notation in the article that, y’know, risk of death goes up.
Having a hard time sleeping? Try classic relaxation techniques to lower your stress level. Also, reducing caffeine in your day (or giving it up completely) and choosing relaxing herbal teas like peppermint, camomile and lavender teas. If you really need some help, kava (or kava kava) or valerian can help you really get your zzzz’s.
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