Even if you are giving your body the right nutrients and exercising regularly, sleep deprivation will have an effect on your mind and body.
Here are some of the consequences of sleep deprivation I found from a publication on PubMed
1. Increase muscle tone
2. Increase sensitivity to #pain
3. Susceptible to pathologies such as #diabetes, #obesity, and #cardiovascular disease
4. Alters immune response and pattern of #hormonal secretion
5. Slower reaction
6. Impaired perception and difficulty to concentrate
7. Poor memorization and schematic thinking which leads to poor decision making and emotional disturbances
8. Vision disturbances
9. Micro-episodes of sleep during wakefulness which decreases task performance and increases errors
10. A 0.10% blood alcohol level is comparable to being awake for 20 - 25 hours
For most of us getting healthy hours of #sleep a night can be a struggle. The National Sleep Foundation states number of hours of sleep per age:
1. 65+: 7 - 8 hours
2. 26 - 64: 7 - 9 hours
3. 18 - 25: 7 - 9 hours
4. 14 - 17: 8 - 10 hours
5. 6 - 13: 9 - 11 hours
6. 3 - 5: 9 - 11 hours
Looking at this information, receiving a minimum of 7 hours per night is on the right path for your body and mind to be healthy.
Here are some #holistic approaches to achieving 7+ hours of sleep:
1. Decrease stress
- #massage
- meditation
- warm bath
- yoga poses
- Aromatherapy
2. Refrain from #caffeine after 2 pm
3. No alcohol 3 hours prior to sleep
4. No exercise 4 hours prior to sleep
5. 15 minutes of sunlight per day
6. Avoid cell phones and electronics (especially blue lit) prior to sleep
7. Regular sleeping pattern is important but waking up the same time is more important than the time you go to sleep (avoid going to bed to early as well as sleeping in)