10 Reasons To Get More Sleep & 5 Tips For The Best Nights Sleep
Ahhh sleep… The mysterious wonderland we all slip into each night. An act we desperately desire frequently throughout our days and one we avoided at all costs as children (oh the ignorance). If we are honest with ourselves not many of us get an adequate amount of sleep each night. In Western culture we almost pride ourselves for having an overly busy schedule that results in minimal sleep. Often times we are guilty of staying up into the wee hours of the night scrolling through instagram, typing away at our laptops for work or just letting anxiety fill our minds with unsolvable issues. Time and time again we waist our precious sleep on the mundane tasks of life. But I mean it’s just sleep. What’s the big deal? Why is it so darn important? Well my friends, I’m here to flex my knowledge and give you 10 reasons why you should try to get more sleep.
Good and restful sleep can improve concentration and our productivity. I’m sure you’ve heard that sleep is important for various aspects of brain function. When we are sleep deprived we often suffer from brain fog, fatigue, lack of concentration and focus. When we get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night we drastically improve cognition, concentration, productivity and performance. Good sleep has been shown to improve problem solving skills as well as enhance memory performance in both children and adults. So the main takeaway is that sleep is necessary in order for us to stay alert throughout the day. In order to maximize problem solving and enhance memory we must get a minimum of 7 hours of good restful sleep each night.
Sleep can actually help you lose weight. Individuals who have short sleep durations tend to weigh more that those who receive an adequate amount of sleep each night. Several studies have shown that poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain. In a sleep study PubMed Central, “Meta-Analysis of Short Sleep Duration and Obesity in Children and Adults”, it was found that children and adults with short sleep duration were 89% and 55% more likely to become obese. So how does inadequate sleep cause us to gain weight? During each night our bodies use sleep to recuperate, repair & restore muscle tissue, hormones and internal inflammations.
Individuals who get adequate sleep tend to eat fewer calories. Several studies have shown that sleep-deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to consume more calories. This is due to the fact that poor sleep can affect the hormones that regulate our appetites. When we are lacking sleep there is an increase in the our ghrelin levels (the hormone that stimulates appetite) and a reduction in our leptin levels (hormone that suppresses appetite). The imbalance in these hormones due to lack of sleep is the perfect cocktail for weight gain to take place.
Good sleep can maximize athletic performance. When we get more sleep it has been shown to improve many aspects of athletic and physical performance. A study conducted by the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory and Maples Pavilion at Stanford University, concluded that basketball players who received longer sleep demonstrated significantly improved speed, accuracy, reaction times and mental well being compared to those who did not. Another study by the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh tested 2,800 women and found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength and greater difficulty performing independent activities.
Poor sleep affects glucose metabolism and increases risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When we do not get enough sleep each day it has been found that our blood sugar and insulin resistance are both negatively impacted. The University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine reports that by restricting sleep to four hours per night for six nights in a row caused symptoms of pre-diabetes among the men in their control group. These symptoms were resolved after just one week of increased sleep duration! Poor sleep habits have been strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar. Individuals who sleep less than six hours each night have repeatedly been shown to be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Greater risk of developing heart disease and stroke has been connected to poor sleep. It has been found that sleep quality and duration can have a major effect on many health risk factors. These are the factors that affect chronic diseases, including heart disease and stroke. Warwick Medical School conducted a study on 15 people who did not get enough sleep. It was found that these individuals were at far greater risk of developing heart disease or stroke than those who receive 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
Inadequate sleep has been linked to depression. We all know that metal health is super important. Over the last few years our culture has revolutionized the way we think about mental health and well-being. A strong link has been established between mental health issues and poor quality of sleep and sleeping disorders. A sleep study conducted in France concluded that an estimated 90% of people with depression complain about their sleep quality. Those who have sleep disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without.
Sleep affects your emotions and social interactions. Sleep loss has been found to reduce ones ability to interact socially. It was found that people who had not slept had a reduced ability to recognize expressions of anger and happiness.
Poor sleep has been linked to increase inflammation. Poor sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in the body. As a matter of fact, loss of sleep has been known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage. Two studies, one conducted by the World Journal of Gastroenterology and another by the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Independent Peer-Reviewed Journal, strongly linked poor sleep to ling-term inflammation of the digestive tract, in disorders known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Another study found that sleep-deprived individuals with Crohn’s disease were twice as likely to relapse as patients who slept well. Other researchers recommend sleep evaluation in order to help predict outcomes of individuals with long term inflammatory issues.
Sleep has been linked to improving immune function. The slightest bit of sleep deprivation has been show to impair immune function. An extremely large two-week conducted by the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh monitored the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with the cold virus. It was found that those who slept less than seven hours were almost three times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept eight hours or more. During cold and flue season it is extra important to get adequate sleep to keep you immune system strong. So when in doubt, sleep it out.
Wheew! That was a lot but hopefully now you are convinced that YOU NEED MORE SLEEP Now that you know that sleep effects your weight, hormones, exercise performance, brain and body functions and mental health, let’s chat about how we can achieve deep, restful sleep each night. Here are 5 simple tips to help you feel well rested and rejuvenated.
Reduce blue light exposure in the evening. Blue light is given off by our smart phones, tv’s, computers and laptops (basically all of our electronics). This light impacts your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which help you relax and achieve deep sleep. There are a few ways that you can practice to reduce nighttime blue light exposure. Some of these include:
Wearing blue light blocking glasses.
Downloading an app that blocks blue light on your smartphone, laptop or computer.
Stop watching tv, using your smartphone or laptops and turning down lights two hours before heading to bed.
Keep caffeine consumption to a minimum and don’t eat late into the evening. Now you all know I love me some coffee. Cut me open and I beed java. This isn’t me saying that you shouldn’t drink coffee anymore, I’m just saying to limit your caffeine consumption after a certain time. It has been found that consuming caffeine late in the day can stimulate your nervous system and can cause your body to stop naturally relaxing at night. Caffeine can stay elevated in your blood 6-8 hours thus drinking coffee after 3 or 4PM is not recommended, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine. Next time you are craving a cup of coffee try drinking decaf. Eating late in the evening has also been found to negatively impact sleep quality as well as the natural release of HGH and melatonin.
Reduce irregular or long daytime naps. Short power naps have been found to be beneficial for ones health. However, long or irregular napping during the day can negatively affect your sleep. Sleeping during the daytime can confuse your internal clock, meaning you might struggle to fall asleep in the evening. A study conducted by the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California found that individuals who took longer daytime naps ended up being sleepier during the day. Another study noted that napping for 30 minutes or less can help daytime brain function where as longer naps can negatively affect health and sleep quality. So if you’re itchin’ for a snooze try to take a short power nap under 30 minutes.
Try to be on a regular sleep schedule. Did you know that our bodies have a circadian rhythm function that has a set loop. This loop is aligned with sunrise and sunset. When you are consistent with your sleep and waking up times you can help your body achieve quality sleep for an adequate amount of time each night. Try making a sleep schedule each week. Even if your days differ try to schedule your sleep in order to be able to receive 7-8 hours of solid, restful sleep each night.
Reduce stress and anxiety. Ahhh this might just be my favorite tip. As a society we are plagued with constant stress and anxiety. Whether it’s stress at work, feeling anxious about tomorrows tasks or just going through a busy season in life we all face stress and anxiety one way or the other. I’ll be the first person to say that I’m constantly plagued with a wandering, anxious mind especially at night. Okay so now that we established that we are all anxious and stressed out little bags of water how can we fix this? Well there are lots of different methods that you can use to reduce stress. One is practicing relaxation and meditation techniques each evening before bed. Another is to purchase a sleep sound machine. And there’s always essential oils. If you’re like me any you’ve tried one or all of the above with no success then you’re probably thinking, “okay great, now what.” Well friends hold tight because I am about to rock your socks. I’m going to fill you in on my FAVORITE little tool I love to use to help me sleep deeper, calm my anxiety and destress each and every night. Cue the Weight Evolution weighted blanket. I’ve been using my weighted blanket for about a month now and all I can say is WOW! I’ve been able to achieve noticeably deeper sleep as well as calm any wondering thoughts I typically experience at night. Now you’re probably wondering “how the heck can a blanket achieve all that?” Studies have shown that weighted blankets, when roughly 8-12% of your body weight, have been shown to increase serotonin, melatonin and decrease cortisol.
Serotonin is an amazing, naturally occurring chemical and neurotransmitter found in the human body. Serotonin is believed to help regulate our mood, social behavior, appetite, digestion, sleep, memory, sexual desire and function. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression. It is also widely known that increased serotonin produces feelings of well-being.
Melatonin is a chemical hormone that is naturally produced in the body. But it’s not just any hormone though. Melatonin is created by a gland in the middle of your brain for the purpose of helping you know when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up. More melatonin production means it's time to go to sleep. As simple as that. Our Weighted Evolution blanket helps in the creation of melatonin naturally and safely.
If you’re anything like me and you’re just a naturally stressed out person, you have definitely heard about a pesky little hormone called cortisol. For those of you who haven’t let me fill ya in. Cortisol is the body’s alarm system—technically it’s a stress hormone. Constant social pressures, deadlines at the office and family strain have an impact on your body. Our bodies are very smart, when we constantly pile on responsibilities or if we fail to take care of our mental health the chemicals in our bodies will run wild. It is said that although much of our stress is minor, compared to cave men, our bodies are perceiving these minor stresses as threats which increase our cortisol substantially. Obviously running into a grizzly bear vs having to race out of the house to make sure the kiddos make it to their soccer games are totally different, but the chemical reaction is not so different. We think it's vital to manage our stress levels and the best way to do that is to make sure we are receiving adequate sleep. This is where Weighted Evolution saves the day and, of course, your night. An anti-anxiety weighted blanket can help you get a better night’s rest.
Now that you have the 4-1-1 on the three keys to destress lets chat about how exactly this little blanket helps you achieve increased serotonin, melatonin and decreased cortisol levels for the best night sleep. Let’s chat a little bit about Deep Pressure Stimulation or DPS. Of course, I could always ramble on about DPS into all the scientific jargon, but I feel like I’ve flexed my science knowledge enough. Let me break this down as for ya. We all have a sympathetic nervous system which is an alert function for the body, this system is in charge when you're facing everyday stressful situations whether you are crossing a busy street in the middle of Manhattan or driving over a rickety bridge. Obviously, this system serves an important function. Our bodies also have the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) which doesn't always kick in when you need it to. This PSNS system is your rest and digest system, designed to bring a sense of calm and peace to the mind and body. Applying DPS simply triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to switch on. Unfortunately, not all weighted blankets are equal. Many weighted blankets fail to take advantage of DPS by over-filling the blankets with unnecessary insulation in large pockets, which inhibits the effect of DPS.Weighted Evolution blankets are specifically designed with small diamond pockets with minimal insulation allowing the glass sand beads to make more direct contact with your body thus initiating deep pressure stimulation quickly and effectively.
Alright friends, I think I’ve rambled long enough. Now you have 10 reasons why you sleep is so darn important, 5 tips on how to achieve better sleep and my number one tool to help you achieve the best nights sleep! Be sure to snag a weighted blanket from Weighted Evolution and use the code DEEPSLEEP10 at checkout to save!
Happy seeping friends!