If you like to Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat you should be aware that lack of sleep is seen as a stress to the body. Your body is unaware if you are under some sort of environmental or faminerelated stress, or it is just that you have been up all night“ killing it” at the club. In either case, your body feels something is not right and the hormone cortisol can be released.
Cortisol, along with other stress hormones, can cause a substantialnegative impact on the body over time, along with diseases such as: anxiety irritability ADHD stroke increased heart rate hypertension irritable bowel syndrome digestive disorders weight gain and obesity Depression
This list just scratches the surface. The truth is that stress is a very real thing and lack of sleep can be a big cause of it. In order to make sure we get adequate sleep, and to combat insomnia, here are tips to get you on the right track to restful sleep.
1. Avoid alcohol and caffeine late at night Alcohol has the potential to
put people to sleep, but a deep sleep might be out of the question. The REM stage of sleep occurs during this deep sleep and alcohol can affect our ability to reach it. Not getting into this restorative section of sleep can happen due to alcohol.
You may fall asleep, but the second half of your sleep cycle – where real rest and recovery happens – will be compromised due to alcohol and caffeine consumed too close to bedtime.
2. Get into a regular routine Your body likes balance and regularity. This is called homeostasis, or stability, and we respond and function better from it. This pertains to sleep as well as the body needs to recognize a consistent pattern to help itself unwind and, essentially, accept sleep. Going to bed at the same time every day can create that regular habit.
Consistency reinforces your body’ s sleep-wake cycle and allows for better sleep throughout the night. Creating a wind-down routine will get your body into that consistent mode. It might be a hot bath at the same time each night, reading before bed, or writing a“ to do” list for the next day to get your thoughts under control. The important part is to create a routine and stick with it. 3. Don’ t exercise close to bed time It has always been thought that exercise before bed could lead to disrupted sleep, but newer research into the issue is shedding light that it may not be the issue it was thought to be. It is probably not the best idea to run sprints just before hitting the hay, as it can take the body a while to wind down after high intensity exercise, however lighter exercise can contribute to quality sleep.
If exercise is within 3 hours of when you go to bed, you will be all right. A lower temperature is what helps you sleep and exercise increases body temperature. Well-trained athletes are able to return to a lower resting heart rate and body temperature quicker than the average person. If you are new to exercising, keep some time between exercise and bed by a few hours. The main thing is to listen to your body and see how you feel. This is where keeping a sleep journal is helpful; you can keep track of things like exercise in relation to when you go to bed to keep an eye on how it might be affecting your sleep.