Are You Sleeping Enough?

After enduring a long day at work, you simply can't wait to get home and give your bed a big hug. A good sleep is what you'll need to regain your energy and finally give your body the rest it deserves. Apart from restoring your energy levels, keeping a regular sleeping schedule can also help you maintain an overall good health. So how exactly does maintaining your sleeping schedule affect your health and why getting a good night's sleep is so important? Vacaville Chiropractor Alex Tam explains.

What is considered a good night's sleep in Vacaville CA?

The first thing you need to understand is what can exactly be defined as a good night's sleep. You should know that it has something to do with your age. Adults are required to have around 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night while teens should aim for 8 to 10 hours. This means that the younger you are, the longer the sleep you require. In the case of babies, they should sleep somewhere between 12 to 16 hours of sleep every night! Now that's a sleep that everyone in the working society would want.

Generally, you should have 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. So why is this so important?

Sleeping can help you live longer

If you're not getting enough sleep, you're putting yourself at risk for an early death. Studies have shown that sleeping for less than 7 hours every night lowers your telomeres. Telomeres can be found at the end of your chromosomes and can indicate several different factors such as age and things that you've been exposed to in the environment. If your telomeres are artificially shortened, it will make your cells age faster which could put you at risk for a couple of health problems.

Sleeping can help you lose weight

Your daily routine is affected by the amount of sleep you get every night, but did you know that it could have some effects on your health as well? One study has shown that sleeping less could put you at risk for obesity. If you're not getting the right amount of sleep, the hormones in your body are thrown out of whack, among other things, which could give you a hard time in losing weight thus increasing your chances of becoming obese.

If you're getting enough sleep, Vacaville chiropractor explains that you are likely to eat fewer calories since it keeps the hormones that suppress and stimulate your appetite in check. But if you're not getting enough of it, your body will produce more ghrelin which is a hormone that is known to stimulate your appetite thus causing you to consume more calories in the process.

Sleeping can improve your immune system

Your immune system wouldn't be that strong if you're not getting the amount of sleep that you're supposed to. A study has found that a lack of sleep has affected the immune system of 153 participants who have been exposed to the cold virus. Those who haven't gotten the ideal amount of sleep are 3 times more likely to develop a cold compared to those who have slept well enough during the night.

Sleeping can help you be more sociable around people

Our capability to interact with people relies on our ability to respond and recognize the body language and facial emotions. According to studies, being sleep deprived can impair our ability to identify these social cues. This means that not having enough sleep will make you become socially awkward and have a hard time interacting during conversations. You might even lose your confidence of being able to hang out with people around you.

How to set up your regular sleeping schedule

If you're the same with any other adult, you will only sleep when you're tired and wake up when the tiredness has dissipated. However, even though you feel refreshed, it doesn't completely mean that you have gotten the right amount of sleep. So how exactly do you come up with a regular sleeping schedule?

• Go to bed the same time every night.
• Avoid taking caffeinated beverages in the hours before going to bed.
• Wake up the same time every morning.
• If possible, don't put your electronic devices within reach from your bed. Use an alarm clock to wake you up instead of using the one from your phone.
• Setup your room to be comforting and relaxing as possible. Add the right kind of pillows, blankets, or whatever that will make the ambience of the room comfortable for you.
• Avoid eating heavy meals 2 hours before bedtime. If ever you require a snack before bed, prepare something that's light and healthy.
• Your bedroom should only be a place for sleeping. Don't do things like working and eating since this can create a distraction for your sleep.
• If you like reading before going to sleep, make sure to only do it in physical books. Reading on your phone or tablet will make it harder for you to sleep later on.

This sleeping habit may take some time to get used to. It doesn't matter how long it takes but as long as it continues to improve, your sleep will also be as well. Just keep in mind these major benefits that sleep has to offer and you are likely to be more motivated in developing this habit.

Call Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville today!