|
The link between sleep and good health
Sleep. It’s that precious necessity we all need, yet so few of us are getting enough of it. We go to bed too late, wake up too early, or our sleep is broken and of poor quality. Yes, we can survive on bad sleep, but are we living life to our full potential when we’re always tired, and always lagging?
According to Dr. Gary Foster, the Chief Scientific Officer at WW International, we don’t prioritize sleep as much as we should. “Sleep is fundamental to our existence and our quality of life. We don’t ask ourselves ‘How am I going to fit in going to the bathroom today?’ and that’s a fundamental bodily need – as is sleep. We want people to believe they have the right to a good night’s sleep.
It’s time to start thinking about sleep as an essential and giving it the attention it deserves,” says Dr. Foster.
What's so bad about bad sleep?
A bad night’s sleep opens the door to a whole host of issues the next day. “Poor sleep affects a lot, starting with your temperament,” says Dr. Foster. A tired parent might snap more easily at their children. A tired driver puts himself (and others) at risk on the road. And being sleep-deprived at work means you’ll have difficulty focusing on tasks that need to be done.
“When you’re tired, you’re not on top of your game, you’re not performing at your best and your judgment is impaired,” says Dr. Foster. When it comes to making smart decisions for your health, being tired makes that harder, too. “Sleep is so important for our ability to focus and make wise choices. When we’re tired we lean towards the easy default, which often means choosing quick, unhealthy foods or deciding not to exercise.” That’s not ideal when you’re trying to be healthy or lose weight.
Does being tired make you hungry?
So many of us reach for food when we’re tired. But is there any science behind it? “The hormone ghrelin – the appetite hormone – tends to go up a little when you’re tired and that’s associated with being hungry,” says Dr. Foster. Yet the more likely reason people eat when they’re tired is that we humans aren't so clever at recognizing the signals our body is sending us.
“People mistake a lot of bodily states – thirst, tiredness, boredom - for hunger,” says Dr. Foster. Eventually, even our body gets confused about what it needs. “If you’re tired and you eat something because you think it will help, and you repeat that behavior five to 10 times, after a while the presence of fatigue will prompt you to eat,” says Dr. Foster. Talk about mixed messages! so how do you get a great night’s sleep?
Fortunately, all this run-off associated with tiredness can be cleared up – you just need to prioritize sleep. “It’s about taking care of yourself. We want you to believe that you’re valuable enough to deserve a good night’s sleep,” says Dr. Foster. Dr. Foster suggests setting small goals. If you’re only getting six hours of sleep each night and you want between seven and eight, it’s unrealistic to put yourself to bed one or two hours earlier. “Start with a small goal so you’re less likely to fail,” he says. Climbing into bed 15 minutes earlier is a good first step.
“Set some guidelines to make it happen.” That means you have to commit to scheduling your evening around your new, earlier bedtime. Perhaps you’ll need to eat dinner earlier, turn the TV off earlier, and start brushing your teeth earlier. Going to bed earlier doesn't happen on its own–you have to set a plan in place to make it a reality.😴
| 
