The Importance of Sleep

Today, as I sit here trying to keep my eyes open, I’m thinking about the easiest thing we can do to keep our bodies running smoothly: get some shut eye. Actually, I know it’s not easy for everyone; that’s why there’s a market for prescription drugs like Ambien. But, it’s usually pretty easy for me. The problem is that I just don’t coordinate it well enough. When I know I have to get up early in the morning, I should get to sleep at a reasonable time (say, before 10 p.m.), but I have trouble actually doing it. I end up rolling into bed around 11:30 and it’s probably 12 or 12:30 before I’m sleeping. Then, the alarm rings at 5:00 a.m., and I’m begging for a few more hours.

The fact of the matter is that five hours really isn’t enough sleep for most of us. Everyone’s sleep needs are different, but experts (including many prestigious doctors and my favorite nurse) agree that we should shoot for at least seven hours each night. While we’re sleeping, our bodies are recharging. The liver is detoxifying, and if we give it enough time, we’ll be refreshed and ready for the next day. So, how do we combat sleep troubles without relying on prescription drugs? Here are a few things you can try:

1. Set your bedtime: I know; you’re going to feel like you’re 10 years old again, but this is one of the most helpful things you can do. Tell yourself that you’re going to be in bed at 10 p.m. if you have to be up at five.

2. Make time to wind down: Turn off the television about an hour before your bedtime and just relax. You can read a relaxing book (no Stephen King thrillers), take a bath, meditate or just sit in silence. Being too plugged in right before bed will just make your mind race around like crazy and cause you to sit there winding down when you should be sleeping.

3. Find another place for your pets to sleep: Many people love inviting their cats or dogs into the bed, but if you’re having trouble sleeping, you should rethink this. Just like humans, cats and dogs can move around a lot in the night – which will interfere with your rest, whether you realize it or not.

Remember to Get a Good Night's Sleep

If you’re like most of us who actually care about being fit and healthy, you try to eat right and exercise, but there’s one thing you might be overlooking: A good night’s sleep. Sometimes this even happens to us as a result of trying to get ourselves in better shape, which is kind of silly. In order to be truly healthy, we need to find a way to eat right and exercise, but also leave enough time to get a decent amount of sleep.

Each person’s needs are different, so I can't tell you to get eight hours or six hours. I can only tell you to experiment and see what works for you.

Here are some things you can do to ensure you’re getting the right amount of sleep:

1. Stop eating at least three hours before you plan to go to bed.

2. Don’t do anything too stressful in that three hour period. That means no work or watching emotionally taxing television programs (like something especially scary or sad).

3. Turn off the television about an hour before you plan to go to bed. This is a good time to have some pleasant conversation with a spouse or just simply relax. You can take a bath or read a book. Just know that this is a time to wind down.

4. Set a specific bedtime each night. Start by taking note of the time you want to be awake in the morning. If you want to be up at 6 a.m., go to bed by 10 p.m. Do this for a week and listen to your body. If you find yourself waking up way too early, you might be allowing too much time for sleep. Move your bedtime to a half hour later, and try that for a week. Keep adjusting your bedtime until you find one that works for you. The goal is for you to wake up just before your alarm clock rings. Just be sure to allow at least one week to adjust to every new bedtime.