❌ Caffeine and sugar — Especially if consumed later in the day, as these can keep you awake at night and make it
difficult to fall asleep in the first place.
difficult to fall asleep in the first place.❌ Alcohol — While alcohol in small amounts may help you get to sleep, research has shown that a high alcohol intake results in increased sleep disruption, lower quality of sleep, and shorter sleep duration.
❌ Spicy and acidic foods — For some people, spicy foods like citrus and tomatoes can cause indigestion and reflux, making it difficult to get comfortable.
❌ Foods low in fiber and high in saturated fats — This includes meat and dairy products as they can make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
❌ Shift work and jet lag — Changing our circadian rhythm affect how we sleep and can have a dramatic impact on our health both in the short-term and long-term.
❌ Stress — The more cortisol and adrenaline your body produces during the day, the more likely your circadian rhythm will become dysregulated.
❌ Spicy and acidic foods — For some people, spicy foods like citrus and tomatoes can cause indigestion and reflux, making it difficult to get comfortable.
❌ Foods low in fiber and high in saturated fats — This includes meat and dairy products as they can make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
❌ Shift work and jet lag — Changing our circadian rhythm affect how we sleep and can have a dramatic impact on our health both in the short-term and long-term.
❌ Stress — The more cortisol and adrenaline your body produces during the day, the more likely your circadian rhythm will become dysregulated.
What can you do today to get these benefits of sleep?
A 2014 study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience concluded that getting routine good quality sleep is a significant factor in achieving longer life spans. The researchers found that human longevity is associated with regular sleep patterns, maintenance of slow-wave sleep, and favorable lipid profile which was also impacted by sleep. What can you do today to get these benefits of sleep?
A study done at the University of California showed just how rapidly and comprehensively a brief dose of short sleep can affect your cancer-fighting immune cells. The researchers found that a single night of four hours of sleep in a cohort of healthy young men swept away 70% of the natural killer cells circulating in the immune system, relative to a night of full eight-hour sleep.Do you want to learn how to sleep well?
This is an age of increased awareness regarding our immune systems. We can do one simple thing to give our immune system a boost. GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP!
Poor quality sleep can suppress your immune function, negatively affecting the balance of bacteria in the gut and increasing inflammation. In fact, studies have shown that not enough sleep and poor sleep quality can leave your immune system more susceptible to infectious illnesses like the common cold.
Do you want to learn how to sleep well?
Sleep helps both men and women with their hormones! Sleep also supports the optimal functioning of your reproductive system.
In one study, a group of young males was allowed to sleep for only five hours for one week. The researchers found a significant drop in their testosterone compared to when they were fully rested. In fact, the researchers concluded that the hormonal blunting effect is so large that it effectively "ages" a man by 10 to 15 years!
Inadequate sleep also affects the reproductive system of women. In a report that brought together findings from studies over the past forty years of more than 100,000 employed women, those working irregular night-time hours and had poor-quality sleep had a 33% higher rate of abnormal menstrual cycles than those working regular daytime hours.
In one study, a group of young males was allowed to sleep for only five hours for one week. The researchers found a significant drop in their testosterone compared to when they were fully rested. In fact, the researchers concluded that the hormonal blunting effect is so large that it effectively "ages" a man by 10 to 15 years!
Inadequate sleep also affects the reproductive system of women. In a report that brought together findings from studies over the past forty years of more than 100,000 employed women, those working irregular night-time hours and had poor-quality sleep had a 33% higher rate of abnormal menstrual cycles than those working regular daytime hours.
Do you want to learn how to sleep well?
In a 2004 Japanese study of 2,282 workers, those sleeping less than six hours over a 14-year period were 300 to 400% more likely to suffer one or more cardiac arrests than those sleeping between 7-8 hours. Another study has shown that even just one night of losing 1 to 2 hours of sleep will quicken the contracting rate of a person’s heart and significantly increase their systolic blood pressure. What can you do today to get these benefits of sleep?
Do you want to learn how to sleep well?
