You didn’t sleep well last night.
Or the night before. And the one before that.
You tossed and turned and watched the clock creep round.
And now you are dead beat.
Too tired to make a real breakfast.
That’s how it starts.
Sleep deprivation CAN make you fat.
You are running on low energy so you eat a bag of potato chips or quick comfort foods.
That energy doesn’t last long so you become lethargic.
Too tired to think about healthy food shopping.
Too tired to think about exercise!
Another coffee ….
And yes, the coffee may fight off sleepiness for a while but the poor food choices along with lack of exercise set up the perfect foundation for obesity and further sleep loss.
Anyone who has owned a cat or dog will have watched them sleeping, and even dreaming. Just like us, other mammals sleep for a significant portion of their lives. For people and animals alike there must be important reasons to make ourselves unconscious and vulnerable for long periods of time. Did you know that many marine mammals such as dolphins and seals literally sleep with one eye open and only half their brain sleeps at a time so they can stay vigilant to predators while they sleep? You can read more about that here if you would like to.
If we are short of sleep it can have a huge effect on health and our performance.
Sleep:
– Restores your glycogen and neurochemicals that have been depleted during wakefulness
– Allows you to store, integrate, recall and use memories
– REM sleep, when you have rapid eye movement, high brain activity and paralysis of the muscles helps you process events, resolve conflicts, and to forget the unneeded information we gather during the day
– Good sleep helps maintain health, wellbeing and performance as it is vital to your body’s ability to repair itself. Poor sleeps can make you ill, unhappy, and exhausted
– Poor sleep can lead to poor concentration, depression, changeable moods, worsening symptoms of illness, susceptibility to accidents and weight gain.
- About one in five adults suffer from a sleep problem.
- Adults need seven to eight hours of quality sleep. Children need longer.
So how do we good a good night’s sleep?
- Be consistent – try to go to bed and get up at about the same time every day.
- Have a comfortable bed and keep the room as dark as you can.
- Have calm activities before bedtime: reading, meditating, a warm (not too hot) bath, listening to music or a relaxation recording. Avoid television just before bed if it stops you sleeping.
- Take notice if certain foods or drinks are keeping you awake and avoid them before bed.
- Make sure you have done some exercise during the day because it increases the hormones and neurochemicals that help you sleep – and we know that exercise is absolutely essential for brain and memory health.
- Listen to a relaxing recording – audio books are wonderful as the same voice can lull you to sleep, and even adults like a story before sleep!
- Think about a favourite place or experience, concentrating on recalling as much detail as you can.
Improve your sleep and you will be happier, healthier and more energetic.
Dr. Allison Lamont is founder and clinician of the Auckland Memory Clinic. Allison, with her sister Gillian Eadie, created the Memory Foundation to make information about preserving and improving memory available to everyone. We can rewire the brain and sharpen memory at any age. You can try the Foundation’s fun memory games right now on the Grownups website! Just click right here Memory Foundation Games
And you want to keep your brain sharp. Right? And to know how to go about it?
Here is your answer! The popular book 7-Day Brain Boost Plan by Dr. Allison Lamont and Gillian Eadie will show you the way!
By Dr Allison Lamont. Read more here.