Hello! Hopefully, you had a good night’s sleep and are ready to tackle today, of course that is after you get a jolt of energy from today’s blog. We all know that quality sleep is imperative for better work performance and daily wellbeing. Actually, studies show that if you sleep for shorter periods of time and if you don’t sleep well, it can degrade your mindfulness and attention the following day. Wake up and read on.
IS THAT ALL?
According to a recent study published in the journal Sleep Health, adding just 29 minutes of sleep per night can improve mindfulness the next day. Is that all? Surely we can all manage that, right? Not so fast. If you are anything like me, sometimes the luxury of sleep escapes you for sometimes hours at a time. Some of us would give our eye teeth for that elusive 29 extra minutes.
AUTOPILOT
I’d be willing to bet there is not one among us who doesn’t operate on autopilot periodically throughout our day. How and why do we do this? The reality is, the subconscious takes over and helps us make decisions when we are not being particularly mindful, sometimes due to lack of sleep. We can find ourselves ruminating over the past or anticipating the future. Often this occurs at night when we would like to be snoozing. One thought leads to another then BAM! Good morning.
SERIOUSLY?
Those of us who may have stored up a little extra chub may appreciate the following theory. SCL Health suggests that snoozing a full 8 hours isn’t going to result in losing poundage by itself, but it can help your body from packing on the pounds. Seriously? If you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces ghrelin, a hormone that boosts appetite. Your body also decreases the production of leptin, a hormone that tells you you’re full. That can be a deadly combo for late night snackers. Put down your fork and hit the sack!
TAKE THIS TO HEART
Studies show that not getting enough sleep can lead to heart health problems like high blood pressure and heart attacks. Lack of sleep can cause your body to release cortisol, which is a stress hormone that triggers your heart to work harder. Like your immune system, your heart needs rest in order to function properly.
A WORK IN PROGRESS
Keeping a regular sleep schedule can improve your health and life dramatically. Consistent, quality sleep is especially important for its psychological, emotional, and physical benefits. For many of us, it is a work in progress. Minor changes like engaging in relaxing activities near bedtime can help. Old habits die hard. If you have some pre-bedtime bad habits, develop strategies for a calming pre-sleep routine.
HDD
HDD won’t be much help in the area of your insomnia however we are a huge help when it comes to mobile diagnostic ultrasound. If you find yourself in need of ultrasound, call us at 505-350-3397. Nighty night!