I mentioned yesterday how sleep is a huge factor in my anxiety. My anxiety seems to be higher or lower based on how much sleep I get. In fact, it is a huge factor in my entire life. Growing up the times I would get sick was when I was overly exhausted, which make sense because sleep is an extremely important part to staying healthy. When we are not getting enough sleep our mental health, emotional health, physical health, quality of life, and safety are all at risk. Constantly not getting enough sleep can actually increase a person's risk of developing chronic health issues.
Sleep helps our mental abilities by building new pathways while we sleep. This can help us prepare for the next day, helps us to learn, allows us to pay attention, helps in decision making, helps with our memory, and even helps us to be more creative. When we are lacking sleep we can have trouble with making decisions, solving problems, controlling emotions, act with bad behavior, and become unable to cope. In fact, studies show people with sleep deprivation issues also have issues with depression, stress, anger, impulsion, mood swings, lower motivation, and difficulty getting along with other people.
Sleep is also important to staying physically healthy. When we sleep our body actually works to heal and repair our heart and blood vessels. Lack of sleep can cause an increase in heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, kidney disease, and diabetes. Sleep also helps to regulate our metabolism, which means that when we are tired we actually feel hungrier than if we weren't. Sleep can also affect the hormones used in growth and development, which is why when we are growing up it is so important to sleep enough. For me, sleep has the biggest effect on my immune system. When our are lacking sleep, it actually lowers your bodies immune systems ability to fight, which makes it easier to get sick.
Of course, sleep is a huge part in our day to day functioning. When we are tired we are less productive and slower. We also are at much higher risks at creating and causing accidents. When we are tired we actually end up doing something called microsleep. This is sleeping while we are actually awake. An example of this is if you are driving, but you don't remember how you got there. I know I've done this before, have you? They say this is actually much dangerous and causes more accidents than drunk drivers.
So how can we make sure we get enough sleep? Some ways to do this is by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. On weekends, however, this can be changed but try not to go to bed an hour later than normal or sleep in a hour later than normal. It is also important to not eat or exercise at least two hours before bed. About an hour before you go to bed have quiet time and don't have anything that stimulates the brain on, like a TV or computer. It is also important to avoid nicotine and caffeine throughout the day, as well as avoiding alcohol right before bed; these all interrupt a person's sleep cycle. Studies also suggest making sure you are physically active and go outside every day to help with sleep, as well as keeping where you sleep quiet, cool, and dark.
So, whose ready for a good night sleep?
Day 175- Vocabulary Word of the Day- Sobersided (SOH-ber-sahy-did) adjective: solemn or grave in disposition, attitude, character, etc.;serious- minded.
Example: He's as crazy as a rat in a drainpipe. But I do believe the sobersided electorate of the third district is going to send him to Washington in November.
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