And while we're on the subject, I've been wanting to share some thoughts on sleep and since I didn't get any last night, no time like the present.
Over the course of my adult life, I've never been much on sleeping--I've joked that someday, I'll get to sleep forever, as a justification for staying up all hours of the night. But as I've continued to train hard and learn more about my health and maximizing the results of my efforts, I have taken a more serious look at sleep. Did a little reading about some health benefits for regular good sleep and wanted to share them here:
- Improved alertness, creativity and memory
- Reduction of stress and inflammation (and thus, lower risk for stroke, heart attack and depression)
- Better weight control (we crave more carbs and fatty foods when we are tired)
- Healthier immune system
- More effective repair and rebuilding of muscles after training
- Longer and healthier living in general
I know there are several more, but that list alone is enough for me to take a more serious look at my sleep habits and make a concerted effort to improve them. As for better sleeping habits, some simple tips courtesy of Mark's Daily Apple:
- Be careful about late-night exercise and not having enough time to recover
- Watch how much you eat as you approach the time you wish to sleep
- Develop a bedtime ritual and stick to it
- Start winding down an hour or two before your bedtime
- If you are yawning, you should be sleeping...
Even though my sleeping has improved, I am writing this today knowing that I am the prime offender. Hoping that I can take my own medicine and put these tips to work.
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