Are you Getting a Good Night’s Sleep?
Sleep is an absolute necessity for good health. During the night your body renews and repairs itself. When you get a good night’s rest, it will help improve your mood and attitude towards life. Unfortunately many people do not get the quality of sleep they need.
It has been estimated that about 30% of all adults suffer from some form of insomnia. They either have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. For about 10% of the population these problems are chronic and ongoing. It also seems that the older you are the more likely you are to have trouble sleeping, which is about 50-% of older people.
But, even people who don’t have insomnia may experience some form of sleep deprivation. The average adult needs a minimum of seven hours each night and could benefit from 8-9 hours. Younger people need even more. Teenagers need about 8-10 hours and preteens about 9-11 hours.
In a gallop poll done in 2013 only 36% of the population got 8 hours of sleep or more. 25% got seven hours, and the remaining 39%, got less than seven hours. A more recent study, done in 2019, found that only half of all children and teens were getting enough sleep, which is not good. In this issue of Sunshine Sharing we’ll discuss why sleep is so essential for your health and tips to help you get better rest!
Healthy Habit Tips
I can’t stress how important sleep is for your overall health. We cover this topic in our Healthy Habits Challenge online program. Below are my top tips for helping you improve yours!
- Make sleep a priority. So many of us don’t emphasize the importance of it and push the time we go to bed. We tend to stay up to late to chat or have to finish a t.v. program.
- Create a sleep schedule going to bed and getting up at the same time each day. Once you do this, you will notice how much better you feel and how much it helps you create a schedule. Your new sleep
schedule will also help with your eating schedule and might just help you shed a few pounds. - Create a bedtime ritual that you find relaxing. You may want to mist your pillow with an essential oil bedtime spray, practice deep breathing or read.
My favorite essential oil bedtime blend to spritz in the air or on the pillow contains the following essential oils in a 2 ounce spray bottle with water:- 8 drops of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 4 drops of Sweet Orange Citrus sinensis
- 2 drops of Cedarwood, Atlas Cedrus atlantica
- Shut off all electronics at least 30 minutes before going to bed. This is a biggy!
- Add an herbal supplement to support sleep. Melatonin, L-Theanine, Chamomile, Passion Flower, or Magnesium. Feel free to shop Nature’s Sunshine and check out their sleep blends.
Remember – your lifestyle – diet and gut health impact your overall health and weight!
Join the Healthy Habits Challenge Program. It’s all about Healthy Living!
