Many people would agree that getting a good night sleep feels great, our bodies are designed to rest and re-energize during our wonderful times of sleep. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who struggle with a healthy sleep pattern, and a lot of the times it’s not even their fault. Recent studies showed that one out of three people in America suffer from sleep related disorders or insomnia. But there are also people out there who choose to live a life with little sleep (usually young people). Whoever you are, we all need to know why sleep is important for our bodies and the benefits that we can enjoy from getting a consistent good night sleep.
First of all, lets talk about how sleep deprivation can affect your body. There are some pretty serious issues that happen when you are not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has been related to:
- Obesity
- Lack of mental sharpness
- Heart disease
- Elevated stress
- Altered Metabolism (which can lead to diabetes)
These are just five more reasons why we need to have healthy sleep; our lives could be at stake. What are some of the reasons why people are not getting enough sleep? Unless you have a physical condition, most people do not get healthy sleep because they are stress or have a lot on the mind. Its kind of a catch 22, because your day is filled with stress from your job, paying bills, sitting in traffic, your mother in law, which are causing you to not get any sleep. But at the same time the lack of sleep is causing your stress to elevate. So it is important to settle yourself down before you head off to bed, maybe do an activity to get your mind off of the daily grind.
So what are some of the benefits you might occur from a good night sleep? Well it’s pretty simple…you can help yourself avoid all the bad health issues that might happen if you do not get any sleep listed above. The benefit is…sleeping can help you live a longer and healthier life. So what are something’s you can do to help you sleep?
- Stop drinking caffeinated products at least 6 hours before bedtime.
- Take deep breathes; this will help your muscles relax.
- Play some soothing music (like the music they play at massage therapy).
- Take a shower or bath before bedtime; this also helps the muscles to relax.
- Be consistent! Try to develop a sleep pattern, which your body can get used to.
- Get a new mattress, mattresses wear out and you might need to upgrade.
- Stop smoking 2 hours before sleep. (Or stop smoking all together!)
Try these techniques and do not give up on them, it might take a little bit of time to retrain your body to fall asleep at a decent hour.
So does the Atkins Diet work? Yes, it actually does work. But if the Atkins Diet works, why is there so much controversy over it? Let me tell you why I do not like the Atkins Diet. The Atkins Diet is great for short-term weight loss, but bad for a lifetime of health. By eliminating foods with carbohydrates, you are limiting yourself to all the wonderful nutrients that help your body. With the Atkins Diet you pretty much only eat foods with protein, which includes steak, chicken, eggs, bacon, and turkey, and even though this sounds great, they are also high in saturated fat. So even though you might lose 20 to 30 pounds, you will actually be doing damage to yourself in the long run.
So what are some of the benefits that swimming provides for you? Swimming is great for your ligaments and joints, but unlike running where there is a lot of wear and tear on your joints, swimming has no impact. Swimming also has incredible health benefits for your heart and lungs. I like to hike a lot, but nothing has prepared my lungs and heart better for a hike like swimming has. The endurance that you get from swimming is amazing, thus making swimming an incredible exercise. Swimming also provides a full body workout. Your whole body is engaged in every stroke and kick, targeting every major muscle group of your body. The water provides resistance for your muscles, so you do get a great workout.
