WHY YOU NEED TO SLEEP WELL

Sleeping well is important for your physical and mental health. My motto in life has always been “ Life is what you make of it”Hence,I always try seize every opportunity to do the  things I truly love. But with so many things to do and so little time,something’s gotta give.  In my case , It is often the amount of sleep I get;there is always something more exciting to do. A party, a late -night drink, emails to check, watching TV etc. Sleep is expendable,  right?Wrong. One might have gotten away with it when one was younger, but these days  one pay a price when you cut your sleep short. 

We can all relate to feeling tired and run down if we don’t get enough sleep. However, not getting enough sleep over a longer period of time can have a big impact on our physical and mental health. The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is around eight hours, but some people need more, while others can cope with less. We each need to work out what works for us and then get into a healthy sleep pattern, as getting it right helps us achieve a long, happy and healthy life. Deprive yourself of sleep and your body and mind will feel the impact ;impatience, irritation,bad memory,mood swings,lack of focus,low energy-just to name a few. If you get in the habit skipping your nightly 7-8 hours , you might even run into health problems over time. Scientists say that we need restful sleep to restore our souls, heal our bodies and off -load our brains to stay healthy. We eat nutritiously, work out regularly and try to reduce stress because it contributes to our well being . So why do we sacrifice sleep so easily, when it is so important to our survival? 

A poor night’s sleep is likely to leave us feeling irritable, tired and lethargic and can affect how we perform at work or home the next day. If your sleep is disrupted for a number of nights, you are likely to find it difficult to concentrate and make sound decisions. Risk of accidents (and potential injury) increases and your mental health could suffer too. An old friend of mine recently said to me that your body will take care of you up until the age of 40. After that you have to take care of your body. Getting enough sleep should be your starting point. These days, sleep disorders are on the rise and 1 in 6 people has trouble sleeping. Two of the major causes are stress and the blue light emanating from your phone and TV. 

My personal sleep tip for you? Something I do regularly. Before bedtime, write down your to-do list in as much detail as possible. This way your brain will have processed it and you won’t lie awake worrying all night. After that, when you are in bed, take 2 or 3 minutes to simply look into the light of a candle. This relaxes you, helps your brain counteract the blue light of your devices and helps you enjoy a deeper sleep.

Author: Dr. Funmi Beckley

fumbeck@gmail.com

Lagos, Nigeria