Body, Mind, and Soul
sleep tight Break the bad-sleep cycle for better health By Ben Larrison The average person has probably heard it his entire life, from when he was a kid with a bedtime to his latest physical: If you want to be at your best, make sure you get enough sleep. But despite the warnings, chances are we’re never quite as well-rested as we wish we were.
Sleep loss effects people in plenty of negative ways, from heightened irritability to a weakened immune system, so making sure you get your Z’s should be considered pretty crucial. Yet while doctors recommend adults get about seven and a half hours of sleep per night, a 2011 National Sleep Foundation report said Americans average
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less than seven hours on weeknights. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to both develop healthy sleep habits, and to get more out of your sleep. For starters, establish and stick to a good sleep routine. “Routine is very important, as far as being able to go to sleep properly and easily,” says Dr. William Kohler, medical director of the Florida Sleep Institute in Spring Hill, Fla. “The routine is very significant.” While falling asleep at a reasonable hour obviously is beneficial toward getting a good night’s sleep, perhaps even more significant is waking up at the same time every morning - yes, even on weekends. “Getting up that same time every day is very important to keeping that internal clock,” says Dr. Ronald Popper, American of the Academy of Sleep Medicine in Darien, Ill. ➤ august 2012
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