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Why You Should Prioritize Sleep
Did you know that 100,000 deaths occur each year in US hospitals due to medical errors and sleep deprivation?
Additionally
- 37% of 20-39 year-olds report short sleep duration
- 40% of 40-59 year-olds report short sleep duration
- 35.3% adults report getting less than 7 hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour period
If these daunting facts aren't enough of a wake up call (pun intended!), then take a look at the following sleep statistics below...
Sleep Statistics
- One person dies in a traffic accident every hour in the United States due to a fatigue related error
- The WHO (World Health Organization) has declared a sleep loss epidemic throughout industrialized nations
- The physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise
- 50-70 million US adults have a sleep disorder
- Insomnia is the most common specific sleep disorder, with short term issues reported by about 30% of adults and chronic insomnia by 10%
- Sleep disruption further contributes to all major psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, and suicidality
- Routinely sleeping less than 6 or 7 hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk for cancer
Lack of sleep is causing substantial personal and social impacts and yet no one seems to take sleep seriously. I wonder why? I think it's largely because it's taken science a long time to prove the value of sleep and in this gap of science, society has placed higher value on working hard and sleeping less.
And in case you're thinking this doesn't apply to you, take this brief quiz to determine if you are getting enough sleep:
- After waking up in the morning, could you fall back asleep at 10 or 11 am?
- Can you function optimally without caffeine before noon?
- If you didn't set an alarm clock, would you sleep past that time?
- Do you find yourself at your computer screen reading and then rereading the same sentence?
- Do you sometimes forget what color the last few traffic lights were while driving?
If you answered yes to any of these, then you have room to improve your sleep. It is likely you are not getting enough quality sleep.
Why is Sleep so Important?</h4
In Matthew Walker's book Why We Sleep, he makes the case for sleep, debunks myths, and shares tips across how to improve quality and quantity of sleep. But first, let's make the case for sleep.
The Benefits of Sleep:
- Sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions and choices
- Sleep recalibrates our emotional brain circuits, allowing us to navigate next day social and psychological challenges with composure
- Dreaming mollifies painful memories and provides a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity
- Sleep restocks the armory of our immune system, helping fight malignancy, preventing infection, and warding off illness
- Plentiful sleep maintains a flourishing microbiome within your gut, the foundation of nutritional health
- Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day
How Can I Improve My Quality and Quantity of Sleep?
Here are some strategies you can incorporate to start prioritizing sleep. I recommend adopting as many of these as you feel open to and keeping a journal to track health improvements, what's working, and what's not.
Consider this an experiment. Get curious about how you can improve your energy and health through this vitally important function, sleep.
10 Strategies for Better Sleep
- Stick to a sleep schedule
- Avoid exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime
- Avoid caffeine & nicotine
- Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed
- Avoid large meals & beverages late at night
- Avoid medications that delay or disrupt your sleep (if possible, consult with your doctor)
- Don't take naps after 3 pm
- Take a hot bath before bed
- Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, and gadget free
- Don't lie awake in bed if you have difficulty falling asleep
I hope you are willing to take this challenge. Get your family, friends, and colleagues engaged. Let's improve our sleep and thus our health and energy levels together. I dare you to challenge yourself to achieving more rest.
Bonus Tip: Schedule an hour of down time before your ideal bedtime. During this time you should unplug from all technology including television.
This is a time to relax, read, meditate, or do something that brings you peace and calm. In adopting this new routine, it will help you fall asleep faster. It's also a great time to reflect on the day, acknowledge yourself for accomplishments, and express gratitude.
Need Support?
Sometimes making changes to our daily routine can feel overwhelming and even daunting. And hey, you are not alone. Most of my clients feel this way. I am here to partner with you in creating attainable action steps side by side to get you to your desired destination.
If you need coaching support, please schedule a complimentary Total Transformation Discovery session with me today.
