Here are some interesting facts about sleep ….
- 36% of us drive drowsy or fall asleep while driving.
- Lack of sleep is likely to result in having a larger appetite during the day.
- Some of us NEED to nap during the day.
- It seems that we humans are the only species that willingly put off going to sleep even when we’re tired.
- It’s just as important to our health as diet and exercise.
- The number 1 cause of sleepiness in the U.S. is self-imposed Sleep deprivation.
How much sleep do we really need to be at our best and most productive?
Sleep like a baby
I know many of you are saying, “no really, I only need 6 hours of shut eye!” Okay, I hear you. In a recent study at University of California researchers found that six hours of sleep probably works for only about 3% of the population.
The reality is that we need 7 1/2 to 9 hours and that many of us have been sleep-deprived for so long that we don’t even know what it feels like to be functioning at our full potential.
The quality and quantity of our slumber massively affects our mental acuity, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, vitality and weight. In fact, there is NO OTHER activity that delivers so many benefits with so little effort.
Moral of the sleep story
- Get at least 8 hours of shut-eye
- Establish a regular sleeping pattern and …
- If you struggle with falling and staying asleep ensure that you exercise consistently at least 4 times a week, limit caffeine intake after 3pm, and find other healthy ways to reduce your stress so your mind can take a break.
Renewed energy and better focus comes from getting to bed earlier, rather than pushing yourself to burn the midnight oil to get that extra bit of work done.
To life!
P.S. If you’d like to overcome sleeplessness, reach out and I’d love to explore strategies that can work for you.