So let me just ask you straight out – are you getting enough sleep?
Most people may answer, “Probably not, but I’m doing okay.” Or, “I’m busy so I get all I can.”
The question we need to answer for ourselves is how much sleep is enough? How much do I really need?
Well, the National Sleep Foundation says that average adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you’re like most people, you probably either laughed or cringed at that. Who has that kind of time, right? Or maybe you just developed some bad habits of staring at a screen until the middle of the night.
Whatever the reason, if you’re getting less than the recommended 7 hours, you could be doing some long-term harm to yourself.
Here are some warning signs that you may be suffering from a lack of sleep.
Are you often irritable or find yourself lashing out at others?
Do you rely on caffeine to get you through the day?
Do you have a constant lack of energy?
Have you lost jobs or have a hard time keeping them because of not being able to be on time, having low productivity, or falling asleep at work?
If any of those describes you, then you need to make some changes in your sleep habits.
Aside from some of these short term issues which can possibly be resolved by getting more sleep, one of the main long-term effects of getting too little sleep is poor memory. While we sleep, our brain continues to work all night sorting out and storing our memories. If we wake up too soon, the brain will not have enough time to complete its tasks leaving us with reduced short-term memory, trouble learning and focusing, and poor decision-making ability.
Yes it’s true that each person is different and the actual amount of sleep needed for you to function at an optimal level during the day varies, the warning signs are clear. Please don’t ignore them! Thinking you are fine and the warning signs don’t apply to you can lead to more serious issues like forgetting to take medication, oversleeping and missing work, or falling asleep at the wheel.
On top of a better memory, some of the benefits of getting sufficient sleep are having more energy throughout the day, being in a better overall mood, and believe it or not – more sleep is one of the keys to weight loss if that is one of your goals.
Sleep is just really darn important. If you are struggling with getting enough, you feel trapped and don’t think you can get more, or don’t get quality sleep, there may be underlying issues. We encourage you to reach out. That is exactly why we are here at Tranquility Holistic Health & Wellness. Call 234-466-6274 or head over to the contact page and fill out the form to send an email or schedule an appointment.