I was never one of those people who could stay up all night cramming for an exam. Heck, I couldn’t even stay up all night having fun! I’m not a night owl or a morning person. I’m sort of a middle-of-the-day person. I felt guilty about this until I found out that these boring patterns are actually good for me.
How much?
We all know someone who brags about needing only three or four hours of sleep per night. Well, this may ‘work’ for a while, but recent studies have shown how detrimental chronic sleep deprivation can be to overall health.
Every person is different in the amount of sleep they need each night. You should try to get somewhere between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. But the real yardstick is that you should wake up feeling relatively refreshed in the morning.
The problems with too little
Not getting enough sleep causes all kinds of problems…
- Weight Gain: Not sleeping enough may cause weight gain by affecting the way your body processes and stores carbohydrates. It also makes you eat more by altering levels of hormones that affect your appetite.
- Impaired Driving: According to the National Commission of Sleep Disorders and the National Highway Safety Administration, each year there are over 100,000 crashes caused by people falling asleep while driving. This alone should motivate you to get more sleep.
- Weakened Immune System: When you’re tired, you simply can’t fight off infections as effectively as you can when you’re rested. Researchers have even suggested that getting enough sleep helps fight cancer.
- Moodiness: We have all been here before. Admit it: you’re just cranky and super-irritable when you don’t get enough sleep. You may even say things you later regret, so choose your words carefully if you haven’t been sleeping well!
- Poor Memory: Sleep improves your ability to concentrate and helps you retain the things you learn. Whether you’re trying to solve a Sudoku puzzle, learn poses in yoga class or train for new duties at work, make sure you are sleeping well so you will remember what you need to.
- Impaired Judgment: Lack of sleep impairs your ability to quickly and effectively make decisions. Consider how many snap decisions you have to make at work; if your job depends on your prudent judgment, then you need to get a good night’s sleep.
- Unhealthy Heart: Over time, some serious sleep disorders can take their toll on the heart. Chronic sleeplessness has been found to promote stress, hypertension and an irregular heartbeat.
More Activity, More Rest
One of the most important things you can do to improve your sleep is to get regular exercise. (You knew I was going to say this.)
A Stanford University study found that adults with moderate sleep complaints were helped by aerobic exercise. As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, brisk walking, cycling and group classes four times a week helped them fall asleep faster and then sleep more deeply.
Other studies have found that morning and afternoon exercise works best at promoting quality sleep. Don’t exercise too close to your bedtime as it will rev you up and you may have trouble falling asleep.
Getting Help
If you have trouble sleeping a full night at least three nights per week, then you need to take action.
You can try lifestyle tips for better sleep, such as exercise. If they don’t work, talk to your doctor. Lack of sleep can cause health problems, but sometimes it’s a symptom of pre-existing health issues. The important thing is to get the rest you need to be well and be your best.
To your health & happiness!
Molly
© GlobalFit 2008
Fitness 101 articles offer introductions to basic concepts and are not comprehensive or necessarily applicable to a particular individual’s circumstances. You should consult your physician before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.
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Molly Napolitano has over 20 years of experience in developing medically based fitness and rehabilitation programs. She earned her master's degree in Exercise & Sports Science at the University of Florida in 1989 and went on to specialize in exercise prescription for the elderly.
In 1991, Molly became the Director of ReQuest Physical Therapy, where she was able to oversee the treatment of thousands of patients. ReQuest was one of the first physical therapy centers to be located inside a fitness club. During that time, she taught many fitness club owners how to open and operate rehabilitation centers inside their facilities. She has presented nationally and internationally at various health and fitness conferences including IHRSA, Club Industry East & West, Athletic Business, and Can-Fit-Pro.
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