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Chiroblog

Ten Weeks of Wellness - Week 2: Get More Sleep!

Posted: January 14, 2013
By: Dr. Drew Rubin

 
Hopefully you've made some posture progress in your first week in the 10 Weeks of Wellness program.  Feel free to keep up those exercises that have become part of your routine as you move forward in 2013!  In the meantime we move on to our next goal - getting more sleep!

Week 1 (Jan. 7): Posture Pod Exercises
Week 2 (Jan. 14): Sleep
Week 3 (Jan. 21): Affirmation
Week 4 (Jan. 28): Caffeine Free
Week 5 (Feb. 4): Walking
Week 6 (Feb. 11): Random Acts of Kindness
Week 7 (Feb. 18): Gluten Free
Week 8 (Feb. 25): Sunshine and Meditation
Week 9 (Mar. 4): Dairy Free
Week 10 (Mar. 11): Gratitude

 We all lead busy lives between work, family, and friends - but it is vitally important to make time for sleep in our hectic schedules.  A lack of sleep is linked to a variety of conditions such as depression, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.  Additionally, it can make your brain foggier and lead to an increased incidence of accidents.  With all of these things linked to reduced sleep, why is it often the first thing that we sacrifice in order to make more time? We need to start looking at proper sleep as a priority as opposed to a luxury.

So what are some changes you can make to improve your quality and quantity of sleep?  Here are some of our favorites - you can find more here:
  • Try to get 6-8 hours of sleep/night- research shows it takes that amount of sleep for release of growth hormone, your body's natural healing chemical.
  • Don't drink caffeine after 4:00 PM - there are plenty of no-caffeine options available such as some herbal teas, or just good ol' water in the evenings.
  • Avoid heavy meals after 6:00 PM - our culture tends to emphasize a hearty meal in the evenings, but in reality, it's best to fuel up at breakfast and lunch and eat a lighter dinner.
  • Create a nighttime 'ritual' - try to go to bed at around the same time every night, and have a 'ritual' in which you do the same things in the same order so that your body knows its time to shut down.
  • Do not watch TV or play video/ cell phone games for an hour before you plan on sleeping - this sort of brain activity is the exact opposite to the brain waves needed for rest.
  • Eliminate all light sources from the room - consider your cell phone, computer, and even the glow of your digital alarm clock.  
And how will you be getting your tickets this week?
Good luck and sweet dreams!

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss
http://greenfield.patch.com/blog_posts/30-more-sleep-ideas-to-help-you-get-some-zs
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