If you're at all like the average adult you realize that sleep is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise. It can help with weight control, memory, mental alertness, overall wellness, and even keeps skin looking young. At Therafit, a company promoting a healthy lifestyle for women, we know it's challenging to find the time you need for yourself and that includes a healthy night's sleep.
Which is great, if you can get it. But did you know that parents of young children lose an average of 1500 hours of sleep in the first year? Given the non-stop, stress-packed lives we lead, it comes as no surprise that the amount of money we spend on sleeping pills has more than doubled since 2002. There's got to be a better way!
Here are five steps you can take to make your dream of a full night’s rest a reality:
1. Make sleep a priority, and realize which parts of your to-do list can be postponed until morning.
2. Determine your optimal sleep time. Next time you are on vacation or have a few days off, try to go to bed at the same time each night and figure out what time you need to wake up in order to feel rested. Once that is determined, you should aim for that many hours of sleep per night.
3. Get rid of whatever is preventing you from a full night’s sleep. If it’s pain, be sure to take over-the-counter pain meds to put your body at ease. Other than that, do not let kids, pets, computers, or any work-related materials in bed.
4. Don’t sacrifice excercise because you need to sleep. Instead, cut down on Kardashian marathons or stalk Facebook for fewer hours.
5. Come up with a nighttime routine, just like you had when you were a kid! Take a hot bath or shower, read a chapter from a book or listen to calming music, and before you go to sleep, put on socks. A Swedish study shows that blood vessels in feet dilate when you relax – wearing socks only facilitates this process!
Make Your Whole Body Happy Tip! Share your healthy Whole Body tips with #Therafit on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram daily!
You know what makes Therafit girls feel comfortable and cozy for bed? Our favorite PJ's (vintage men's pajamas), a good book (check out Wool by Hugh Howey) and a litte prayer of gratitude.
