We all want to get as much out of life as possible, and that often leads us to late nights and early mornings. Missing an hour or two of sleep seems to be the best way to get that job finished, catch a movie or connect with the friends not seen in a while, but can lead to negative consequences.
 
Sound asleep for wide awake

A good night’s sleep is vital in order for us to be fully functional while awake. Loss of sleep compromises our ability to pay attention, concentrate, think clearly and work efficiently. Insufficient sleep causes dozing, reduces our productivity at work, and prevents our enjoyment of leisure time.
 
Sleep hours

A healthy adult requires between 7 and 9 hours of quality sleep per night. Many factors will change this depending on daily activities, and our diet. A heavy day physically or mentally will increase your body’s rest requirements while what we eat and other habits have a significant effect on how much we actually need. A light, nourishing diet fuels a speedy, efficient recovery while heavy foods, devoid of nutrients need a greater recovery period.
 
Better sleep = long life

Adequate, good quality sleep enhances our life span and quality. Sleep is the time during which our body most effectively repairs itself and recovers from daily physical, mental and emotional stresses. Chronic sleep deprivation places an increasing load on our immune system and other means of restoration. Physical and mental tiredness is incremental. Chronically being sleep deprived depletes physical and mental energy, shortens our potential lifespan and increases the risks of contracting opportunistic infections and serious disease.
 
Memories

Our sleeping hours are also the time when much of our learning, memories and emotions are processed by our brain. This occurs through the physical development of new connections in our brain and communication between cells via different brain chemicals. Loss of sleep robs us of that opportunity, which impairs the memory, the ability to learn new skills, as well as our emotional development.
 
Depression

Chronic tiredness from severe sleep loss can contribute to depression, while excessive sleep is also a common symptom. We are all familiar with that grumpy feeling or short temper after a late night or two. Ensure regular and adequate sleep for a healthy emotional balance. 
 
Avoid/minimize

• Stress
• Coffee, alcohol, sugar, chocolate and other stimulants - especially at night.
• Processed and refined foods - especially at night.  These contain many chemicals which cause an imbalance in our nervous system.  These can have a sedative or stimulating effect.

Nutrients

• A light nourishing diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Magnesium - found in green vegetables, soothes and calms our nervous system.
• B vitamins - found in fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds support magnesium and fight stress.

Helpful herbs

• The herbs chamomile, lavender and skullcap are nice, mild sedatives. 
• Valerian is a strong sedative. 
• These take a little while to work, so if you’re having trouble falling asleep, have a cup about an hour before bedtime. If you’re waking up in the night, take the cup to bed with you to drink while reading a book. 

Pharmaceuticals

• Even pharmaceutical sleep medications are preferable to chronic sleep deprivation. 
• Use these only under prescription and during implementation of the above healthier alternatives.

Consciously prepare

Consciously prepare for sleep with contemplation or meditation. Relaxing music may help while focusing the inhalation and exhalation of your breath calms the mind.

Put sleep on a pedestal where it belongs. It is not time wasted, since lost sleep is lost life. Get a good night’s sleep and get more out of your day.

Related articles: Stress Busters, Boosting Energy, Boosting Productivity