Time to Catch Some Zzzzzzs!
It's the middle of February and we are certainly feeling confident, strong and refreshed from weeks 1-4 of our wellness journey. If you've been with us from the start, we've been incorporating exercise, hydration, detoxifying foods and removing unwanted toxins from our day-to-day and we're feeling great! This week we're going to get a bit more serious about something all of us need everyday...SLEEP!
On the Road to a Healthy Lifestyle: Prioritizing Sleep
Getting enough sleep benefits our bodies in more ways than one. Did you ever notice than when you’re tired, run down or feeling stressed, you’re more likely to get sick? That’s because our bodies, and more importantly, our immune systems, need sleep in order to keep us healthy.
In addition to fending off the common cold, sleep plays a vital role in the prevention of major disease. The National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute suggests that sleep is, for example, greatly involved in the healing and repairing of heart and blood vessels. Experts have proved linkages between those who sleep less, and those who suffer serious health problems like heart disease, as well as kidney disease and obesity.
Sleep can help us with stress, fight off common colds, prevent disease, and it can help us make better choices when it comes to our health.
A recent article by TIME magazine looked at the connection between what you eat, and how you sleep. A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania showed that normal sleepers (those who get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night) have the healthiest diets of all sleepers, consuming fewer calories than the short sleepers (those who get between 5-6 hours a night), with high food variety (considered a marker for good health). Thankfully, while a lack of sleep can lead to unhealthy eating habits, the reverse is also true.
This week, we're aiming to get at least 7 (ideally 8!) hours of sleep per night. If you’re struggling to fall asleep once your head hits your pillow, consider tweaking your diet. Eating healthy foods (such as almonds, kale or spinach) before bedtime can calm your nervous system and trigger a sleep-inducing hormonal response.
If sleep is something you really struggle with, you may want to check out some natural remedies for stress that can help support healthier sleep. You may want to consider Living Health and Wellness Hemp Extract Oils by O2 Living. Our Living Hemp Extract Oils contain organic hemp extract (CBD) and are available in 100mg and 250mg oils.