Sleep—children do anything to avoid it, and adults can never get enough. It’s often the first thing we give up when we are busy or stressed. But there are good reasons we spend a third of our lives engaged in this one activity.
Robust immune system
Regularly getting enough sleep improves your immune system. Sleep is when the body repairs itself and fights off viruses and bacteria.
Weight control
When you don’t get enough sleep, your hunger hormones get out of balance and you eat even if you are actually full. Research has shown that poor sleep is linked to higher BMIs and higher rates of obesity. Being overtired also affects your brain’s frontal lobe—your decision-making center—so it’s harder to resist unhealthy foods.
Heart health
Sleep offers your heart a time to recuperate from strain and helps prevent the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Our blood pressure drops when we sleep well. Sleep deprivation interrupts that dip and is linked to having higher blood pressure during the day. Regulated blood pressure is associated with lower incidence of heart disease.
Stronger sex drive
Sleep helps regulate your automatic nervous system, which plays a large part in your sex drive.One study showed that women’s libido increased when they got more sleep.
Your pre-sleep routine
Like most things in life, getting good sleep is easier if you prepare for it. And it’s easier than you might think to set yourself up for a healthy night’s sleep.
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During the day, try to exercise for at least 30 minutes, which will help you fall asleep naturally. Avoid caffeine and large meals within a few hours before you go to bed.
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Two hours before bedtime, turn off your phone and computer and make sure your electronic devices don’t come into the bedroom with you. The blue light from screens can trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime and make it harder to drift off. Dim the lights in your home, or even light a candle for a more restful atmosphere.
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One hour before lights out, signal to yourself it’s time to wind down by brushing your teeth, washing your face, and changing into comfortable pajamas.
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Between 30 and 45 minutes before bed, prepare a relaxing drink like passionflower tea. This herb has been shown to induce calm, relaxation, and better sleep. Adding a melatonin supplement that allows you to reset your biological sleep cycle, fighting the disorders that disrupt it.
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Get into bed at least 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply or meditate.
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Snuggle in a cool, dark room and soon you’ll be resting well, taking care of your mind and body.
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It can also be of great help to normalize your sleep hours and the time you are active with the supplementation of maca, especially in the first months of transition, when the body and mind feel most tired. This plant can provide can extra quota of physical energy, as well as promote focus and concentration to carry out daytime activities.
Let’s get healthier, together,
Your friends at Santo Remedio
