Meet your new best friend: Sleep.

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How are you doing with your health and wellness goals? Exercise on track? How about your nutrition? You may think that eating right and exercising every day is what you need for good health. But what about sleep?

Lack of slumber at night can make us all a little cranky but how does it effect our overall health and well being? Numerous studies have shown that skimping on sleep can impact many things from your blood sugar to how you perform on the job.

Reasons to catch a little shut-eye

Below are a few reasons why your body needs a good night’s rest:

• Focus. When you’re operating on little sleep, not only will you have trouble recalling details, it’s more difficult to stay on task. Shuteye plays a big part not only in learning but memory as well.
• Better mood. It’s true. A good night’s rest puts you in a better mood in the morning. One study showed that you are more likely to develop depression if insomnia is a recurring issue for you.
• Healthy heart. Your blood pressure goes down while you sleep, giving your heart a much needed rest. The less sleep you get, the longer the timeframe your blood pressure stays elevated. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease.
• Lowers blood sugar. When your body goes into deep sleep, the amount of glucose/sugar decreases. If your body doesn’t spend enough time in the deep sleep cycle, it can struggle to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• Wards off illness. Your immune system is constantly on alert to battle harmful viruses that may enter your body. Lack of sleep can change the way your immune system works which may result in a decreased ability to fight off sickness.
• Weight control. Sleep deprivation can knock your hormones out of whack. When your hormones are out of whack, you may not be able to fight off the temptation to eat unhealthy foods. Read this next: Why lack of sleep contributes to weight gain.

Rule of thumb is to get seven to eight hours of sleep each evening. If you struggle to fall asleep, limit use of electronics including your phone, computer and television about 30 – 60 minutes before bedtime.

Create a nightly routine that signals to your body that it’s time to relax and move into rest. It may take a few days, but sticking with your nightly routine will help you get a good night’s rest. Have a great week!

To your health,

Denise