Mindful Monday! I’ve had the ‘Why We Sleep’ by Dr. Matthew Walker audiobook going for the last few days, and felt the need to bring some attention to the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. This continues our January theme of self-care and these habits we are creating with the new year. Most people should be aware of the importance of having a dark, quiet and cold room to sleep in, and to avoid heavy meals and drinks late at night to avoid indigestion. We should also be avoiding that nightcap as the alcohol prevents you from getting into the REM portion of your sleep cycle.
No longer is it “cool” to brag about getting 5 hours of sleep a night. More and more studies have shown that anything less than 7-9 hours of sleep is considered sleep deprivation, which can lead to obesity, depression and anxiety among others. Furthermore for the caffeine drinkers out there, the half-life of caffeine has an average half life of 5-7 hours! So in 5-7 hours after that cup of coffee, half of that caffeine in still in your system, and 10-14 hours after your last cup there is still a quarter of that caffeine going through your body. It’s therefore recommended not to drink caffeine after noon at the latest.
Exercise will benefit your sleep as well, with at least 30 minutes daily. This clearly brings back our daily 10 minute walks! If you are coming back from an injury or a hard session in the gym, stretching, massage and chiropractic adjustments alike from us at Willoughby Family Chiropractic in Langley are all going to help you heal and perform better, but you won’t get the results you’re looking for without proper sleep. Lastly, something I have really tried to focus on is limiting my screen time right before bed. I find that writing in my gratitude journal helps me focus on positive and thankful thoughts and reading a book really helps me unwind and be prepared to sleep, and sleep well compared to scrolling through instagram or reddit before bed. There shouldn’t be anything here that is new to anybody, but it is about actually doing these little things that can lead to big results in your health and wellness.
Source: https://willoughbyfamilychiro.ca/blog/mindful-monday-7/