How Well Are You Sleeping?

By Donna Stark

You gave up the sodas and junk food, you are hitting the gym more days than not during the week, and those lazy Sunday afternoons you used to relish? Well, it certainly was hard to say goodbye to football and hello to meal planning and grocery shopping, right? You have definitely made some big changes with your lifestyle. In fact, you’re trying so hard to do everything right that it doesn’t make sense that you still feel like something is missing. You’re feeling run-down and sluggish, you continue to struggle with weight issues, and it always seems like you are fighting one illness right after the next. Basically, you still don’t look or feel the way you thought you would when you began this new journey and there is nothing more frustrating than that. So what else could there be?

How Well Are You Sleeping?

If your diet and exercise are on point, but you still feel like junk, poor sleep may be to blame. Everything we rely on being able to do during the day is dependent on getting quality sleep at night. Just take a look at how poor sleep disrupts our daily functions.

• Low energy
• Reduced endurance
• Slow reactions
• Forgetfulness
• Inability to focus
• Elevated stress level
• Moodiness
• Poor immunity
• Excess weight

Prioritize Sleep

Sure, having a late night here or there may not have such extreme consequences, but when those sleepless nights add up, or when the sleep you do get is poor at best, you can be sure to expect significant health issues. So get ahead of this vicious cycle and learn how to prepare yourself for your best sleep yet. Here are some suggestions to take, starting from the moment when you wake up.

• Wake up at the same time every day
• Get moving right away … don’t hit snooze
• Find some sunshine
• Exercise … but not too late in the evening
• Limit caffeine intake during the afternoon
• Avoid overindulging at dinner
• Set an appropriate temperature for your bedroom
• Turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed
• Stick to the same bedtime

It’s critical to your health to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night, so if you are having trouble getting that, don’t push it off to deal with later. Your body needs quality sleep because it uses that time to recover from the day you just had. Sleep should be as high on your priority list as your diet and exercise are for optimal health. And isn’t that what your journey is all about? To feel and look your best? You definitely got off to a great start with changing some of your daytime habits, just don’t forget about the nighttime ones as well. Because once you do that, the only thing missing will be the moments you feel like junk.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in San Marcos, Calif.