The Surprising Benefits of Having a Sleep Schedule
By Alexis Mills
While both sleeping too much and too little both have severe health repercussions, life is all about balance -- and that includes your sleep cycle. Surprisingly, some scientific studies found a tie-in between sleep cycles and life satisfaction. It was found that how much sleep you are getting isn't as important as keeping your sleep schedule consistent.
Of course it is important to be getting between 7-8 hours of sleep. However, making your sleep schedule a habit will enhance your energy and make falling asleep and waking up that much easier. And yes, it still applies on weekends!
Sleep Schedule Tied to Life Satisfaction
Mattress Inquirer conducted a survey of 1,000 people and the results "showed people with strict wake-up times were 13 percent more satisfied with their personal lives, 45 percent more satisfied with their financial situation, and 42 percent more satisfied with their work-life balance." The results speak for themselves; you have higher odds of greater life satisfaction with personal, work, and finances, all because of having a morning wake-up that's set in stone.
Why It Works
A reliable, comfortable sleep routine gives you more waking hours in the day and a chance to count on your peak hours of productivity. Your body becomes used to it. By getting up early every day and using your energy more efficiently, it increases your productivity and efficiency, and helps explain how people who wake up at the same time every day are much happier with their financial and work life.
Another explanation is through the term social jet lag; it goes into how, during the week, one is overworked but uses the weekend to catch up on sleep. People normally stay up late and sleep in later on the weekend, which creates a state similar to jet lag. Through this small irregularity, you could be creating havoc on your health by lowering good cholesterol levels, increasing body fat, and increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
These findings were shocking. As someone with an inconsistent daily schedule, the thought of waking up at the same time and going to bed at the same time seems unrealistic. After learning the above information, it makes me want to use the bedtime feature on my iPhone to help me incorporate a sleep schedule that will enhance my health and life satisfaction.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Cypress, Tex.