19th January – get enough sleep

Get the right amount of sleep for your needs 😴 

⏰The average person needs 7-9hours sleep per night. Unfortunately there is no test that can tell you how much sleep you need, and it does vary depending on what else is happening in your body – for example, you need more sleep if you are unwell.

What happens if you don’t get enough sleep?
❗️In the short term, your ability to function decreases – you become less coordinated, and less able to think clearly. For example, if you are awake for a whole 24hours, your functional ability is reduced to the same as someone who has a blood alcohol level at the legal limit for driving.
‼️In the longer term, over time, lack of sleep causes changes in the body’s physiology such as higher cortisol levels and higher glucose levels, and reduced insulin sensitivity. Long-term reduced sleep has been associated with: weight gain, obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, and also heart disease, vascular disease and some types of cancers.

How do you know if you are getting enough sleep? 👂Listen to your body. You are probably getting enough sleep if:
🌞You wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested
🌞You can maintain your sleep routine every day, and not feel the need to over-sleep on your days off to “catch-up”.
🌞You don’t feel overly tired or fatigued through the course of a normal day.

Tips for getting enough sleep:
🌛Keep to a routine – go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends or your days off.
🌛Have a wind-down routine at bedtime
🌛Avoid things which are going to keep you awake – caffeine, light exposure in the evenings (screens, gadgets, TV etc), stress.
🌛Get active during the daytime
🌛Increase the amount of sunlight you get, especially in the mornings

💻For more sleep advice: https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/advice-support/