With today’s fast-paced world where 24-7 is the norm, many people have lost sight of the benefits gained from a good night’s sleep. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, sleep plays a vital role throughout your life and getting quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

Ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems, impact weight loss efforts, affect how you get along with others, cause problems with decision making and problem solving, leave you feeling fatigued and alter your risk-taking behavior. Since sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels, deficiencies are directly linked to increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes and stroke.

Tips for improving your sleep habits:

• Commit to a Sleep Schedule
• Go to Bed and Get Up at Same Time
• Avoid Caffeine 4 to 6 Hours Before Bed
• Keep Your Bedroom Cooler at Night
• Avoid Exercise 2 to 3 Hours Before Bed
• Focus on Winding Down at Night

In addition to supporting healthy growth, sleep is needed to maintain a healthy balance of hormones insulin (controls blood sugar levels), ghrelin (causes you to feel hungry) and leptin (causes you to feel full). Recent research studies have concluded that with every hour of lost sleep, your odds of becoming obese goes up.

Sleep is an important lifestyle issue but one that is increasing overlooked. If you are experiencing difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, Request an Appointment with a primary care provider at Delta Internal Medicine Center. Your immune system relies on sleep to help fight common infections, chronic disease and other illnesses. A quick exam can help determine how your problem sleeping may be related to your overall health and wellness.