Health Tip: Get Enough Quality Sleep!
The importance of getting enough quality sleep cannot be overstated. It may be just as important as diet and exercise, if not more. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, throw your appetite hormones out of whack and reduce your physical and mental performance. In addition to all of this, it is one of the strongest individual risk factors for future weight gain and obesity. One study showed that short sleep was linked to 89% increased risk of obesity in children, and 55% in adults.
Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Here’s a tip: Avoid Bright Lights Before Bed! When we’re exposed to bright lights in the evening, this disrupts production of the hormone melatonin. An interesting “hack” is to use a pair of amber-tinted glasses that block blue light from entering your eyes in the evening. This allows melatonin to be produced as if it were completely dark, helping you sleep better.
West Bay Pharmacy
Taking Care of Your Health!
Sleep & Heart Disease
Exercise and eating nutritious foods aren’t the only things that can help increase heart health; sleep is also a factor. The better night’s rest you get, the healthier your heart will be. According to a 2011 study by the American Heart Association, poor sleep quality is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, a potential cause of heart disease.
“Our study shows for the first time that poor quality sleep puts individuals at significantly increased risk of developing high blood pressure,” said Susan Redline, M.D., the study’s co-author, in a statement. read more →
