How the Holiday Season Affects Your Sleep
We all love to overindulge every now and then, but here are a few reasons why you may want to rethink your holiday habits.
Hidden Signs You Are Getting a Poor Sleep
Other than waking up tired in the morning (yaaaawn) have you ever wondered if your body is giving you signs that you are not getting the optimal amount of sleep you should be? Read on to learn about some of the signs you may not instinctively associate to lack of sleep.
Your appetite increases
If your body is not recharging from sleep, it may try to supplement the lack of energy with eating more food. Along with trying to balance out lost energy, a lack of sleep can disturb important hormones which increase cravings for fatty and sugary foods, as well as decrease the signals in your body which let you know that you are full.1
Your impulse control changes
Sleep has been proven to be tied to the brain’s ability to practice self-control and attention, a process which gets compromised when you are not getting the ideal amount of Zzz’s. The energy needed for better self-control is easier spent than it is replenished, so impulsive behaviour can definitely be a red flag that you need more sleep.2
You have memory trouble
Sleep is an important process for making new memories, so it is critical to be well rested so you can form moments into your memory. Deep sleep, which helps you form memories, happens later in sleep and in a cyclical pattern, so the more sleep the better.3
You get sick often
Getting a good amount of sleep is important for the immune system to fight off infections, inflammation or stress. If you are getting sick often, it may be due to immune system suppression, as well as the lack of infection fighting antibodies due to lack of sleep.4
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References
1 https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20906153,00.html?slide=106521#106521
2 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00284/full
4 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757
The Relationship Between Weight and Sleep
Many factors can influence the quality of sleep that you get, and weight is a significant one. Your weight can have a great impact on sleep, which influences many other areas of wellness in your life, but luckily, it is something that can oftentimes be managed.
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