National Sleep Week: March 14-20
Last week was National Sleep Week which brought awareness to a critical component necessary for optimal health:
SLEEP!
I love sleep, like naps are my jam. If there was an Olympic event for napping, I'd do America proud and bring us home the gold EVERYTIME!
Sleep is such an essential component of our lives.
Our bodies recover from the day and prepare us for the next one!
It is crucial for our bodies to function their best physically, mentally, and emotionally.
However, many folx do not get the rest that they need.
Folx 18-64 need 7 to 9 hours of sleep but roughly 35.2% report that they get less than that.
10%-30% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia
Half of Americans report feeling sleepy during the day 3-7 days of the week.
Black adults are simultaneously more likely to report sleeping too little and too much.
For the youngins: 57.8% of middle schoolers and 72.7% of high schoolers don't get the recommended amount of sleep for their age range.
Lack of sleep can lead to:
Memory Loss
Lack of Concentration
Increased Anxiety/Depression
Weakened Immune System
High Blood Pressure
Hallucinations
Weight Gain
To avoid this, and gain a better night’s rest, you can improve your sleep hygiene by adopting the following:
Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine too close to your bedtime.
Sleep in a dark room.
Avoid screentime before bed.
Set a consistent sleep and wake schedule.
Avoid day time naps longer than 30 mins.
