My Journey With Weight Loss – Getting Enough Sleep

I am happy that the storm they predicted for last night did not bring the amount of rain they said it would. As a matter of fact we didn’t get much here at all. We did, however, get the wind they had called for and while it has slowed down significantly there is still a chilly wind blowing. I didn’t realize how cold that wind was until I took the dogs out for a short walk (short because I was freezing). It made me glad that I had done my 1 1/2 hour walk this morning on the dreaded treadmill.

I know I have posted before about how I go through cycles of insomnia. This started happening several years ago when all of a sudden I stopped being able to sleep for 8 hours a night and instead it would be as little as 2 hours. I tried everything from turning off the blue screens at least an hour before bedtime to taking sleeping pills, doing deep breathing exercises and others but to no avail, I would still go for days without a decent night’s sleep. Having said that, it is a bit better now. While I still have restless nights they are fewer than what they used to be and most nights I can get 6 hours of sleep. Apparently research has shown people who have a normal BMI tend to get better sleep. Maybe that is what is helping me or maybe it is the exercise, I’m not sure I just know I like not feeling tired all the time.

But is getting enough sleep really that important? They say you should get 7-9 hours of sleep each night to remain healthy. Well, as a former union VP who was always busy and traveling that was an impossibility for many years. But does it really matter? There are many organizations that have done research around this issue and a good night’s sleep is extremely important to both physical and mental health.

One of the main functions of sleep is allowing both our brains and bodies to restore themselves. An example of this is that during sleep our tissues are able to do repair work on themselves. That will help with an injury but also is a huge support if like me you exercise nearly every day. Sleep gives your body that chance to prepare for the next day.

Not getting enough sleep has a significant impact. Sleep deprivation can actually lead to a a state of fatigue intoxication which of course is dangerous if you do things such as drive, operate heavy equipment or have a job that is safety sensitive. Lack of sleep may impact your immune system reducing your ability to fight infections (with a pandemic in play this one is really important right now). It may also impact your emotional health by altering the activity in certain parts of your brain which can lead to it being more difficult to control your emotions. Studies have also linked sleep deficiency to a higher risk of depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

Ultimately the message seems to be try to get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. While I am still not quite back to where I would like to be, according to my Fitbit most nights I do get in some good rest, certainly better than what it was 18 months ago.