The Importance of Rest for Your Health

Published on Wednesday, November 09, 2022 by Deanna Salles-Freeman

It’s Fall Y’all

Fall is a great time to reset your circadian rhythm or your 24-hour internal clock, which includes your sleep cycle. Getting the right amount of sleep can improve your health and contribute to longevity.

Sleep is when the body goes to work on processes from your brain to your heart and even your gut. It’s all getting overhauled while you sleep.

How Much Is Enough

Each person's needs are different, generally speaking, no less than 7 hours. Too much sleep is not necessarily better. You want to be like Goldie Locks and get it just right. The right amount varies by age with teens requiring more sleep than adults.

We need sleep because this is when cells are repaired and renewed, metabolism is regulated, and hormones are released. Needing extra sleep, over 9 hours, could also be a warning sign. If this happens often, get your sleep habits checked out by a medical professional.

Sleep deprivation can increase stress responses and anxiety, decrease cognition and performance and lead to increased inflammation. It can also cause metabolic changes that impact our hunger and satiety hormones.

Newborns: 16 to 18 hours a day
Preschool-Aged Children: 11 to 12 hours a day
School-Aged Children: At least 10 hours a day
Teens: 9 to 10 hours a day
Adults: 7 to 8 hours a day

10 Ways to Optimize Sleep

Back in the days before the light bulb, we lived in relation to the sun and moon cycles. Nowadays these cycles have been disrupted and we are overstimulated, but our body still operates on its 24-hour day rhythm. To sleep more soundly we need to chill and calm the nervous system.

-Here are some tips to throttle down after a long day and prepare you for a good night’s rest:

Release pent-up energy with an early evening exercise routine.
Take a relaxing bath with calming essential oils and salts.
Turn off all screens 2-3 hours before bedtime, including the TV.
Practice breathwork to release stress and anxiety.
Create a relaxing, uncluttered atmosphere in your bedroom.
Read a book or meditate.
Leave devices in a different room.
Drink a warm caffeine-free herbal tea 30-60 minutes before bed.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily, even on weekends.
Cultivate an evening and morning ritual.

What’s Your Rhythm

Consistency is key. I like the term ritual instead of routine. Routines are boring but a ritual is a way to pour into yourself.

To take care of yourself.

With the days getting shorter and cooler, it’s prime time to turn inward and get cozy. Work with the season and curate a ritual that starts to flow. You will find your body tells you when to shut down and when to turn up, naturally, by supporting that master internal clock. Sweet dreams!

I see you, and YOU are beautiful!

_{Stibich, PhD, M. (2021, October 12). The Relationship Between Sleep and Life Expectancy. Very Well Health; VeryWellHealth. https://www.verywellhealth.com/sleep-duration-and-longevity-2224291}
_{Healthy Sleep. (2019). Medlineplus.gov; National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/healthysleep.html}
_{Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Born, J. (2011). Sleep and immune function. Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology, 463(1), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0}