Sleep your way to good health

We all are aware of the benefits of sleep and for a better physiological and psychological health of your body — sleep is the best treatment for your overall well being.

One of the recent studies has shown that sleeps, besides keeping you healthy and fit, also improve your productivity and efficiency at work.

We are living in a fast-paced world where we boast about how we can strive and survive with little or no sleep. On the other hand, doctors say, this condition would harmfully affect health in the long run.

We need to always remember that it's the body that analyses how much rest it needs and not us.

Overburdening the body after a point will show the impact in the form of dark circles, fatigue, irritability and lethargy.

Therefore, eight hours of sleep is a must to keep your balance.

Reasons for sleep deprivation:

1. Staying up too late - Watching TV series or movies
2. Drinking too much coffee or tea
3. Eating late at night (it may even be munching junk food) - It is always better to eat at least three hours before you go to bed
4. Late night parties
5. Work life imbalance or work pressure
6. Social media or internet addiction
7. Late night texting and phone calls
8. Too much alcohol consumption

Benefits of sleep:

1. Better immunity: Getting enough sleep will improve your overall health and immunity
2. Enhanced mood: Having proper sleep always keep ups the good mood
3. Beats fatigue: A good sound sleep is always rejuvenating and a great stress buster
4. Balanced body weight: Better sleep will ensure that your body maintains a healthy weight
5. Better appetite: Getting enough sleep improves the body's digestion process and keeps it in a good working condition
6. Better memory: The better the sleep the better recall power
7. Sleeping beauty: Good sleep is the best beauty treatment for your skin

How to get good sleep?

1. Take a warm bath: If you are facing trouble to fall asleep, warm water bath can be of help
2. Stick to a routine: Maintain and follow a fixed daily schedule for sleeping
3. Stop worrying: Sleep is the best way to relax and burst your stress. Hence, when you are lying down on your bed, just forget about all your worries.
4. Environment matters: It is important to keep a comfortable and cozy setting around yourself for a sound sleep.
5. Soothing music helps: Playing some of your favorite music that's soothing enough to put you to sleep is definitely a thing to do
6. Stay physically active: In order to get a good night's sleep, you need to be physically active throughout the day. In addition, exercise and yoga are also known to reduce the mental stress and help you unwind after work which aids sound sleep.

Even after practicing all of this, if you are still finding yourself facing difficulties to get a good sleep then it is advisable to visit a general physician for a consultation.

-Kanchan Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist