Tag: sleep health

Categories
Blog

How Much Sleep Is Too Much

sleep habits, sleep habits effecting weight gain, sleep health, Sleeping, sleeping and weight, sleeping habits, oversleeping, to much sleep, sleep effect
Legs sticking out from under the blankets in the bedroom

Good sleep is essential to a healthy life. In fact, we spend about one-third of our lives sleeping, so if you’re getting to little or too much sleep, you could be doing serious damage to your body and mind. How much sleep is too much? And how do you know if you need more or less sleep? There are ways to know how much sleep you should get each night and the signs that indicate that you need more or less.

How Much Is Too Much?

Sleep is a vital part of our health and wellness, but how much sleep is ideal? What happens when we don’t get enough sleep? And how can we tell if we need more or less than the average person?

Oversleep is when an individual sleeps longer than the amount recommended by their doctor or health professional. Generally, doctors recommend about 8-9 hours of sleep for most adults and children over 4 years old; however, many people need more or less than this amount depending on personal factors such as age and lifestyle choices. When oversleeping occurs in excess of two weeks or so, it can become harmful both physically and mentally especially if it becomes chronic.

The Trouble With Oversleeping

Oversleeping can be problematic for both your physical and mental health. Sleeping too much can have negative effects on your mood and energy levels, making you feel groggy and lazy. This can lead to a vicious cycle of sleeping more than is required, which then makes it hard to wake up in the morning.

Getting too much sleep can also cause weight gain by changing levels of appetite-regulating hormones that regulate hunger cues from the brain. If you eat large amounts of food while still feeling tired and unmotivated, this may contribute to weight gain as well as diabetes, heart disease, or depression.

What Are The Signs That One Is Getting To Much Sleep?

The first sign that you’re getting too much sleep is feeling groggy. If you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus, then it’s likely that your body is just tired from not getting enough sleep.

Another sign of too much sleep is having trouble staying awake throughout the day. If this happens regularly, it could be due to various factors such as stress, lack of exercise and poor diet. Most importantly though, if there really isn’t any reason for this other than getting more and more hours in bed at night then it could be a sign that they’re getting too much rest each night causing their circadian rhythm to get out of sync with their bodies’ needs throughout the day! This can lead to many health problems including depression, diabetes and even heart disease!

Sleep is a vital part of our health, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough but not too much. If it seems like you never get enough sleep and wake up still feeling tired, you could be oversleeping or there could possibly be something more serious going on. The best thing to do would be to talk with your doctor about what your options are.

Share This

Categories
Blog

5 Surprising Health Benefits to Getting More Sleep

more sleep, jet-asleep, jet-asleep benefits, benefits to getting more sleep, health benefits to getting more sleep
more sleep, jet-asleep, jet-asleep benefits, benefits to getting more sleep, health benefits to getting more sleep

Research shows that more than two-thirds (70%) of American adults obtain insufficient sleep at least once a month. More than 10% of adults say that they experience insufficient sleep every night.

The amount of sleep that you require depends on your age. For newborns, the recommended number of hours of sleep per day is 14 to 17. For teens, 8 to 10 hours per day is recommended, while for adults, a minimum of 7 hours per night is advised.

Getting more sleep can help you in a number of ways. There are many health benefits to getting more sleep and we will highlight 5 of these in this blog post.

1. Manage Body Weight

There is a link between weight gain and poor sleep and short sleep duration is a risk factor for obesity. One sleep study found that adults with a short sleep duration are 55% more likely to develop obesity. For children, this figure rises to an alarming 89%.

For those who are actively trying to lose weight, getting a good night’s sleep is essential.

2. Sleep Improves Productivity and Concentration

When we wake up in the morning after a good night’s sleep, it feels like this can achieve anything. That’s because sleep is important for several aspects of brain function, including:

  • Performance
  • Cognition
  • Productivity
  • Concentration

Getting quality sleep can also help to enhance memory and improve problem-solving skills. On the other hand, poor sleep can impair brain function.

3. Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

If you are a poor sleeper, you have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies show that sleeping fewer than 7 to 8 hours per night is linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases. Another good reason to get some quality zzz’s.

4. Poor Sleep Is Linked to Depression

Depression and other mental health issues are strongly linked to sleeping disorders and poor overall sleep quality. Research indicates that approximately 90% of people suffering from depression complain about the quality of their sleep. Poor sleep is also associated with a higher than average risk of death by suicide.

5. Improve Immune Function

Immune function can be impaired when quality sleep is affected. People who sleep fewer than 7 hours are more likely to develop a cold than those who have a full night’s sleep. If you notice that you frequently get colds, the amount of sleep that you are getting could be a factor.

Health Benefits to Getting More Sleep

The above health benefits of getting more sleep only scratch the surface when it comes to all of the advantages of getting a good night’s sleep. A sleep aid is a great option for those struggling to get sufficient quality sleep.

If you suffer from insomnia, our fast-acting and easy-to-take caplets are safe and effective. If counting sheep isn’t working, trust JET-ASLEEP to help you fall asleep fast. If you would like to learn more about our products and the JET-ASLEEP benefits, contact our friendly and experienced team to learn more sleep tips. 

Share This

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest
Categories
Blog

Sleep Tips for Older Adults

sleep tips
Young Woman With Blanket Sleeping At Night In Bed

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of staying healthy. The brain uses sleep as a way to recharge and refresh itself each night. When you can’t get a full night’s rest it affects every aspect of your life.

Insomnia affects about 30 percent of the population and only gets more prevalent as you age. That’s a significant portion of the population that struggles with sleep.

To help you get the rest you need we’ve provided sleep tips for older adults to help you finally make those restless nights a thing of the past. 

What Causes Insomnia?

There are many causes of insomnia. Among the most prevalent are stress and anxiety. Stress can cause you to needlessly worry about aspects of your life, keeping you awake at night.

Anxiety can have a physical toll on your body. It causes your adrenal glands to create extra amounts of cortisol which targets your fight or flight instincts, causing you to stay awake.

Other influences like drinking right before bed can disrupt your sleep with the need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Stimulating activities before bed such as reading on your phone or computer can disrupt your sleep rhythm by signaling to your brain that it’s not time to sleep, due to the bright lights from these devices. 

How Your Sleep Changes as You Get Older

As you get older your need for sleep changes. Often people find it harder to fall asleep as they age, and tend to wake up earlier. Too much loss of sleep can affect your cognitive ability as you get older. When treated early these effects can be reduced and even reversed.

Your sleep patterns change as you age because your circadian rhythm becomes more susceptible and can be thrown out of whack much more easily. In addition, many older people don’t get enough exposure to sunlight, which is a large factor in your brain as it keeps track of when it is time to sleep. 

There are also age-related sleep disorders that can disrupt your sleep pattern, like sleep apnea which affects your breathing and can often leave you feeling more tired upon waking. Furthermore, your hormones may be out of balance which can contribute to restless nights.

Helpful Sleep Tips for Older Adults  

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet are often some of the first things to look at. Ensuring that you’re eating well-balanced meals and exercising often can help your body know when it needs to sleep.

Make sure that you aren’t eating large meals, drinking, or exercising right before you plan on going to bed since this can be stimulating. 

Going to bed every day at the same time can help your body establish a routine and make it easier for you to sleep at night. 

It’s important to wind yourself down as the evening sets in. After dinner, it can be helpful to soften the lighting, and enjoy relaxing activities. This can help not only reduce stress and anxiety but also makes it clear to your brain that it’s almost time to sleep.

Often sleep aids can be used to break the cycle of insomnia and provide you with the relief you need for a restful night. Nighttime sleep aids include many that can be found over the counter like melatonin, diphenhydramine, and valerian.

Sleep aids can be used in conjunction with other good sleep habits to reinforce a sleeping routine. Not all sleep aids are for everyone, and depending on your needs, you should talk to your doctor who can help find one that is right for you.

Get a Better Night’s Sleep Tonight!

Remember, your sleep patterns change as you get older. Following sleep tips for older adults can help you find what works best to get you back to sleeping peacefully.

Sleep aids are useful for establishing a new sleep routine, or when anxiety and stress are keeping you awake at night.

We at Jet-Asleep have your back when it comes to sleep! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Click here for more articles like this and other sleep-related posts!

Share This

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest
Categories
Blog

Are Your Sleeping Habits Hurting Your Weight Loss Goals?

sleeping, sleeping and weight, sleep habits, sleeping habits, sleep habits effecting weight loss, sleep health
sleeping, sleeping and weight, sleep habits, sleeping habits, sleep habits effecting weight loss, sleep health
sleeping, sleeping and weight, sleep habits, sleeping habits, sleep habits effecting weight loss, sleep health

It’s summer and time to hit the beach. You’ve put in a long winter of home workout sessions, you’ve been tracking your macros, and you’ve been following all the popular weight loss advice.

But you’re still not where you want to be. When you’re at your wit’s end when it comes to weight loss, there’s a good chance you’re skipping over a key factor. Sleep.

A nutritionist’s advice suggests there are three tenets to follow that will make sure you’re getting the most out of the work you’re putting in. These are Rest, Recovery, and Sleep.

REST

According to Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar speaking with the NDTV Health Desk, rest isn’t the time we spend lounging on the couch. When we say rest, what we mean is proper posture and a relaxed spine.

One easy rule of thumb is the “30-3”. For every 30 minutes you spend sitting or in a dormant position, spend 3 minutes standing or walking around.

Without actively making time for rest, it’s going to be hard to start the process of weight loss in any meaningful way.

RECOVERY

Here is the area where most of us walk a thin line. We want to exercise, but we don’t want to over-exercise. We want to take a refreshing nap around mid-day to give our body’s a chance to absorb and process the stress of the day, but we don’t want it to extend into a 2-3 hour nap and hurt that night’s sleep.

So how do we recover in the right way?

The first step is to allow your body adequate time after exercise to recover. Going into your next session at 70% isn’t helping you.

Secondly, according to the Mayo Clinic, you’ll want to keep those mid-day naps to around 10-20 minutes. By doing this, you give yourself a chance to recuperate without affecting that night’s sleep process.

SLEEP

The final step—and what should be around one-third of your life—is sleep.

Why does sleep play such a large role in weight loss? Your body is operating, even at a reduced level, while you’re not consuming any new sources of energy. This is important for your metabolism, your hormonal balance, and several other regulatory processes your body completes while you sleep according to Diwekar.

Your best bet is to develop a sleep schedule. Prepare your body to relax and shut down around the same time every night. Avoid gadgets or any bright screens before bed. Only use your bed for sleep. The more factors you can turn in your favor, the easier it will be to get the consistent sleep you need.

THE WRAP-UP

When you’re struggling to get the results you want, consider taking a look at your sleep habits. Ask yourself if you’re getting the right kind of rest and if you’re giving yourself the time and space to recover.

If you’re not, this could be the next key area to focus on to help you reach those fitness and weight loss goals. As personal trainer Joe Siracuse of F45 Black Rock once said, “Eight hours of sleep is the best pre-workout no one talks about.”

Interested in learning more about sleep health? We frequently share articles and news related to the subject on our Facebook page. 

Share This

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest
Categories
Blog

Sleep and Immunity

sleep, sleep and immunity, sleep health
sleep, sleep and immunity, sleep health

We’re sure, with a high degree of certainty, that we’ve all hit a rough patch in our sleep patterns at one point or another. That’s pretty normal, but what should be avoided is a consistent lack of sleep.

Why? Studies show that individuals who aren’t getting quality sleep (or enough sleep) are more likely to get sick after exposure to a virus than those who are. Not only can lack of sleep make you more likely to get sick, it can also affect the speed in which your body recovers from said illness.

It is vitally important to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle – which includes good sleep habits. In this article, we’ll share some different tips and tricks for what you can do to help improve your sleep health.

WHILE YOU ARE SLEEPING

Even after you decide to call it ‘lights out’ after a full day, your body continues to work hard at keeping your immune system healthy. One way that your body does this is by developing cytokines.

What are Cytokines?

That’s a great question! As we learned from BetterSleep.org, cytokines are a type of protein released by the immune system while we sleep. They are a key component to the growth and activity of cells within the human immune system.

As anyone who’s faced a restless night of sleep is aware, there are many negative effects to being deprived of sleep. One such effect that you might not be aware of is the decrease in production of cytokines and other antibodies and cells important to maintaining your health.

Cytokines are especially important when the body is under stress; increasing in number when the body is fighting off an infection or inflammation.

On top of the immediate decrease in production of cytokines that we face when our sleep is cut short, there are also risks associated with a long-term lack of sleep. According to Eric J. Olson, MD, long-term lack of sleep increases your risk for:

  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular Disease

WHILE YOU ARE AWAKE

The world has drastically changed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to a number of ‘firsts’ for many people, including working from home. One study from Apollo Technical found that 65% of surveyed remote workers also reported working more hours than they had while working in the office.

On top of the extra hours of work, you might have found yourself becoming:

  • A ‘certified’ teacher to your children
  • A personal chef to your family – morning, noon and night
  • A professional housekeeper

With all these extra jobs heaped on your already-full plate, it’s likely that you aren’t taking as much time for yourself as you once were.

Board-certified nurse practitioner Ellen Wermter recommends the following:

“Try to process emotions during the day and take care of your physical and mental health. It’s normal to experience sleep deprivation right now. That’s our survival instinct kicking in, trying to run every scenario to solve this problem. But don’t make temporary poor sleep an additional source of anxiety.

Instead, do your best to make a nightly sleep appointment for seven to eight hours of stress-reducing, immunity-boosting sleep.”

WHILE YOU THINK ABOUT SLEEP

Now that we have you thinking about a good night’s sleep, you’re probably wondering how much is the right amount for you. Guidelines from The National Sleep Foundation recommend adults age 18 to 64 should be getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

Interested in learning more about sleep health? We frequently share articles and news related to the subject on our Facebook page. Check us out at facebook.com/JetAlert.

Share This

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest