Sleep and Your Long Term Health

Sleep is important for many reasons; in fact, it's as important as diet, nutrition, and exercise. It helps your body function properly, improves attention, behaviour, memory and overall mental and physical health.

Lack of sleep is not only important in the short term - an ongoing lack of sleep can be associated with long-term health challenges such as heart attacks, mental health issues, and high blood pressure.

Here are some tips to improve your sleep:

• Reduce daytime naps

• Exercise regularly, but not before bed

• Increase bright light exposure during the day, reduce blue light exposure in the evening

• Don't consume caffeine or alcohol late in the day

• Avoid eating or drinking late at night

• Try to go to sleep and wake up at consistent times

• Take a melatonin supplement

• Optimize your bedroom environment - dark, cool, quiet, with a comfortable bed

• Wind down to clear your head before bed - use relaxation techniques

Review the list of tips above and identify one or two that might disrupt your sleep.

Then try to change those habits for a week! Take notice: what's the impact? Are you feeling more rested?